By John Thiel, First Angel’s Message, study 11, mp3

The first angel message declares that we need to fear God and give Him the Glory for the hour of His judgment is come.  In order to understand what is meant by the hour of God’s judgment, we first need a correct understanding of the everlasting gospel.  The atonement is the very hub of the everlasting gospel and it is through the atonement process that the God of heaven, the second person of the Godhead became at one with humanity.  The activity of Jesus becoming at one with us is the remedy for our sin sick minds.  We now look at the atonement of Jesus the man in terms of his becoming a ransom for us.

We were captives in the strongman’s house condemned to death but Jesus through the immeasurable cost of his sinless life and death was found worthy to be our ransom. The condition of man after the fall was hopelessly captive.  Our condition is so deplorable that we are now powerless to release ourselves from it.  In this sense, we truly are captives.

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23`But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

This is the plea of a captive held under the control of his captivator.  The Apostle Paul wanted to do the right but he found himself being controlled by his captivator through sin.  We have all been sold under sin and we are captives to the law of sin.  The wages of sin is death and therefore there is nothing that lies ahead of us except the absolute threat of death in this captivity.  Besides this captivity, the law of sin is also in our members.  O wretched man that I am is the cry for all those that feel their need of deliverance from sin and it is Lucifer himself who is personally holding us to ransom. Satan is our captivator and we are his captives.

Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!   How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof: that opened not the house of his prisoners?

Satan is the captivator and he permits no one to enter the prison house to rescue his captives.  Jesus describes Lucifer as the prince of this world because he has claim over the entire world and its inhabitants.  This poses a question for all those who live on this earth.  Is there anyone worthy to pay out the ransom to release us from the captivating agency of sin and Satan’s hold?  Is a ransom to be found to payout the devil and sin?

Isaiah 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? 25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered?  This is the question.  Shall these captives who are lawfully Satan’s because they have given over to him in the fall of man be delivered?  God reaffirms to us that even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered because God himself is going to contend with Satan. What does God mean when He says that He will contend with our captivator?  In order to answer this question we first need to explore something.  We know that throughout earth’s history God has been working behind the scenes so that ultimately the earth’s history will be unveiled in victory.  In Revelation chapter 5 John the Revelator was taken to the throne room of heaven and shown a sealed book in vision.  The question was asked in verse two, who is worthy to unseal the book, to unveil the history of this world in a positive history ultimately?

Revelation 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the lion of the tribe of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

No one found was worthy in heaven or on earth to open the book unveiling the earth’s history.  We see this concept coming through again that there was no one.  This was such a serious question in the mind of John the Revelator that he began to weep.  Look at God’s attitude to those held in this captivity;

Job 33:24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

Here is the mercy and graciousness of God.  He speaks to us saying, don’t worry, I will deliver you from going down to the hopeless pit of death because I have found a ransom.  John is weeping because no one is found worthy to unleash the scrolls;

Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

The ransom is something that has been paid to redeem.  In Revelation 5:9 we are presented with a joyous scene where the twenty four elders and four beasts are praising God because Jesus the Lamb of God was found worthy to be a ransom.  The scriptures prophesy the work of Jesus;

Isaiah 61:1 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

When Jesus read this scripture in the synagogue in Nazareth He said this day these words come to pass and are fulfilled.  Jesus is the one who opens the prison to them that are bound.  He is the ransom paid to release the prisoner.  It is important to understand that if we are going to be redeemed from the captivity of our sin which is first off centered in the mind, a ransom must be found that can deal with our situation in the lawful manner. Scripture deals further with our state of captivity.

Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.

Where is the captivity?  Where is the alienation?  It is located in our minds.  This is where we need to become freed first.  Jesus identified this and he provided a ransom that would release our minds lawfully.

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 34 Jesus answered them Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is a servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

It is the truth applied to the mind that sets us free.  The ransom has to do with our mind activity.  We are to be set free by Jesus the Son of God, the ransom.  It is the knowledge of His manner of setting us free that sets our minds free.

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Although we’ve become alienated in our mind, Jesus gave himself for us.  He paid out the ransom that He might redeem us from all iniquity to achieve the objective.

Matthew 20:28 Even as the son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and give his life a ransom for many.

Jesus paid the ransom for many.  In our study called ‘Christ the Man’ we remember that the second person of the Godhead left His lofty position in heaven to become fashioned as a man so that he might effectively redeem us from sin.  He gave himself to the degree of becoming sin for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

He who was so pure and so lofty who knew no sin gave of himself to deal with our sinful condition.  For he hath made him to be sin for us.  The ransom gave himself to such a degree that he could actually engage us in a functioning process of redemption through a mind captivity.  He gave himself to be sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and it all took place inside him.  He placed himself in a position where he was made to be our sin – the very prison house itself.

The Function of the Ransom

Luke 4:6 And the devil said unto Him, all this power will I give thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will give it.

Jesus was in the wilderness and Lucifer said to him, I can give you all power therefore cast yourself down and worship me.  Satan claims to be the one who has this world under his control. Examine what Jesus says in reference to those people under the control of Satan and the entire world under his rulership;

Matthew 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man?  and then he will spoil his house.

The above text emphasises what we read in 2 Corinthians.  Jesus gave himself up to be sin for us.  He came into the strong mans house and bound him.  Jesus was in the wilderness under the very direction of Satan but He didn’t succumb to his powerful suggestions.  It was this very activity the ransoming behaviour of Jesus that bound the strong man here on earth.

John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

When Jesus was in the wilderness the prince of the world said, I can give you all if only you would serve me but Jesus conquered him.  Then finally Satan sought to destroy him at the cross but Jesus had made the declaration in advance that no, the prince of the world findeth nothing in me.  I am the ransom, I have come into the strong mans house and although Satan wants to have me he can’t. Hebrews shows how Satan has to let us go because of what Jesus did.

Hebrews 2:14 For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh blood, he also likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Lucifer claimed to be the one who had the world and all its prisoners under his control.  He wanted Jesus to bow down to him so that He would be under his control also.  Jesus said the prince of this world findeth nothing in me.  Jesus came into the prison house of this prince and destroyed him by coming in the same sinful flesh as humanity.  He yielded to death because the human flesh that he was part of was sinful captivated human flesh.

Jesus in the garb of the prisoner suffered.  He was made to be sin in the garb of the prisoner himself. As he died he bound the strong man and released the subjects those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.  There is the ransom in the garb of the prisoner, a human package that had in it a wonderful value.

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 

Jesus partook of the same sinful human flesh as all the prisoners in the prison house and inside His human package dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.  There was the ransom.

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things?  If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 

There dwelt in Him all the fullness of the Godhead bodily so with Him He freely gives us all things.  In that package of human flesh and human captivity dwelt all the wealth to pay us out of our captivity.  Although His body was in the likeness of sinful flesh, the content of that body was the eternal God and therefore the body and the flesh and the grave could not hold him either to sin or death.

Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Sin couldn’t destroy him because Satan could find nothing in him and death couldn’t hold Him.  To meet humanities depraved captivated position of sin and death, the Word, the second person of the Godhead became fashioned as a man in sinful human flesh.  He was made to be sin for us in order to deal with the situation of our sin.  His body of flesh was used as a ransom and the ransom value itself was inside that package.

As the ransom came into the very prison house it broke the power of sin and it broke the power of death. The study of His experience on the cross is meant for the release of the estrangement that exists in our own mind, the captivity of sin which holds us.  In Mathew 27 Jesus actually experienced the manifestation of someone who is in captivity and cannot see God.  He is separated by sin from God but the scriptures say that sin and death could not hold Him because inside Him dwelt the eternal God.

Matthew 27:46 My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?

He is crying like one who is in the prison house, forsaken of God because of sin. The following is a prophesy of the words that Jesus has just fulfilled in Mathew.

Psalm 22:1 My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Why did God forsake him? The answer streams from the Old Testament prophesy in Isaiah.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Why did Jesus feel forsaken by His Heavenly Father on the cross?  Because He was made to be sin for us and it is our sin that separates us from God.  But there in this package of sinful human flesh was this beautiful ingredient of the divine.  As He cries with the voice of someone who is actually imprisoned suffering under the prison of sin, this is the answer, it is your sin that has caused the separation between you and your God.

The spotless Son of God hung upon the cross, His flesh lacerated with stripes; those hands so often reached out in blessing, nailed to the wooden bars; those feet so tireless on ministries of love, spiked to the tree; that royal head pierced by the crown of thorns; those quivering lips shaped to the cry of woe. And all that He endured–the blood drops that flowed from His head, His hands, His feet, the agony that racked His frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at the hiding of His Father’s face–speaks to each child of humanity, declaring, It is for thee that the Son of God consents to bear this burden of guilt; for thee He spoils the domain of death, and opens the gates of Paradise. He who stilled the angry waves and walked the foam-capped billows, who made devils tremble and disease flee, who opened blind eyes and called forth the dead to life,–offers Himself upon the cross as a sacrifice, and this from love to thee. He, the Sin Bearer, endures the wrath of divine justice, and for thy sake becomes sin itself.  {DA 755.1}

Jesus becomes sin itself and in that position of sin He suffers like every other sinner has to suffer.

The fact that Jesus was on this earth as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, that in order to save man from eternal ruin, He left his heavenly home, should lay in the dust all our pride, put to shame all our vanity, and reveal to us the sin of self sufficiency.  Behold Him making the wants, the trials, the griefs and sufferings of sinful men His own.  Can we not take home the lesson that God endured these sufferings and bruises of soul in consequence of sin? 1SM 253.3

Jesus paid the price, he suffered the sin and the actual consequences of sin which was – My God why hast thou forsaken me.  In that position he breaks the power of the bondage of sin, he actually cracks sin because inside him exists a faith and a mind that will not be overcome by that terrible suffering.

Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Jesus acted as no other sinner ever had acted before.  He the one who was made to be sin for us, cracked the power of sin.  When a person is in a mind of suffering because of separation from God on account of sin, he does not trust God.  He does not call upon God because he fears he is far too guilty but here Jesus breaks the hold of sin by saying, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, [even] praise unto our God: many shall see [it], and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

In that terrible condition that I’m in at the cross. Those who look upon Jesus as he was crying to the Father saying, Father into thy hands I command my spirit, will also behold that the same one who commanded himself into the hands of God, rose again.  Remembering that in Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Jesus cracked the power of the sin that was upon Him.  All who would watch Him will fear and will trust in the Lord.  It was there at the cross that the ransom redeemed the minds of those who were encaptured through sin and it was there that sin was broken.

Jesus Was Redeemed From Sin

Suddenly the gloom lifted from the cross, and in clear, trumpetlike tones, that seemed to resound throughout creation, Jesus cried, It is finished. Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit. A light encircled the cross, and the face of the Saviour shone with a glory like the sun. He then bowed His head upon His breast, and died.  {DA 756.2}

Amid the awful darkness, apparently forsaken of God, Christ had drained the last dregs in the cup of human woe. In those dreadful hours He had relied upon the evidence of His Father’s acceptance heretofore given Him. He was acquainted with the character of His Father; He understood His justice, His mercy, and His great love. By faith He rested in Him whom it had ever been His joy to obey. And as in submission He committed Himself to God, the sense of the loss of His Father’s favor was withdrawn. By faith, Christ was victor.  {DA 756.3}

Jesus exercised the mind of total serenity and surrender in the midst of the anguish and horror of sin.  There is the combination, the package that frees the mind that was alienated from God through sin. It is through Christ that the captivity of man is broken.  The price is paid and then death takes place.

1 Peter 2:24 Who His own self bear our sins, in his own body on the tree, that we being dead unto sins should live unto righteousness.

Here is the ransom who bore our sins in his body.  By faith Jesus cast Himself upon God’s mercy and broke the power of sin that was trying to crush His mind.  This very activity is what breaks the power of sin over those desiring to be set free.  By His stripes we are healed, yes our mind becomes healed of sin.

We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God.  But Christ has made a way of escape for us.  He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet.  He lived a sinless life.  He died for us and now he offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness.  He pays the price for sin.  He dies and offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness.  If you give yourself to Him and accept Him as your saviour, then sinful as your life may have been for His sake you are accounted righteous.  Christ’s character stands in place of your character and you are accounted before God just as if you had not sinned.Steps to Christ 62.

What a marvelous payment the ransom supplied for us.  This was God’s beautiful design in dealing with the transaction of the payment for sin.  Although Jesus dies as a consequence of our sin He broke the power of sin through death and redeemed us from the consequences of sin because immortality, the fullness of the Godhead bodily was inside of Him.

2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and hath called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

This is the other part of the ransom.  Jesus died and brought within himself life again to the person who is meant to die because of sin.

Psalms 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me, Selah.

Here is the price redeeming my soul from the power of the grave.  Jesus brought immortality to light in Himself by being resurrected.

Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death:  Oh death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.  Repentance shall be hid from mine eye.

The fettering plague of death has been broken.  He brought immortality to light coming into the strong mans prison house of death.  The strong man couldn’t hold Him there because He was divine immortality and He was the only one who was able to pay the price out of the pit of death.  Both righteousness and immortality are imparted in Jesus Christ for the captives of sin and death.  The captives were not righteous but He was made to be sin so that we could be made righteous.  He was made to be death so that we could be raised to immortality.  In Him, the whole lot was paid.  Where did the whole transaction take place?

Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

All those who have died because of sin shall live.  How?  Together with my dead body shall they arise.  In Jesus Christ this text is a reality.  The plagues of death have been broken.  All those who are dead shall live together with Christ’s body because they will arise together with His dead body.  Jesus received human flesh that had to die.  He let Himself be taken down by that human flesh so that He might declare the dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise.  Eternal life can only be found in this ransom.

1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  12 He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 

Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead [men] shall live, [together with] my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew [is as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Together with my dead body shall they arise.  Those that believe in Him and have taken hold of Him attain eternal life.  When Christ died, eternal life dwelt inside His body and it was this life that pulled Him back into bodily existence again.  Christ is the package of both eternal life and righteousness and all this may be ours if we believe in Him and have Him.  He that hath the son of God hath life and he that hath not the son of God hath not life.  Every inhabitant of this earth has been bought with a price.  The whole wealth of heaven in the second person of the Godhead came down to this earth to pay out every mans captivity.

1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

The scripture is clear.  He is the one between God and man who gave Himself a ransom.

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

These texts make it abundantly clear that the ransom was for all men.  The gift that was given to pay us out was upon all men unto the justification of life.  Although the ransom was paid for all, it will only be of benefit to us personally if we believe.

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  25 Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

The ransom has been paid to redeem, the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  The value of all heaven and earth, the whole power of the Godhead in one person is encased in this human flesh.  This scripture makes it abundantly clear that we have all sinned and that we have all come short of the glory of God.  All men have been ransomed but only those will benefit who believe.  If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved.  It is the belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as our ransom that will free us from captivity.

As we look to the experience that Jesus made and the complete devastation He suffered in subjecting himself to become a captive under sin, we become freed from captivity in our own mind.  Jesus partook of our sinful human flesh which had to perish but because there was in Him the beautiful element of all the Godhead bodily, the perishing wasn’t destructive to him.  His death was for our construction and our salvation so that both righteousness and immortality could be brought to light.  This is Jesus our ransom.

Amen.