Page 32 - October 2025 - Truth & Tidings

" ou were ransomed … not with per- that there had never been a fully perfect
ishable things such as silver or gold,
lamb in a fallen, imperfect world. Even to
Ybut with the precious blood of Christ, the casual eye, it was obvious that their
like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” tedious repetition exposed their woeful
(1Pe 1:18-19). 1 inadequacy. If a truly satisfactory lamb was
Simon Peter, who penned these thrilling to come, it must be “otherworldly,” a flaw-
words, was a man who looked in two direc- less Lamb whose origins were “before the
tions. He loved to look ahead to a glorious foundation of the world” (v20). Nothing less
future of eternal, heavenly communion with than the pure and holy Lamb of God could
Christ; his first epistle opens with a “living “take away the sin of the world” (Joh 1:29).
hope,” an “imperishable inheritance” and In Christ, Peter said, God graciously provided
a “coming salvation.” But in the rearview what we desperately needed.
mirror of his joyful expectation, there was a
secure foundation, a sure anchor, a rock of An Infinite Sacrifice Offered
immovable assurance. Every authentic hope “The precious blood of Christ” – The death
for heaven looks back to a crucified and risen of an infinite Person, the Lord Jesus, has pro-
Christ. And in this wonderful gospel text, we vided an unlimited reservoir of grace for the
discover four essential truths that illuminate redemption of a fallen world. In His blood,
God’s amazing salvation. the divinely assigned symbol of a life fully
and sacrificially given, the cleansing power
An Inadequate Redemption of Christ is made evident; it is “the blood of
Rejected Jesus his Son [that] cleanses us from all sin”
“Not with perishable things” – The forgive- (1Jn 1:7). Its value and effectiveness are not
ness of sins cannot come about by human diminished by man’s unbelief; rather, every
endeavor. One cannot do enough or give repentant sinner may confidently rest in
enough or change enough to break the this: in Christ “we have redemption through
shackles of sin’s slavery or to remove the his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses”
stain of our guilt. God, whose holiness must (Eph 1:7). And what’s more, His resurrection
be satisfied, surveys every effort that men guarantees what His death has promised:
have contrived to please Him, and simply “God … raised him from the dead and gave
says “No!” His message is non-negotiable. him glory, so that your faith and hope are in
The purchase price of our freedom, our ran- God” (1Pe 1:21).
som, is beyond our ability to secure or our An Imperishable Salvation
resources to provide. If we are to be rescued,
our deliverance must come from above. Secured
An Impeccable Lamb Provided “You were ransomed” – Peter’s audience,
like Peter himself, looked back with assur-
“A lamb without blemish or spot” – Peter ance to Calvary, where Christ’s death secured
was evidently thinking of the unending their eternal salvation. Not with irrational
parade of Jewish lambs sacrificed as substi- self-confidence but having placed full and
tutes for sinning humans, and understood total confidence in the work of another, they
relied exclusively upon Christ. What about
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the you? Do you have this assurance? Do you
ESV. have Christ?