Exhortations

God’s Purchase

by

Sub. Topic: Bought & Paid For


“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
—1 Corinthians 6:20

Hello, Friends. Here is an exhortation on true ownership. We know ‘the earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein’ (Psalm 24:1). So today, we will discuss His ownership of the Church He purchased with His own blood to ‘…redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works’ (Titus 2:14). We will look into the key word in our focal verse ‘bought’ to find out how it relates to ‘God’s Purchase’ of His Church.

Let us begin….

Bought Defined—
In our focal verse, the word ‘bought’ is implied, to purchase; specifically to redeem. God purchased His Church for His own glory. We are taught in discipleship to bear and bring forth much good fruit to glorify Him (John 15:8).

We are His sole property. We are His to keep, direct, and dispose of (if necessary). No one and no thing is allowed to control His own property without His consent. The purchase of His Church was not ‘quid pro quo’ of money that changed hands, but it was His precious blood He shedded for the remission of our sins.

We are commanded to glorify God in our body, and spirit; to yield our soul, body and members (passions) as instruments of righteousness to Him.

  • (Romans 6:13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
  • (Romans 6:16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
  • (Romans 6:22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Purchase Defined—
According to Ancient Hebrew, the word ‘purchase’ means to possess, or to acquire someone or something through a purchase or other method. In the Strong’s, it refers to God originating, creating, and redeeming His people; by extension to procure, especially by purchase; by implication to own. According to the Greek, it (purchase) means to keep safe; to make to remain and preserve for one’s self.

Jesus Purchased His Church—
God owns and preserves His Church. He purchased it Himself and for Himself. He purchased His Church with His own blood. Then, He secured and preserved His Church with the promise to save (those who believeth on Him) to the uttermost when He gave us His indwelling Spirit. He dwells in our heart by faith; we are rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17).

Special Note: Jesus Christ does NOT dwell in the heart of those who ask(-ed) Him to come into it … that is false doctrine AND false hope. Why? NO BIBLICAL OR SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE OF ANY KIND!!!

Simply put, it would have been written if God had said to ask Him to come into our heart, BUT HE DID NOT SAY IT! Friends, Jesus dwells in the heart by faith ONLY … because that is what the scripture says! (Ephesians 3:17). Remember also ‘faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Romans 10:17).

Therefore, what you have heard, received, believed, and obeyed of the word of God can/will enable you to be wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15). Lastly, the gospel preached is profitable to those who hear AND receive it mixed with faith (Hebrews 4:2).

Consider these references of God’s ownership:

  • (Exodus 15:16) Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
  • (Psalm 74:2) Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
  • (Psalm 78:54) And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
  • (Acts 20:28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
  • (Ephesians 1:13-14) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

We have learned, Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. It is verified throughout both Testaments.

Consider the following highlights:

  • In Isaiah 42:8, the Lord will not give His honor to another, neither His praise to graven (man made) images … He alone is the Savior!
  • In Isaiah 43:11, the Lord Himself is the only Savior … He alone purchased His Church!
  • In 1 Corinthians 6:20, Jesus bought His Church with a price for His glory. We glorify Him in our body and spirit, which He purchased.
  • In Acts 20:28, God (is the Holy Ghost who) purchased His Church with His own blood … He has full ownership.

Jesus Christ is the Holy Ghost—
Someone might ask, how could the Holy Ghost shed blood since He is the Spirit of God? He couldn’t! That’s why He put on flesh to suffer the crucifixion—‘without controversy … God was manifest in the flesh….’ (1 Timothy 3:16).

Jesus said in John 14:16 ‘the Father will give us another Comforter (different in form but the same Person) to abide with us forever.’ In John 14:18, Jesus confirmed He is the Comforter when He said ‘I will not leave you comfortless (orphans): I will come to you.’

In addition to these truths, scriptures were written to identify the offices Jesus held (and hold) to confirm His eternal nature as the express image of His Person … Who is the image of the invisible God (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15). His eternal Kingship is immortal and invisible (1 Timothy 1:17). He is the Father, the Son (Word), and the Holy Ghost (John 1:1-3; 1 John 5:7).

Jesus Christ Created All Things—
It blows the mind to grasp the facts that, Jesus is both visible and invisible. He is God manifest in the flesh and God Eternal (at the same time). He sees ALL things both visible and invisible.

Jesus “…Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
—Colossians 1:15-17

Remember what John wrote. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3). Here is more written testimony of Jesus’ eternal existence. Anyone (and we mean ANYONE) who believeth not the record Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh is condemned already, according to John 3:18.

Jesus Christ Saves Us to the Uttermost—
Jesus is the Only One “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” —Titus 2:14. Those who learn to know Jesus Christ is the ONLY Savior—will understand the following scriptures:

  • (Isaiah 43:11) I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
  • (1 Timothy 3:16) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
  • (Hebrews 7:25) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Here, we see both the Father and the Son at work during two different time periods. Reason? Jesus said in John 5:17 “…My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” What does this mean? The word ‘hitherto’ indicates the works of the Father up to a point. Then, He passes the baton (so to speak) to Himself (the office of the Son) for the next stage in the process of our salvation, which includes (but is not limited to) the following:

  • His baptism to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15).
  • His 40 day wilderness experience to prepare to do ministry (Matthew 4:1-17).
  • He preached the gospel to the meek and poor (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18-19).
  • He called and made disciples (Matthew 11:28-30).
  • He humbled Himself … obedient unto the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).
  • He rose from the dead the third day—ALL power (Matthew 28:18; Acts 10:39-41).
  • He prepared His disciples to continue the ministry; He gave them His Spirit to dwell in their heart (John 20:22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:17).
  • He ascended on high; He led captivity captive; He gave gifts unto men…. (Ephesians 4:8-16).

Please note. In John 20:22, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said ‘…receive ye the Holy Ghost.’ The word ‘receive’ uses the 2nd. Aorist verb—the action of the verb ‘receive’ is in the future tense. We know it is truth because they did not ‘receive’ the Holy Ghost that day … but on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

The day of Pentecost was the ‘worketh hitherto’ for the office of Jesus Christ the Son—to pass over to the office of the Holy Ghost (i.e., the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Christ) to do ‘greater works than these’ in ministry by the disciples then, and now.

The concept of ‘greater works than these’ refers to the work of the ministry on a larger scale. It does not insinuate the works of the disciples (were or are) better than the works Jesus completed before and after the crucifixion—but it construes the greater number of potential believers reached in the uttermost parts of the world. It is the same word of God preached but not confined to a small area. In this day and age, the word of God is spread worldwide for all with an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches … repent and believe the gospel.

The apostles were appointed to preach the gospel and enroll scholars (i.e., disciples of Jesus Christ). From that time, Jesus (the Holy Ghost) worketh in all who believeth on Him both to will and to do of His good pleasure—until the day of the rapture. God’s Purchased Church knows they/we are ‘the temple of the Holy Ghost … and we are NOT our own’ (John 5:20; 14:12; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Acts 20:28; Matthew 28:19-20).

The Pay Off—
Do you know who bought you? Do you know how much they paid? Examine yourself to see if you (be in the faith to) know the purchaser!

Believers are bought with the price of the blood of Jesus Christ. Unbelievers are condemned already …and… in danger to be seared (or branded) with a hot iron by the angel of light. Think about it….

Better be sure you know who ‘Bought & Paid For’ you … before you go!

In Christ We Do Remain
Click to visit my Facebook Page