“You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19, RSV).

What does Peter mean here when he says that we were ransomed?

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When Peter speaks about Christ’s atoning death on the cross, the “ransom” or price idea to which he refers brings to mind the ancient practice of a slave being freed from his bondage after a price had been paid (often by a relative). In contrast, Christ ransomed us from the slavery of sin and its final fruit, which is death, but He did it with His “precious blood,” His substitutionary and voluntary death on Calvary. Again, this is the foundation of all the covenants: without it, the covenant becomes null and void, because God could not have justly fulfilled His end of the deal, which is the gift of eternal life bestowed upon all who believe.

Look up the following verses: Romans 6:23, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:13. What message do all of them share in common?

We have this promise of eternal life, because Jesus alone could repair that breach that first caused us to lose that eternal life. How? Because the righteousness and infinite value of the Creator alone could cancel the debt we owed to the broken law — that is how wide the breach caused by sin was. After all, what would it say about the seriousness of God’s eternal moral law if some finite, temporal, and created being could pay the penalty for violating it? Only Someone who is equal to God Himself, in whom life existed unborrowed and underived and eternal, could have paid the ransom required to free us from the debt owed to the law. This is how all the covenant promises are fulfilled; this is how we have the promise of eternal life, even now; this is how we have been ransomed from sin and death.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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This quarter “The Week at a Glance” shows God’s covenant is spoken of mostly. God has made his promises (covenant) with many people in the Bible and continues to give us promises for today, hence for a theme hymn I find that I wish to keep standing on the Promises that God has given to us all –
Hymn 518 – Standing on the Promises as
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less – Hymn 522.

The title of this week’s lesson studies shows
My Faith Looks Up to Thee – Hymn 517. By the end of the week’s study we are able to state categorically
My Faith Has Found a Resting Place – Hymn 523.

We find on Sunday
Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary – Hymn 476 with our request being
Lead Me to Calvary – Hymn 317. We can then say
I Am Going to Calvary – Hymn 288 and it is there that we can state clearly
In the Cross of Christ I Glory – Hymn 237 because
God Is My Strong Salvation – Hymn 339.

Monday reminds us that we are ransomed and this is found in
Hymn 229 – All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (verse 2) due to the precious blood shed for us –
Hymn 94 – Nature With Open Volume Stands (verse 2),
Hymn 164 – There Is a Green Hill Far Away (verse 3),
Hymn 177 – Jesus, Your Blood and Righteousness,
Hymn 179 – The Wonders of Redeeming Love,
Hymn 279 – Only Trust Him (verse 2),
Hymn 281 – I Gave My Life for Thee,
Hymn 294 – Power in the Blood,
Hymn 302 – Deeper Yet,
Hymn 334 – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (verse 2),
Hymn 336 – There Is a Fountain, and
Hymn 410 – Thy Broken Body Gracious Lord.

With all these hymns we may finalize our thoughts in
I Do Believe – Hymn 486.

To follow on into Tuesday’s study, faith is then manifested in each of us. The first hymn to mind is
Hymn 517 – My Faith Looks Up to Thee. This is followed by
Hymn 523 – My Faith Has Found a Resting Place and
Hymn 533 – O For a Faith. It is then that we find we are
Standing on the Promises – Hymn 518 (Thursday), and
I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus – Hymn 535.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing, but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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The Old Testament way of salvation under the Mosaic covenant is no different from the New Testament way of salvation under the new covenant. Whether in the Old or New Testament, old or new covenant, salvation is by faith alone. If it was by anything else, such as works, salvation would be something that was owed us, something the Creator was obligated to give us. Only those who do not understand the seriousness of sin could believe that God was under some obligation to save us. On the contrary, if anything, there was only one obligation, and that was what we owed to the violated law. We, of course, could not meet that obligation; fortunately, Jesus met it for us.

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“When men and women can more fully comprehend the magnitude of the great sacrifice which was made by the Majesty of heaven in dying in man’s stead, then will the plan of salvation be magnified, and reflections of Calvary will awaken tender, sacred, and lively emotions in the Christian’s heart. Praises to God and the Lamb will be in their hearts and upon their lips. Pride and self-esteem cannot flourish in the hearts that keep fresh in memory the scenes of Calvary … All the riches of the world are not of sufficient value to redeem one perishing soul. Who can measure the love Christ felt for a lost world as He hung upon the cross, suffering for the sins of guilty men? This love was immeasurable, infinite.

Christ has shown that His love was stronger than death. He was accomplishing man’s salvation; and although He had the most fearful conflict with the powers of darkness, yet, amid it all, His love grew stronger and stronger. He endured the hiding of His Father’s countenance, until He was led to exclaim in the bitterness of His soul: ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ His arm brought salvation. The price was paid to purchase the redemption of man, when, in the last soul struggle, the blessed words were uttered which seemed to resound through creation: ‘It is finished.’

The scenes of Calvary call for the deepest emotion. Upon this subject you will be excusable if you manifest enthusiasm. That Christ, so excellent, so innocent, should suffer such a painful death, bearing the weight of the sins of the world, our thoughts and imaginations can never fully comprehend. The length, the breadth, the height, the depth, of such amazing love we cannot fathom. The contemplation of the matchless depths of a Saviour’s love should fill the mind, touch and melt the soul, refine and elevate the affections, and completely transform the whole character.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, pages 212, 213.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Galatians 6:14; Romans 6:23; I John 5:11, I John 5:13; Romans 4:1-7; Leviticus 7:18; Leviticus 17:1-4; Romans 5:1.

Memory Verse: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11).

About seven centuries before Christ, the poet Homer wrote the Odyssey, the story of Odysseus the great warrior who — after sacking the city of Troy in the Trojan war — began a ten-year voyage to try to return to his native Ithaca. The voyage, too, took so long because he faced shipwrecks, mutinies, storms, monsters, and other obstacles that kept him from reaching his goal. Finally, after deciding that Odysseus had suffered enough, the gods agreed to allow the weary warrior to return to his home and family. His trials were, they agreed, enough atonement for his mistakes.

In one sense, we are like Odysseus, on a long journey home. The crucial difference, however, is that, unlike Odysseus, we can never “suffer enough” to earn our way back. The distance between heaven and earth is too great for us to atone for our mistakes. If we get home, it would have to be only by the grace of God.

The Week at a Glance: Why must salvation be a gift? Why could only Someone equal with God ransom our souls? What makes Abraham such a good representative of faith? What does it mean that righteousness is “imputed” or “credited” to us? How can we make the promises and hope found in the Cross our own?

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 19.

Sunday–>

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