BUYER, BEWARE!!!

"He was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit (guile) ever found on His lips.   When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly. He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian (the Bishop) of your souls." [1Peter 2:22-25] Amplified Bible

Have you ever gone into a store and perused the clearance rack--the products that "must go!" Sometimes, you might wonder how could they put a price tag on those items--just trash them and be done with them--broken, beyond repair, stained with who-knows-what? stretched out of shape, and just battle-worn. Still, stores put them on display in hopes of making some profit from these things--and not taking a total loss.

God refused to take any loss on His creation, too--not because of the profit we could bring to Him, though; but because of His love for us and what He could do through us. He knew and saw the potential in the broken, battered pieces of sin-marred souls that we are, and purchased us, without any worries. He wasn't concerned about the ability to get the stains out, or mend the brokenness--for Him, it was a done deal.

He loved us first, so He " the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us". He became one of us, and then bore the shame of Calvary--and worst of all, total separation from the Father, to buy us out of our enslavement (to sin). We cost Him alot! We did not come cheap--we weren't marked down, like those things on the clearance rack, but as marred and damaged as we were, our price was outrageously high!

Still, while we were "yet" in this wretched condition--He chose us for the potential that the Holy Ghost in us could amount to. He saw beyond our condition--it wasn't about us--only about our need, and His ability and willingness to redeem us. None of us can brag or boast, because without His Spirit, we're right back on the "clearance rack" broken, marred--beyond hope. It's all about His purchase, that makes us worthwhile!

His wounds healed our degradation and wretched souls, applying the balm of freedom (to ours), so that the scars of sin's enslavement could fall from us. We didn't know how much we needed Him, but now that we have His grace--and His power to keep us (from sin, and from falling), the least we can do, is walk in it, by the love of God. Put the slave laws away, and live by the New Covenant of LOVE for Him and others--sin dies, in the presence of God's love!

We owe Him.

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