WORDS OF OUR SALVATION PART 2: PASTOR MENSA OTABIL – SUNDAY SERVICE 11TH APRIL, 2021
SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSAH OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) ACCRA, GHANA)
TOPIC: WORDS OF OUR SALVATION – PART 2.
DATE: 11TH APRIL, 2021
TEXT: ROMANS 3:23-24
Amen! Let’s rise up together, as we make our DECLARATION OF FRUITFULNESS in this Year of Fruitfulness:
Are you ready? Say with me:
The Eternal God is our refuge. He opens Rivers in desolate Heights.The Lord makes the wilderness a Pool of water.
The LORD God is my Sun and Shield; The LORD gives Grace and Glory.
Therefore, I delight myself in Him. Those who are Planted in the House of the LORD shall be fresh and flourishing.
Though the Earth be shaken; the Name of the Lord is my Strong Tower. By Faith I affirm that: In Christ alone is my Salvation. In Him I live, And move And have my being.
It is written: The Righteous are like trees Planted by the waters; bearing fruits in its Season.
So I boldly declare: As for me, my God has made me EXCEEDINGLY FRUITFUL.
In this Season, my Spirit bears Fruits of Righteousness, my Talents make Way for me. With my hands, I will Plant, I will Build, I will Harvest – Day by day, Step by step.
In Jesus’ Name – Amen!
PRAYER FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN BUSINESS.
Before I go into the Message of today, i want to Pray for those of you who are in Business; for recovery and for restoration. That God will give you a redefining advantage.
So, if you are a Business Person, just just rise up wherever you are reading this Message now on the Label of DMC; and I will speak a Word of Prayer over your life and over the works of your hands.
I know some of you are coming from behind; but God will give you Advantage.
… And I Pray!
Father, in the Name of Jesus the Risen Lord, I speak a Blessing and Your Blessings of Divine Advantage over Your Children.
As they go out there in the Business World, from Monday throughout, and especially in the coming week; I speak a Blessing of Advantage over them, and I Bless them with Favour, and with a Turnaround, and with Doors.
That which has been Shut will be open; that which had been Fruitless will be Fruitful; that which had been Dry will become watered, in the Name of Jesus!
May the Lord bless you with Advantage this week, as you enter your Business and work for the Lord. He will Prosper you and He will increase you.
In Jesus’ Name – Amen and Amen. Hallelujah!
I just felt I needed to do that prayer for you. And I believe God will give you an Advantage – Amen!
Today, my Message is Titled: “WORDS OF OUR SALVATION – PART 2”.
DMC NOTES: It will be recalled that the Part 1 of this Series was delivered on the 31st January, 2021 and you can get to access the Full Text on this Link:
https://discoverymediacrew.com/The-Words-Of-Our-Salvation-Part-1-Pastor-Mensa-Otabil
… And today, I will be focusing on REDEMPTION.
Redemption – That is the word most of us have heard. Churches are called by it, we sing about it and we are familiar with it.
Romans 3:23-24 (NKJV):
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God,
24 Being justified freely by His Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
There are two (2) big words in the Verse 24 – JUSTIFIED and REDEMPTION.
Justified will come later; but I will Pick on the word Redemption.
“Being justified freely by His Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.
SO, WHAT DOES THE WORD REDEMPTION MEAN?
*The word ‘REDEMPTION’ is the Noun of the Verb REDEEM.
So I will define the Verb ‘Redeem’ and you can extract the Noun from it.
… That’s a little English, don’t worry about that!
So what does it mean to REDEEM?
Generally, the word ‘Redeem’ has ideas of Freedom and Liberty.
And I will give you Three (3) Concepts that come from Redeem:
- REDEEM means to deliver from Harm or Evil.
We see this word used many times in the Bible, to refer to Deliverance from harm or evil.
For example, in Psalms 34:22, it says: “The Lord redeems the Soul of His Servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”
God delivers us from harm and from danger
- REDEEM means to buy back something that was Previously sold.
It describes the Process by which something that is lost (in a transaction) can be regained.
That is a Transactional word!
- REDEEM means to be released from Bondage.
It is used to refer to God’s Deliverance from Bondage.
And we read in Exodus 6:6:
“Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their Bondage, and I will REDEEM you with an outstretched arm and with great Judgments.”
When the Bible says we are REDEEMED, these three (3) Ideas are Present:
That we are being delivered from harm of evil; we have been bought back and we have been released from Bondage.
So anytime you sing: ‘I AM REDEEMED’ or attend a Church that has ‘REDEEMED’ in it, these are what should come into your mind:
Deliverance from harm and evil; being bought back and being released from Bondage.
Why do we need Redemption? Why was Redemption necessary?
Redemption is necessary because of something that happened in the Bible.
And Romans 5:12 gives us an idea of what happened:
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”
It’s a very heavy Verse!
Through one man sin entered the world and death came with the sin. And through that one man, ALL sinned.
And we know that one man be Adam.
When Adam sinned in the Garden of Ede the, Adam’s sin infected all of us.
Adam was the first man created in the Image of God. And he represented everybody who is created in the Image of God.
And when he sinned, or disobeyed God, or fell away from the Presence of God; when he was driven away from the Presence of God; it wasn’t only for him, it was for all of us!
And so, all of us sinned! You say: I wasn’t there, why should his sin affect me?
You see, Adam Played a very important Role – Adam was the Federal Head of the Human Race; or the Universal Head of the Human Race.
So, whatever happened to him, didn’t happen to Him alone; it affected or infected all of us!
And I’m just going to use an Analogy to help you to understand how: ONE MAN’S SIN AFFECTED ALL OF US.
Now, most us know that since Year 2019, our world has been ravaged by the Coronavirus. Which causes COVID-19.
In the Process of this Coronavirus, about one hundred and thirty six million (136,000,000) People in every Nations of the world have been infected.
… Think about it!
Almost three Million (3,000,000) People have died.
And in addition to it infecting People, this Virus has changed our world, collapsed Businesses, disrupted Nations, done so much damages to Economies – It is Powerful!
So, how did so many People of all Nations become infected?
Where did the Virus started from?
And when we do the tracing of this Virus, those who Studied Epidermics will tell you, that eventually, you will get to what we call ‘Patient Zero.’
‘Patient Zero’ is the first Person who was infected. And out of his infection the Virus entered the Human Race; has infected all of us and disrupted our world Profoundly.
… How? – One man got infected!
Adam was the ‘Patient Zero’ of sin. He was the first Person to be infected by sin and his sin didn’t just affect him, it infected the entire Human Race.
Sin didn’t just affect the Human Race, it changed the Earth and how it functions; and brought the whole of Nature under bondage and a curse.
… Because one man sinned!
And the sin of Adam introduced death to all. Because of Adam’s sin, death came to all of Mankind.
Just like because of one man’s infection – the whole world has been disrupted.
And this death is not just dying in a sense that someone is dead and buried (the cessation of life).
No, this death is disconnection from God and His Fullness.
Just like the absence of Light creates darkness; the absence of God’s Life also introduces death! And this sin, subjected all of us to Bondage.
So what does that mean?
God created man to have Dominion but because of the sin of Adam, instead of having Dominion, we were dominated.
Dominated by not only Spiritual Forces, but even the Earth itself dominated us. Including animals, whom we are supposed to dominate.
Because, if I should shout ‘LION!’ People will start running but we were given dominion over it.
If a snake enters this room, we would scatter; but we were given dominion over it.
Because the sin of Adam disrupted the hierarchy of Dominion, those who were supposed to have Dominion, were dominated even by tiny things like mosquitoes!
Not only that; when God created man, we had dominion over Angels – That includes Demons (the Devil himself)!
But because of sin, those who were created to have Dominion, became dominated – And the Bible says, they became subjects to Bondage.
And the Bondage manifested in all kinds of control by Spiritual Powers, by Demonic Forces manifesting through the activities of Mediums, Necromancers, Witches, Wizards, Astrologers and all sorts of Spiritual Mediums dominating Mankind!
It is for this reason that we needed to be bought back because we were sold by one man, we had to be bought by One Man!
The Mission of Jesus Christ therefore, was to reverse the effects of Adam’s sin and bring us back to God.
Under the Old Testament, Redemption was Practised in many ways. But when a Person was sold into Slavery, or their Property went into Slavery; and they needed to go and buy back their Property or buy themselves back from slavery to be Delivered; there were two (2) People who qualified to REDEEM:
- The first (1st) was the Person Himself.
… If he can redeem himself, he redeems himself!
- The second (2nd) is what is called ‘A Kinsman Redeemer.
A Kinsman Redeemer is a relative of yours who can redeem you.
So, a Stranger cannot redeem you. You have to be redeemed by a relative.
So, either you can redeem yourself or a relative redeems you!
Those of you who have read the Book of Ruth remembered that Boaz who married Ruth was called ‘a Kinsman Redeemer.’
What does that mean?
Those days, widowhood (unfortunately) was seen as Bondage because when her husband dies, she is not free to marry just anyone.
So, a relative close to the late husband, had to redeem her. And that is what the Story of Ruth is all about.
If you were in bondage, you either redeem yourself or a Kinsman – A relative will come and redeem you.
COULD WE REDEEM OURSELVES?
God gave Man a chance to redeem himself.
How did He do it?
He gave us the Law: Six hundred and thirteen (613) Laws! – And He said, use this to set yourself free.
So People tried!
And the concluision of it was summarized by the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans 7:21-25. It says:
“I find then a Law, that evil is Present with me, the one who wishes to do Good. For I delight in the Law of God according to the Inward Man. 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.”
And he summarizes it in verese 24; “O wretched Man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
*Those who try to redeem themselves end up like this – “O wretched Man that I am!”
… Whilst I’m just trying to obey the Law, but the Law itself is just messing me up!
So, if you are trying to be your own Redeemer, that’s how you end – You end in frustration, because you can’t redeem yourself!
Now, if you can’t redeem yourself, then your relative must redeem you.
… But, your relatives are all in Bondage.
Your father and mother are in bondage, your siblings are in bondage, your cousins are in bondage – Everybody is in bondage to sin!
So, there has to be a relative who can come.and redeem us – Who is not subject to the same Bondage that we are subjected to.
WHO IS THE REDEEMER?
Well, we know the Redeemer – His Name is JESUS. He is called the Last Adam, or the Second Man.
Just like the first Adam took us into Bondage; another Adam had to come and deliver us – And His Name is JESUS.
And this is how Hebrews 2:14-15 Puts it.
It says: “Inasmuch then as the children have Partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself (talking of Jesus) likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the Power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
HOW DID CHRIST BECOME A KINSMAN?
He took on our Nature: He became us! He took on flesh and blood, so He can be related to every Human Beings.
And in that sense, Christ then qualifies as a relative because He had flesh and blood.
If He didn’t have flesh and blood, He couldn’t redeem us.
… He had to become us, to save us!
And so, He qualified as a Kinsman Redeemer – One of us who can set us free to fulfil the Provision of the Law: That the Redeemer must be like you!
Jesus became us, He took on our Nature – Not only did He take on our Nature, He took our Place in death. He died the death that was supposed to be ours.
And when we say that Jesus died that death that was supposed to be ours; it’s not the norm dying that People die.
It is Eternal death. It is Eternal separation from God. The death that would have become the lot of every Human Beings in the end.
We call it: going to Hell, being in the Lake of Fire, being Eternally separated from God.
That was what Jesus came to take away so that when you die, you don’t die for ever!
That’s why there is a Resurrection for the Believer.
He took our Place in death, and He Paid to release us from Bondage!
Now remember, Part of Redemption requires that a Price should be Paid.
And the Price that is Paid must be equal to the object that must be Redeemed.
For example – And I hope this analogy doesn’t disturb anybody who has done this!
So, let’s say you want a Bank Loan. You go to the Bank and they say: ‘We want collateral.’ And you take your house and give it as collateral.
Let’s say your house is worth a hundred thousand (100,000) Cedes (Ghanian Currency) and they give you a loan of eighty thousand (80,000) Cedes.
On the basis of that – eighty thousand (80,000) Cedes, which is the real value of your house now.
You get a loan and you are happy that ‘I have a loan.’ And then Payment time comes; you can’t Pay!
We say that the loan has not been REDEEMED; and the house has not been REDEEMED.
Then the People who took your house say that ‘if you don’t come and REDEEM it, we are going to sell the house to REDEEM what you took.’ So, come and redeem it!
… And you work work, but you can’t redeem it.
Then somebody says; ‘I will redeem it for you.’
But the Person cannot go and redeem your house lower than what was exchanged for because now, your house has been valued at eighty thousand (80,000) Cedes.
So, if he is going to Pay a Price, the Price must be “Equal To” the Price Value.
And if he Pays the Price that is equal to the Value, then the house can be redeem.
… I hope you understand what I’m trying to say? – Alright!
So, that is where we were: We were in Bondage to sin.
How did we get there? – Adam took a loan and collateralized us and himself – The Human Race in that loan.
So Jesus had to come and redeem Mankind. But He cannot just go and say: ‘I am the Creator of the Universe, come out let’s go.’
No! That could be illegal.
And God cannot commit illegality – He is a Just God, and if He makes Rules, He must honour His own Rules.
He has made Himself subject to His Law!
God is not capricious; He doesn’t act just anyhow. He acts in consonance to His own Regulations.
… So, God has to come and Redeem.
He say, there is nobody amongst those guys who can redeem them – So I will be the REDEEMER. I will go and do it.
But I cannot go and do it as God (Spirit), because these People are flesh and blood.
So, I have to become like them – Flesh and Blood; so that I can qualify as a Redeemer of my own Image.
If He is going to redeem His image, then the Price He Pays must be equal to His image.
SO, WHAT WAS THE PRICE THAT WAS PAID?
When God became a Man on Calvary’s Cross, that Man gave up His life! But that was the image of God that was given up, and in His Blood.
When we talk about the Blood of Jesus, we are not just talking about Physical Blood; we are talking about His Life.
… He saved us!
So, our REDEMPTION is worth the Blood of Jesus.
1 Peter 1:18-19 says: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like Silver or Gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the Precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.”
So, God has to Pay a Price for Man.
He has options – He created the Universe; He has to determine the Value of Man and what is equivalency to his Value.
He could look at Silver: He looked at all the Silver on Earth, all the Silver in the Universe – He says, that is not worth Human Beings.
He looked at all the Gold – Can Gold buy back Man? It’s not Possible!
I was reading somewhere, that there is a Particular Planet (and Probably a couple of them). I don’t know how these Scientists get these things. But they said, in the whole Planet is Diamond.
God considered that Planet to throw into the Equation, but He says Diamond can’t buy Man.
The only thing that can buy a Man is something that is equivalent to the image of God.
Because Man is made in the image of God. Or, that is how he has been collateralized for.
And the only thing that can Pay, is the Image of God dying for Man; and that was what the BLOOD OF JESUS PAID FOR.
And what He Paid for was – EQUAL VALUE FOR EQUAL WORTH.
Man therefore, was Paid for with an Amount that is due to his Value.
And that is why the Bible would tell you: “You have been REDEEMED with a Price, don’t cheapen yourself.”
Because it costs so much, for you to be redeemed from the Power of sin.
Jesus, used His Life – Laid down His Life; God in the flesh, so that the image of God that was lost by the first Adam, can be bought back and be Redeemed.
So, when you say: ‘I am REDEEMED’, you are literally saying: ‘I am VALUABLE” because what was used to buy me back was Valuable.
If you want to know how Valuable you are to God, check the “Price Tag” He Put on you.
And if you think God would go to that extent to redeem you, and leave you for “Little Witches” to come and mess you up; then, there is something wrong with your head!
If you think God would go to all that extent to leave you for a Wizard to hold your Destiny; you are joking because you have no idea who you are to God.
He would not go to.that extent and leave you to the “Elementary Spirit” of this Earth to control you!
… I need to Close – So, let me end with this:
WHAT DID CHRIST REDEEM US FROM?
I am going to talk about Three (3) of them, and then I will Close.
- He Redeemed us from SIN.
Ephesians 1:7 says: “In Him we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace.”
- He Redeemed us from the POWER OF DARKNESS.
Colossians 1:13, 14 and 17 says: “He has delivered us from the Power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
What He is saying is: When God delivered, He didn’t leave the Property that had been delivered still in the hands of the one who held it Captive.
He delivered us and took His Property with Him, and conveyed him into a New Place!
We are Redeemed from one Place to the other! – Delivered from darkness to Light.
Many times when I talk to Believers I tell them: We have Power over the devil.
People say, Pastor, you don’t know.
I know! In fact, I know more than enough. I know what Christ has done.
Except you are a Believer but you don’t believe in what Christ has done. Then go and fight your own battle!
But you will end up like Apostle Paul said: “Oh wretched Man that I am.”
But if you trust in Jesus Christ, then you have been BOUGHT; the Value Price has been Paid, nothing is owed on you – We have been redeemed from sin, redeemed from the Powers of darkness.
And finally;
- We have been Redeemed from the CURSE OF THE LAW.
Galatians 3:13-14 says: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a Curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith.
He has redeemed us from the Curse of the Law, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus,
Somebody say: “I am Redeemed from the Curse of the Law, I am Redeemed from the Power of Darkness, I am Redeemed from Sin!”
You are not going to Pay; the Price had been Paid, settled; Account closed and Property returned.
Final statement, then I close:
HOW VALID IS OUR REDEMPTION?
… Does it have Expiry Date?
Our Redemption is ETERNAL. – Hebrews 9:11-12;
But Christ came as High Priest of the Good Things to come, with the Greater and more Perfect Tabernacle: Not made with hands, that is, not of this Creation; Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His Own Blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained Eternal Redemption.
The Redemption that Christ obtained is Eternal.
In other words, when that Property was delivevred; the sin of Adam took us in Bondage and He delivered us.
That Deliverance is Eternal – There will never be anytime again in Human History that Human Beings would be brought back into Bondage – Amen.
Because He Provided Eternal Redemption for us!
That, my friends, is what it means when you say: ‘I AM REDEEMED’.
GOD BLESS YOU!
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