Costly Redemption

Posted by Karah

Pause

Quiet your mind and heart as you prepare to study God’s Word. Listen to a worship song that helps you focus.

Think about your most precious possession. How much is this worth? If someone took it, what would you pay to get it back? Write your response.

Read 1 Peter 1:18-21. In your Bible, underline the words “silver or gold” and “precious blood of Christ.” In the margin, write My value to God.

“For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.”

—1 Peter 1:18-19

Ask yourself:

• What is the “empty way of life” referred to in verse 18? Explain.

• What are some examples of this empty way of life you see in our world today? In your life (past or present)?

• If God has redeemed you from this way of life, He has set you free. You don’t have to live that way anymore. How do you find yourself slipping back into the habits of your before-Christ life sometimes?

Respond

• Re-read 1 Peter 1:18-19. What would change about the way you think about yourself if you fully grasped your worth to God? He purchased your freedom from sin with the highest treasure: Jesus’ own life. How would living in the power of this truth change your daily life? Jot down a few ideas.

• Look at the list of “empty ways of life” you sometimes find yourself slipping back into. Pray over them, asking God to help you better understand the price He paid to set you free from their bondage. List two actions you’ll take this week to walk away from these things.

Behind the Story

In some translations of 1 Peter 1:18, the word “ransom” is used rather than redeem. A ransom is paid for the release of a captive, a concept that would have been familiar to Peter’s first century audience. Slaves could sometimes pay a ransom and be released from their master. God released us from slavery to sin at a costly price: Jesus’ death.

The Point

God redeemed His people with the highest currency of Heaven: Jesus’ blood.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Weekly Devotions