Ransom

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.  Mark 10:45


Today, ransom has a different meaning than it did during the time of Jesus.  Today, when we think of ransom, we tend to think of movie plots like the movie "Ransomed". In the movie, Mel Gibson is a rich guy whose son is kidnapped and he is forced to pay millions to get him back.  In these modern examples, the person who is kidnapped and must be sought out is usually a celebrity or somebody great and important.  It was not like this when Jesus was talking in Mark 10.  When Jesus said this, his disciples and listeners would have immediately thought of slavery.  Even the dictionary defines ransom as "the redemption of a prisoner, slave, or kidnapped person, etc., for a price."  The fact is that Jesus ransomed you and me from slavery.  We were (or still are) slaves to sin and held as prisoners in it's grasp.  We are worthless prisoners, not important celebrities God really wants back.  This makes the price paid for our ransom even more stunning and beautiful.  There was a price for our salvation, just like there was a price to pay for the possession of a slave.  Jesus paid our price with his death.  It sounds so redundant and cliche to say that Jesus died for us, but it is a truth that should increase affection for Christ in us everyday.  The more I dwell on this and the more I see my sin, the more crazy this is!  GOD DIED FOR US.  It should never be a statement that we just lightly read over.  Think about Jesus paying our ransom, freeing us from slavery.  But the best part about all this is that we are still slaves in a way-- but now, we are slaves in the possession of God the Father, who is love.  We belong to our Creator, our Beloved, our Father, and there is nothing greater than belonging to Him.


For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave.  1 Corinthians 7:21


And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, 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 1:17-19

Hope

Hope is underrated.  We live in a world where people are desperate for it.  They try to find it everywhere and it seems to be rather difficult to obtain.  Living on a college campus, I see so many students try to find hope and acceptance in all the wrong places.  In their reputation, their fraternity/sorority, girlfriend/boyfriend, their grades, their abilities, their plans, etc.  In short, they look for hope in all the wrong places.  Sorry to be that guy, but I'm gonna reference Jeremiah 29:11.  If you are a believer, you are guaranteed a hope through God's plans.  Keep in mind that these are not our plans, but God's plans.  If we leave it to ourselves to construct our own plans and our own hope by ourselves, it will ultimately fail to bring us what we are looking for.  


Romans 5:5  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.


Hope comes from the Trinity.  Hope is poured out by God, through the Holy Spirit, and is placed in the saving work of Jesus Christ.  Without one part of the Trinity, hope is not complete.  


1 Thessalonians 1:3  We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.


As Christians, hope is what gives us endurance to fight the good fight, kill sin, continually rely on God for strength, and ultimately finish the race that is the Christian life and the pursuit of Him.  


Isaiah 40:31  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.


1 Corinthians 15:19  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.


Fortunately, hope is not for this life only.  As Paul says, if we only have hope for this life on earth then we are the most pathetic people of all.  We have hope for this life that comes after.  Hope to stand before our Savior and worship and fellowship with Him forever.


If you are not a Christian, then you do not have this hope that Christians have.  What you place your value and hope in may satisfy you for a time, but that satisfaction will end.  It's just like candy, you feel horrible and empty inside after indulging in it.  However, this does not mean that you are completely hopeless.  You still have time, you still have a chance to grab hold of Christ and completely live in the hope that only He can give.  If you are a Christian, live in the freedom that comes from our hope!  Continually walk in it.  The life we live as believers is not easy, but it is certainly not without hope.

Blog Introduction

Well, I've been inspired by others to record my thoughts and experiences in blog form.  I'm a Freshman student at the University of Kentucky and am from Louisville.  Just to clarify, I am a follower of Christ and most of my blog posts will be about Scripture, the Christian life, pursuit of holiness, and just "Christian" stuff.  Maybe I'll throw in some sports stuff.  We'll see… But this exists to encourage believers, build up the Church, and above all, bring glory to our Savior.  Hope you enjoy.