The High Cost Of Salvation

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Heb 2:3)

Our Bible topic today is entitled The High Cost Of Salvation. Here are some eye-opening facts that will help us to see and appreciate what Jesus did on the cross. Scripture refers to him as the second and last Adam. (1Cor 15:44-45) Questions to ponder-Why would a loving and powerful God bother to put on flesh, lose his power and die for us? Here are some thoughts.

Adam’s Fall

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. (Ps 115:16)

When Adam was created, God gave him the earth. Now, ponder on this-Almighty God gave him the earth. The earth, with its resources and lands, belonged to Adam. This world contained the Garden of Eden. Eden was the place that was managed by Lucifer before he fell.

Can you imagine the jealousy and anger that Satan felt when he saw man occupy the place that belonged to him? Man was created lower than the Angels and was now walking in the garden. (Ps 8:5) Eden was under new management. We know the rest of the story-Satan came in like a serpent and caused Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

Eating of the forbidden fruit had grave consequences. Let’s look at some highlights-

• It cost them to lose their covering. Yes, the word said that they were naked and not ashamed. Why? God had them clothed in his glory. The word crown comes from the Hebrew word ‘Atar,’ which means surround. The glory of God surrounded them, and it represented the armor of God. The armor was given to them to enforce their authority over the earth and Satan.
• It cost them their lives. The Lord warned them they would die if they ate the forbidden fruit. Let’s think about Adam and compare him to the last Adam (Jesus). When Jesus was resurrected, did he have blood in his immortal body? No, he gave it all for us at the cross. The glory of God was given to him, and it flowed in his veins and his new body. The same was for Adam. The moment he disobeyed God, the glory of God left his veins, and God had to replace it with blood to keep him alive on the earth!
• God had a problem with this new management change, so he devised a plan. He spoke a prophetic word to Eve. He told her of a seed that would come and bruise the head of Satan. (Gen 3:15) Yes, it can be argued that God could have come and taken over, but he could not. He had to abide by his word because the earth was given to man.
• God, in his wisdom, took on the form of flesh. He took on an earth suit which gave him permission to dwell on the earth. He lost his divine powers, gave us an example to live, and opened the door to salvation and eternal life. This made Jesus the second and last Adam.

Closing thoughts

This morning as I got up, I started to think about the Superman movie part 2 with Christopher Reeves. Superman fell so deeply in love with Lois in that movie that he voluntarily lost his power to be with her. In one scene, while having dinner in a cafeteria, they encounter a bully who harasses Lois. Clark (Superman) stood up for her and, unfortunately, received a beating. Without his powers, Superman was helpless.

Toward the end of the movie, Superman gets his powers back. In the closing scene, he returns to the cafeteria and beats up the bully. (2) An excellent ending to a great story. Consider Jesus- He became sin for us, got beat up by humanity, and rose from the dead. When he resurrected, he got his divine powers back and beat up Satan. It resulted in the beating of the century. (Col 2:15) and opened the way to Salvation for mankind.

So, consider that when you are going thru trials. God, thru Christ, has given you all things in this life. You just need to ask and receive. If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, today can be a new day for you. Click on the link below for more information and start a new adventure in Christ. (1)

Bible verses courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com

(1) Prayer of Salvation–https://thechristiancorner.org/2021/02/01/the-sinners-prayer/

(2) Additional link for your amusement—https://youtu.be/thQDPxobH0s