THE ULTIMATE ESCROW CLOSING

ONLY THE LAMB OF GOD IS WORTHY

Jesus paid a ransom (His life) to repurchase us from Satan. The Cross was the only path He could take to reclaim the world and save believers from the final death. “Therefore, only Jesus is worthy to open the scroll…” (The Title Deed) in Revelation 5:1-7)

When Adam and Eve were Cast Out of The Garden their punishments were pronounced. They lost the privilege of living in Eden because God drove them out of the garden. The most important thing that Adam and Eve lost was their likeness to their Creator. (Genesis 3:22-24).

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FALL

• Spiritual Death: Fallen from their Triune Image
• Physical Death: Age becomes a factor
• Sin and Separation: Eternal Judgment

Don’t find fault with Adam and Eve, when we so often make the very same choice that they made. We so often choose to fall to the temptations of Satan rather than the warnings of God. He knows that God knows everything, our sins we try to hide, our safe spaces we think He can’t find, and blame-shifting is a game He doesn’t play.

God looks to draw us to obedience through love. Satan seeks to entice us to disobey through lust.

The fall came from disobedience to the command of God by the exercising of their free choice. The fall resulted in spiritual death; hence, broken fellowship with the Holy God. The path they took was a one-way path, and there was no opportunity to undo that decision.

When we die, there are no Do-Overs! We live or die by the decision we make concerning God. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves, slaves, to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8).

Fallen man through the sin (eating the forbidden fruit) committed in the garden gave up the world to Satan. Man’s broken relationship with God caused our image and likeness of God to no longer reflect His glory. We are unable to fellowship with God in this fallen state. This separation from God keeps us from experiencing the original purpose, promises, and plans of God.

However, God still loved mankind and always wanted a meaningful, loving relationship with us. But sin was in the way. Thus, God devised a plan of redemption to pardon the sins of those who would like to return to fellowship with Him. This plan involved God manifesting His love for man by sending His Only Begotten Son into the world to take man’s sin and die in his place. Thus, redeeming man from sin. Also, Christ is the only one who can redeem the ‘Title Deed’ to the earth back from Satan.

Even as man exercised his free choice to leave God so now must man use his free choice to come back into fellowship with Him. Through Jesus, the Messiah, the way back to God is possible; man can experience the real divine intention for his existence.

JESUS CHRIST IS OUR ETERNAL REDEEMER

So, God sent His Son as the redeemer for humankind. The redeemer would pay the price of our debt owed due to our fallen state, thus releasing us through the process of redemption. For example, we see recovery for slaves during Old Testament times, freedom for people put in debtor prison by someone paying a ransom price for their redemption.

The redemptive work of Christ on the Cross brings deliverance through His death, from the guilt and power of sin. Redemption in a spiritual sense is the work of Christ in “redeeming” men “from all iniquity,” “lawlessness,” and the “bondage of self-will,” which rejects the will of God. The whole Gospel deals with God being just when He justifies the ungodly.

JESUS’ REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE IS THREEFOLD

1. He came to redeem humanity from their sins, so they would be worthy to fellowship with a Holy God again and live a resurrected life.
2. To restore His image and likeness in us through the transformation and born-again conversion; thus, inheriting eternal life.
3. To redeem the world back from Satan, reclaiming the ‘Title Deed’ lost in the Garden of Eden.

ONLY THE LAMB OF GOD IS WORTHY

Jesus paid a ransom (His life) to repurchase us from Satan. The Cross was the only path He could take to reclaim the world and save believers from the final death. “Therefore, only Jesus is worthy to open the scroll…” (The Title Deed) in Revelation.

The word “Book” is “scroll” in the Greek, which holds the title deed to the earth.  When Jesus gave His life on the cross, He redeemed the earth back to God, but God hasn’t taken possession of it yet. It is God upon the throne, holding out the title deed in His hand.  Jesus is the rightful heir to the Book.

THE “ULTIMATE ESCROW CLOSING!”

(Revelation 5:1-7)

The cost of redeeming back the earth was the blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross. He has already paid the price of redemption, but He hasn’t yet taken possession of the earth.

John saw a scroll, and an angel was asking who was worthy to open the scroll. John wept because there was no one worthy to open it, until Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, came along.

We see this scroll as the TITLE DEED TO THE EARTH. God had created the earth and given it over to Adam. However, they disobeyed God’s commandment not to eat of the tree amid the garden. By obeying Satan’s suggestion to eat of the fruit, in their double action of obedience to Satan, and disobedience to God, they gave up the earth over to Satan.

The devil took Jesus up on a high mountain and offered the world to Him because it was Satan’s to give. In fact, Jesus did not dispute that as truth. Jesus twice calls him the prince of this world, and Paul also called him the god of this world.

Therefore, it is so wrong to blame God for all the tragedies and calamities in the world today. These things all exist as the result of man’s rebellion against God. We call tornados and hurricanes, acts of God. When Jesus was on the Sea of Galilee with His disciples and the great storm came up that threatened to destroy the little ship, Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind, and there was a great calm. It would probably be more exact to call them acts of Satan. Satan is the spin master, getting men to blame God for the catastrophes he brings.

It’s not God’s order we see in the world today. It is Satan’s order; this is his world; he is the king, the prince of this world. Jesus said to His disciples, “The prince of this world cometh, but he has nothing in me.”  Paul called Satan, “the god of this age.”

Salvation is summed up by Paul here in Romans, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

PROMISES

“As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If, ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:30-32).

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

A PRAYER

God, this world’s problems are so complicated that I cannot make my way without your guidance. Quicken my mind and deepen my understanding. Help me hear your voice and heed your advice. Keep me walking along the path behind you. In Jesus’ name – Amen.