Blood versus gold

1. At times we heard someone say, “every man has his price.”

2. Or, we might be told, “anything can be bought if enough money is offered.

WHILE THESE STATEMENTS ARE COMMON, GOD SAYS THEY ARE FALSE.

a) We were asked to keep in readiness 1 Pet. 1:18.

b) Here is what Peter said to his readers – READ.

2) Those who received this letter “knew” something.

3) They had been taught. One of the things they knew was “redemption.”

4) Peter’s word for redeemed is not a common New Testament word.

5) In fact, this verb occurs only three times in our 27 New Testament books.

6) After the resurrection Jesus was walking with two men who were sad.

7) These men said they had hoped for Jesus to “redeem” the nation of Israel.

8) In their minds they saw Israel as a burdened people who needed help.

9) It was their hope that Jesus would serve as a deliverer.

10) They had great hopes, but their dreams were dashed when the Lord went to the cross.

11) These men failed to realize Jesus is the redeemer, 1 Pet. 1:18.

12) God did not, however, offer redemption in the way these two men were thinking.

a) Aside from 1 Pet. 1:18 and Lk. 24, this word is found in Tit. 2:14.

b) Paul said Christ has “redeemed us from all iniquity.”

c) Great ideas come and go like Christmas toys.

d) Kids may get a toy Christmas morning but toss it aside by Christmas night.

e) Think about God and redemption.

f) God could have helped mankind in many ways. He could have wiped out sickness.

g) He could have ended poverty, unemployment, or a dozen other things.

h) He could have certainly helped make the Jewish nation great 2,000 years ago.

i) If God had delivered the first century, what would be the lasting result?

j) How would that help today’s citizens in America?

13) God saw man’s real problem and He provided a real and lasting solution.

14) God “redeemed us from sin,” Tit. 2.

15) Heaven’s solution, however, was costly. It was very, very costly.

a) God did not use something “corruptible” (1 Pet. 1:18) to deliver us from sin.

b) As we might guess, “corruptible” has the sense of being subject to decay/destruction.

c) Rom. 1:23 and associates this word with humanity.

d) Our human body I subject to decay.

e) In 1 Cor. 9:25, corruptible is associated with a crown received by top athletes.

f) Peter also used this term in 1 Pet. 1:23.

g) He said Christians are born of seed that is not “corruptible.”

16) 1 Pet. 1:18 presents us with a good reminder about money.

17) It is not the most important or valuable item in life.

18) If it were, it could have been made the basis for redeeming our eternal spirit.

19) Instead of the cross, God could have used worldly wealth.

20) God said He didn’t use wealth.

21) One reason He didn’t use it is based upon the longevity of money.

22) Riches do not last.

23) Even if we take something like a diamond, it does not have an eternal lifespan/value.

24) This is why Peter was able to actually mention “silver and gold” in 1 Pet. 1:18.

25) Here are concrete examples of wealthy, but God did not use them for our redemption.

a) Silver is mentioned a little more than 20 times in the New Testament.

b) We first find it in Mt. 25:18.

c) A master delivered “talents” (silver) to three servants.

d) One of these men took the silver and “buried it” in the earth.

e) When we think about silver, we find that it is valuable enough to put in a safe place.

f) Other men in Mt. 25 traded their silver and received more of it.

g) Silver is something that has monetary value.

h) In fact, its value was so good it was a price to betray Jesus.

i) Matthew (26:15) says Judas accepted “30 pieces of silver” (same word).

j) Silver was one of the things that put Christ on the cross, but it cannot redeem man.

26) Acts 19:19 says there were Christians who burned some books.

27) These books had a value of 50,000 thousand pieces of silver.

28) Silver was an item of value, and lots of it was available in first century times.

29) Peter implied that all the silver in the world could not help man overcome sin.

30) If silver would not work, what about “gold,” another item found in 1 Pet. 1:18?

a) We first find gold mentioned in Acts 3:6.

b) Peter said he didn’t have any “silver or gold” (these words are identical to 1 Pet. 1:18).

c) Paul used this word in Acts 20:33 to say he had not coveted any “gold.”

d) Generally people covet something that quite valuable; hard to obtain; of great worth.

e) Thus, Acts 20:33 suggests gold is especially precious and valuable.

f) When Paul wrote to Timothy about women in 1 Tim. 2, he spoke of great wealth.

31) Women were using “gold” in their hair.

32) Gold is a highly valued item that rich women—perhaps immoral women—were flaunting.

33) Gold has also been used in regard to divine things.

34) Heb. 9:4 says the Old Testament altar was overlaid with “gold” (ASV).

35) It was also on the “ark.”

36) There was even a “golden pot.”

37) In the book of Revelation we find references to gold.

38) If God is sometimes associated with gold, why not make that the price for our redemption?

39) It is not enough.

40) Listen a “gold reference” I did not give – 1 Pet. 1:7 – READ.

41) If all the gold in the world were gathered, it would not pay the price for man’s sin.

42) If we got all the gold, silver, and every other precious metal and stone, it would not be enough.

VERSE 18 IN THE FIST CHAPTER OF PETER’S FIRST BOOK TELLS US WHAT WOULD NOT WORK. WHAT WOULD AND WHAT DID WORK IS FOUND IN VERSE 19 – READ.

a) In both Greek and English the thought begins with BUT.

b) This is a contrast, and it is a very strong contrast.

c) Wealth from the world could not take care of man’s sin problem.

d) Something else could. What would and what did work was “blood.”

2) Blood can come from a number of sources.

3) We may not be medical experts, but we probably know a little about blood types.

4) There are different types of blood.

5) Not every blood type is suitable for every person.

6) A similar thing is true regarding redemption.

a) To be forgiven fully and freely, we needed the right blood.

b) The right blood was “precious” blood.

c) Precious is used more than a dozen times in the New Testament.

d) Paul said he did not hold his life “dear” (same word, Acts 20:24).

e) 1 Cor. 3:12 refers to “precious” stones.

f) Not long ago I saw two women in a work place.

g) The first, about 45 years old, had just received a new ring for a Christmas gift.

h) She sauntered over to show it off to a coworker who was about half her age.

i) The younger coworker said, “Are there any flaws in it?”

7) The ring wearer said, “There is not supposed to be; I am going to get it appraised.”

8) Not every stone is precious. Some, however, are.

9) Jesus’ blood was given on our behalf is well described as precious.

10) Jesus was also like a lamb “without spot” and “without blemish.”

a) As we think about this description, we may again think about the wealth in the world.

b) Suppose we gathered up all the treasures on the earth.

c) If we did this, we would have some brand new money that was literally untouched.

d) In our vast pile of wealth we would have some other things.

e) There would be those 30 pieces of silver used to betray the Lord. That’s blood money.

f) We would have drug money, money paid to someone for murders and other crimes.

g) Even if no moral filth is attached to it, our paper money is loaded with dirt and germs.

11) Money could have never served as a suitable means to redeem man.

12) What if someone offered a life completely free from sin, defect, and fault?

13) That kind of life would be precious.

14) That kind of life would work. This is exactly the kind of life Jesus offered on the cross.

15) Catholicism has many doctrinal errors.

16) Someone from a Catholic background has made some very good observations about Christ’s blood.

17) Actually, this person made seven observations about the Lord’s blood.

a) We find at least seven times when the Lord’s blood is brought to our attention.

b) Jesus was circumcised (Lk. 2:21); surgery involves blood.

c) Lk. 22:44 says as Jesus prayed before the cross experience something like blood came from Him.

d) Jesus was scourged before the cross (Jn. 19:1); from this beating He bled.

e) Thorns were put on the Lord’s head (Jn. 19:2); they probably pierced His skull.

f) With the crucifixion (Jn. 19:18), there was more blood.

18) Jesus side was pierced and out flowed more blood (Jn. 19:34).

19) Maybe it would be worthwhile to explore in depth these six examples of Jesus giving His precious blood.

20) The ultimate example of the Lord’s precious blood was on the cross.

21) God gave us the most precious gift man will ever know.

22) It is our job to take that gift and put it into use in our own life.

23) If we had all the wealth in the world but did nothing with it, we would be a bad steward.

24) If we know Christ, that knowledge is like a stewardship. God expects us to be faithful.