We Were Bought At A Price

This morning while praying I felt led to read from 1 Cor 6-7. There are several things that are in these chapters, but the one that stood out to me was 1 Cor 7:23:


(NIV)1 Corinthians 7:23
"You were bought at a price;..."


As I started meditating on this verse and the surrounding scripture, I got the sense that the Lord had something to say to those that have fallen, those that have back-slidden, those that struggle to hold onto their faith.


The message is quite simple really.  He paid the price for You! You are His!


The enemy would try to convince you that the Father won't take you back because of whatever you have done, or because you rejected or denied Him. The reality is that God paid the price for all your sins, everyone of them, those you commited before knowing Him, and those you committed after knowing him. This salvation that God has purchased is not a one shot opportunity, but rather meant to be eternal.


I was reminded of the parable of the sower and the seed ( Matt 13:3-23 ). We so often read this as a one time event, but the truth of the matter is a farmer sows seed every year, not one time. He also works the soil in between plantings, picking out rocks, killing weeds, etc. The next season he plants seeds he expects that more ground will be fertile and produce a good crop, because he has worked the soil, especially the areas that were previously unproductiive. In the same way, God offers us the opportunity to hear the word, respond to it and become fruitful, over and over.


I am reminded of the parable of the prodigal son ( Luke 15:11-32). Jesus told this story to illustrate the Father's heart towards those that have been in His house, but fallen away, or chosen to live their life outside HI house, pursuing whatever they set their hearts on. The lost son, had some idea of his Fathers heart, but had been listening to the lies of the enemy and was convinced that if he went back, he would never be able to walk in his previous relationship with his father, but at best be a servant. This story was told to expressly show that this is NOT how the Father loves us. He will always welcome his child back, will always restore them to relationship as a son or daughter. He will always be anxiously waiting for their return.


Going back to original verse - we were bought with a price, and we are His. I saw in my minds eye, a garage sale, where the enemy was trying to sell some of the people that had received salvation for next to nothing, convincing them that their worth was either insignificant, or that they were completely unwanted. I saw the Lord walk out, and reclaim each of them, saying very clearly, "This one is mine!"


He paid for each of us, while we were still sinners. We are His. We are always welcomed. It does not matter what we have done, how many times we might have rejected Him or hurt Him. He has already paid the price. He will never relinquish His relationship with us.