Bought With a Price by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 14, 1902

Bought With a Price

By Uriah Smith

Paul, in sizing up man as a subject and candidate for redemption, does it in this forcible and convincing manner: first, he lays down a fact, which is overwhelming in the duties and obligations it imposes. Here is the fact: “Ye are bought.” 1 Cor. 6: 20. This statement contains the root idea of redemption, which some modern critics dare to brand with the reproach of being merely a mercantile transaction.

But this reproach does not make it any less Scriptural. The whole statement is a double declaration of the idea, upon which some are inclined to heap contumely and scorn. The entire statement reads: “Ye are bought with a price.” The doctrine of the atonement, which the apostle here so plainly enunciates, involves tremendous responsibilities and unlimited encouragement. For thus he says, in verse 19: “Ye are not your own.” Then the great fact follows: “For ye are bought with a price.” This is the central idea of redemption. The negative side of Paul’s argument is presented in the verse last quoted. For if we are bought, we are not our own.

Allusion is made to the price. What is that price?—The Father gave his Son. The Son gave himself. He united his divinity with humanity. He surrendered his own happiness in glory, his repose, his body, his soul, his life. He poured out his soul unto death. Isa. 53: 12. Let the bloody sweat, the desertion, the betrayal, the scourging, the cross, his pierced and broken body on the tree, measure for us, as far as we can comprehend it, the magnitude of that price by which our redemption is secured. And if once we accept of this redemption, it will forever remain true; for Christ himself says that no man shall be able to pluck out of his hand those whom the Father has given him. And it will remain the great fact of our lives, never to be outdone in importance by any other event in our experience.

“Ye are not your own.” 1 Cor. 6: 19. We are not our own, to choose for ourselves, or mark out our own pathway. Ships are steered by their pilots.

We are not our own, to waste our time in idleness, amusement, or speculation; not our own, to follow our own caprices, prejudices, wayward wills, or depraved appetites. We are instructed that whatever we do, whether we “eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,” we should “do all to the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10: 31.

We are not our own, to offer our services to another master. We are to cleave to the One who has bought us, and on whom we depend for redemption.

We are not our own, to serve self. That deceitful and torturing giant is dethroned. Now comes a great and widespread duty. Mark and study carefully these words: “Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.” 1 Cor. 6: 19, 20. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?” 1 Cor. 6: 19. And this temple is not to be injured nor defiled; for “if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.” 1 Cor. 3: 17. We are enjoined to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.” 2 Cor. 7: 1. These earthly bodies are called “our vile body” (Phil. 3: 21), yet Paul says they are “the Lord’s,” and are designed to be instruments by which he is to be “glorified.” “Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Body and spirit takes in the whole man; and glorifying the Lord in both must take in all moral duties.

We glorify God in our body by patiently enduring, and by being faithful in the performance of all our duty in his work; by holy diligence; by bowing to God in reverence and worship; by maintaining a well-governed body through self-denial; by obeying the Lord’s will with delight.

We glorify God in our spirit by holiness, faith, zeal, love, humility, and hope. Christians may expect to be watched by the enemies of Christ. Christians make a higher profession than others, and more is justly expected of them.

We once heard of a man, not many miles from Battle Creek, nor many years ago, who claimed great freedom from sin, perfection of character, and uniformly faultless, holy living. His claims were so prominent, boastful, and pronounced as to become offensive to many. A friend determined to test him on these points. So riding with a neighbor past his house, a few days afterward, he saw this man standing outside his house, one morning, washing his face. Alighting from his carriage, and suddenly approaching him, he caught up the basin of water with which the holiness man was washing himself, and dashed the contents of the basin full in his face. Without explanation he started to return to his carriage; but before getting beyond the reach of his arm, this man professing Christian holiness and perfect freedom from sin, with a well-directed blow of his fist laid his interviewer sprawling on the ground before him. The course both parties in this incident pursued is open to criticism. First, number one approached the other very abruptly, rudely, ungentlemanly, and without excuse except for a specific purpose. Secondly, the man who had made so high a profession of holiness dishonored his religion, and wounded his Master by falling into a towering passion, and manifesting his resentment in such a manner. Alas, that either party should have thus fallen into the snare of the devil! We have no sympathy with those who excuse themselves from following Christ on account of imperfections, discovered or imagined, on the part of professed Christians. No excuse! If you discover flaws in others, just enter the list of believers, yourself be an example to the flock, and show others how they ought to live to be consistent. So doing, you will be a savor of life unto life. U. S.