For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Like many people today, I have the opportunity to control my own retirement account, so each month I receive a statement telling me whether my account gained or lost during the past month. One term used to describe the gains is “return on investment,” which measures the gains as a percentage of the total amount invested.
One definition of the word invest is, “to make use of for future benefits or advantages.” This reminds me of the Gospel because God had a “return on investment” in mind when He sent Jesus to earth—it was the redemption of eternal souls from the outcome of sin. Man was created to enjoy fellowship with God. When the results of sin prevented that fellowship and condemned men to eternal separation from God, He had a plan to save the souls of men.
All investments cost something, and the price required to redeem a soul from sin’s penalty was the death of a sinless human life. Because the entire human race was contaminated by sin, no man—no matter how good—could pay the price. Yet, God was willing to pay! And just as earthly investments should be planned carefully, God had planned each step of His investment with the maximum amount of care. He sent His only Son to this world as a baby. Jesus was raised in the home of a small-town carpenter, and He never lost sight of His mission in coming to the earth.
Every moment of His earthly ministry was aimed at fulfilling the requirements of the investment needed to accomplish the goal. Jesus said, “The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29). When He was on the Mount of Transfiguration, He spoke with Moses and Elijah about “his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31). Death is not normally considered an accomplishment, but Jesus was fulfilling the requirements to obtain redemption for our souls.
Because so much has been invested to make our salvation possible, how should we be spending our lives? Our redemption came at a high price, and we want to be willing to give our lives to God in service. How can you express your appreciation to God today?