The Bible Provocateur
The Bible Provocateur
LIVE DISCUSSION: Ransom & Redeemed (Part 4 of 5)
What happens when believers truly grasp the significance of Christ's sacrifice? Lives transform dramatically, as demonstrated through powerful testimonies shared in this soul-stirring conversation about redemption and reconciliation.
The discussion opens with a remarkable healing testimony. After 35 years of chronic illness including 18 years unable to swallow solid food, one participant experienced complete healing following intense study of John's Gospel. This physical transformation paralleled her spiritual awakening – as she began consuming the "solid food" of deeper biblical truth, her body regained the ability to process physical nourishment. Her story exemplifies how Scripture's power extends beyond spiritual renewal to tangible physical restoration.
Biblical passages from Psalms 107:20 and Romans 5-6 form the theological foundation of the conversation, contrasting Adam's sin with Christ's redemptive sacrifice. The group explores a profound insight: if Christ paid a ransom to free us, this reveals our natural state as captives needing liberation rather than free agents making autonomous choices. This understanding transforms how believers view both their previous bondage and their current freedom in Christ.
Participants share how deep Scripture study eliminated persistent anxiety, replaced religious obligation with joyful devotion, and ignited an unstoppable boldness to share truth without apology. The conversation concludes with a touching discussion about deathbed conversions, highlighting that God's redemption remains available as long as breath remains.
Ready to experience the transformative power of God's Word in your own life? Dive deeper into Scripture with an open heart, asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate truth that doesn't just inform your mind but transforms your entire being.
For sure, absolutely Well, anything you want to say about what you've heard so far, why you've been listening.
Speaker 3:Pretty much just what I commented. You know, people are so quick to judge God, and I've done it. Not so much judge, but I would say question right In an angry way, but we're doing the same things. We're doing the exact same things.
Speaker 1:So true, you know, we, we, we. The thing is, if Christians, like all of us here, if we come to the table, if we come to the table agreeing with the Lord that our chief goal is to glorify him, it makes this conversation fruitful and productive. Amen, and this is why I talk about this all the the time how, when I first started doing these lives that, like I still see every day, they're just brutal, wicked and they don't care. That people, that people Are listening. And right when I gave up, right when I gave up Because everybody was just so combative and I said this story, my wife says this is what you do, you can't give up, you have to change it up. Don't give up, change up. And ever since then it's been a big difference and God has blessed me With all of you and, in fact, everybody here Other than Robin.
Speaker 1:I met for tonight, the first time I have an off screen sort of relationship with, and a strong one here. And so, even though I'm sort of interrupting what we're talking about, what I want to say to all of you is how much I really sincerely appreciate you all, everybody here, and you know, and all of you can think about the last time we spoke or connected outside of this live. But you guys, you guys make it worthwhile, because when I was ready to quit, my wife convinced me to don't do that, just change it up. And then God blessed me with the quality and the caliber of brethren, like all of you, and I appreciate you, and you should know that it's not just my blessing, not just, uh, my blessing uh, it's just, it's unspeakable. So I want to thank all of you guys for your kind attention to my bloviating when I'm on here, but I want you to know it's sincere and I don't just even when I leave, even when we get off.
Speaker 1:Every day I'm working on many different things that I want to discuss with you, to trigger your thoughts and your ideas, to motivate you to a more glorifying perspective, or a perspective that glorifies Christ, so that he blesses you with things that you learn and things that you help me to learn. You know all these things. Anyway, getting a little sappy right now, but that's what I wanted to tell everybody here before. You know, at this moment I just thought it was a good time to do that. I really appreciate everybody here and you know who you are. You know why I say that.
Speaker 5:Well, I'm glad you didn't give give up and I'm glad I found you because, I'll be quite honest with you, I am 55 years old and I took a deep dive into the book of John about two months ago and I never understood who the Lord really was and who I am in him. Wow, I did that. And then tonight you know we're taught as Christians all the time. Jesus paid the price, but it never goes like deep. You hear it but you start to gloss over after a while.
Speaker 1:Right, right.
Speaker 5:Tonight I sat down and I read Romans and I read about Adam and Jesus, from chapter 5, 12 through 20, 21. And it absolutely brought home for me, to the point of tears Right, the depth of what he did for us when he didn't have to come on now, tell us about it yeah, I mean, it's absolutely incredible the comparison between what adam did and what jesus did, what he went through to reconcile us back to the Father.
Speaker 1:I love that word reconcile.
Speaker 5:Right. And why do we have to be reconciled? Because God is a just God, yes, he created us for his pleasure and because he loves us. But at every turn throughout biblical history, as humans from the fall, we turn against him, we rebel and, like any good father, he punishes us and then he makes a way to reconcile again till we mess it up again. And then he sent his son, and that was the last way, that is the only way. And to read what his son did for us, not just saying the words, but to really get it is a gift of the Holy Spirit to me, because now I get it, and it is. If it's not changing your life, you don't understand.
Speaker 6:You're not there yet. I want to. I want to show you something that you probably don't even notice, but you're sitting in here today. Do you know what that understanding did for you? And I'm going to tell you what it did for you, because you're doing it right now. You are speaking the truth in boldness, and I'm going to tell you something that is what the truth allows you to do.
Speaker 6:Once one has the truth there is you, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The believer is unstoppable. Why? Because the Holy Spirit only knows truth and the spirit in you only receives truth. It rejects everything else. And so, as you're studying, you are seeing the word of God literally transform your life, and I'm going to tell you something it is the most beautiful thing to witness, as I have just witnessed this myself through you, and that's how it is for all believers. We don't shut up when you click and we get it. We are given this power from the Holy Spirit to rock this out and tell everybody. We know, whether they like it or not, whether we're hated, whether somebody has something to say, the truth is the truth, it's God's word and it stands all by itself. So, thank you, robin, you're welcome.
Speaker 5:You scared me there for a second. I thought you were going to tell me I did something wrong.
Speaker 6:No, you, just those who get it, get it. Those who don't don't but see. The thing we can't do as believers is glaze over the word of God just because we're not ready to read and see what this stuff says, because once we see, it's like you are absolutely God and I am absolutely not, and it will humble the believer to no end. It will humble the believer to no end.
Speaker 1:If the word of God at any moment puffs up a believer. You better check your heart. It's so beautiful because you know. You come to a point and I see you, mariah, I'm calling you next, mariah but you get to a point. Like even me, I set these lives up and we talk about it and then I love it when I get to just step back because, robin, what you were saying Is Is the proclamation that we are called To convey it. What you were saying Was beautiful and it was the truth. And what's funny to me Is how Is how you?
Speaker 1:You opened up your. You know, when you started on here tonight, you opened up with, like this precursor, like you were worried about whether or not we'd be able to take it. But here's what I will. If there's anything that I can give you tonight is this Do not be apologetic about the truth. I don't care whose eyeballs are staring back at you. Let the gospel, let it fly, because there are so many people out there who are waiting for you and me and Mariah and Meg and Candy, everybody here waiting for us to be silent so they can fill up the void with nonsense.
Speaker 5:Can I tell you something real quick?
Speaker 1:Go ahead, sister, go ahead.
Speaker 5:What started this was a couple months ago. I felt the Lord pulling me into seclusion to get into the scripture. I've read it before, but I've looked at it as a book. I read it like a book this time. I spent an entire month studying and deep diving in the book of John month studying and deep diving in the book of John. Now I have been sick for 35 years with chronic illness and I've been unable to swallow solid food for the last 18 years and I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. The long, short story of the long is. I woke up a month ago on a Sunday morning and was able to swallow.
Speaker 5:Since then, there is nothing that will stop me from telling people about God, showing them how real and live and living and breathing and with you he is, that the Holy Spirit is alive and you need to ask and you ask and you will receive that there is nothing that is not possible for God. I have a cousin right now who's laying in ICU and they don't know if she's going to make it and it happened within a week. You know what she's going to live, one way or the other, whether she lives here in the flesh or she lives in the spirit, because God is there and there's nothing he cannot do. There's no one he cannot transform.
Speaker 5:And I will never stop saying that you know what.
Speaker 1:Robin, Let me tell you something and I'm cutting you off intentionally Because I'm getting old, so I'll forget stuff before I say it. So I got to say this you were talking about how you couldn't eat solid food For 20 years, something like that. You couldn't eat solid food For 20 years, something like that. You couldn't eat solid food. And then you said you got some private time, Solitude Wouldn't start studying the word of God. And then you started to be able. You were able to start eating, you were able to swallow again. It's almost to me. I'm looking at the situation where and then you started to be able you were able to start eating, you were able to swallow again. It's almost to me. I'm looking at the situation where you couldn't eat solid food until you were able to eat solid food.
Speaker 5:If you know what I'm saying. I know exactly what you're saying. I wasn't ready for it. I was still on the milk.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 6:When you started to eat God's spiritual meat. Then you were able to eat solid food again. That's so funny that you say that. If I may share something, it's the same thing. Like I said, I have been studying really hard for the last two years and before I got in to the word I was rid with anxiety for absolutely no reason, like it would come and I would just out of nowhere.
Speaker 6:And I'm not a fearful person at all, but I don't know where it was coming from. And I'm going to tell you something I have not had any type of anxiety. In fact, when you, the word of God will heal you. And when I tell you the word of God will heal you, getting into his word and reading it, it will heal you. Yes, it will. From any and everything that you think that you have, whatever you're going through, it will heal you. And there's scripture, and when I was talking to somebody else about this, there's scripture that literally says the word of God will heal you. You don't need some man to come to you and put their hands on you. It is the word of God alone that will heal you. You don't need anything else. We have every single thing that we need complete and in Christ Everything thing that we need, complete and in christ.
Speaker 6:Everything he gave it to us to made us whole, he did. I'm telling you. It's psalms 107, 20. It says he sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their instructions destructions. It says. Psal 1, 1950 says this is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word has quickened me, amen. Matthew 8, chapter 8, verse 8. It says speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. Like this is what the word of God does, what it does, what it does.
Speaker 5:And see, now, because I'm studying the word of God and I'm asking for the Holy Spirit to teach me, I'll be honest with you my life is completely changed. All I want is the Lord. I want to be in his word. I want people to feel what he's given me and what I feel for him, and there's nothing more important in my life now than him and my faith and where I. That is a complete, 360, a complete. If the word of God is not changing your life, then you're reading it as just a story.
Speaker 1:Amen, that's great, mariah. Go ahead, sister. What were you going to say? Sorry, it took me so long to get to you.
Speaker 4:Go ahead get to you, go ahead Joining the testimony and the deliverance that we can hear our God working and providing for those whom he loves. So all praises and glory to God, and I'm so thrilled to hear that he has worked in both Robin's life and Meg. I was just reading, and as Meg Ann Welbin was talking, in John 9, 39, and Jesus said for judgment, I have come into this world that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind. Then some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him are we blind also? And Jesus said to them if you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say we see and therefore your sin remains. And I just think that that's beautiful, because she's talking about how she would just read it as a book, you know. And then she said you know, let me take a different perspective and study this word. And she began to see what the lord had in store for her and has from the foundation, you know, um.
Speaker 1:so what a blessing it is brother ed, edward, edward the boss. You guys don't know Edward. This is the first time I've been with me and he most of you know that I was in the process of a big move and he's one of my new neighbors.
Speaker 6:You're blessed to have brother Jonathan as your neighbor. And he's probably blessed to have you too, welcome I am so far, but we.
Speaker 2:But I don't know what he's gonna say to me now, so you never know I was just listening to everybody um speaking and I was hearing, um, this is the season that people is really hungry after God and God basically was saying that I'm hearing is that he is stirring up the spiritual gifts. So, robin, while you was talking, I was hearing when you were saying that I forget I don't know who you said was in the hospital. You were saying that I forget I don't know who you said was in the hospital and I was just hearing that he said just go and pray and lay hands on her and speak life into her and no matter what the doctor say, you just keep speaking life into her and said watch what he do.
Speaker 1:That's all I heard. Yeah, I mean, you know, you never know. And think about it. Is we look? You know?
Speaker 1:There's an expectation that an immature Christian has versus the expectation that a mature christian has, and and we want that, that better part, which is where we have all these boundaries sort of removed so that we can see a more clear picture of who our lord really is. Right, you, you know, and it's. And when you do, because, especially when you're saying, like Lord, I don't need all that extra stuff, just give me an understanding of your word, help me to understand your mind, help me to to get away from me and become more like you. And that's not a prayer that he is not going to answer in the affirmative. He's going to grant that. But we still have to apply ourselves to understanding that it requires discipline, and today what we experience in this world is what I refer to as easy Christianity. Being a true Christian. There is no more, and I've said this many times, many of you heard this before. There is no greater vocation, there is no more difficult vocation than being a Christian, but there's nothing more rewarding when you're faithful. Nothing, nothing at all.
Speaker 1:Like Brother Edwards was saying, he, the Lord, cures all ills and you can be sure that if it doesn't happen to you in this life, whatever it is you're ailing with, whether it be some physical situation, whatever, it doesn't matter, because when resurrection morning takes place, it's a wrap. Joy cometh in the morning, amen. Joy comes in the morning. And listen, we know that we have been ransomed and redeemed by the work, the finished work of our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. Not by my work, not by the deeds of some pastor, not by the deeds of some pope or whoever, but that still small voice that penetrates the heart, that tells us you are my child, you belong to me. Now, that bondage that you are in, I paid the price to remove you from it. Now you belong to me and I, like sister mariah said earlier, I have made you truly free in the freest sense of the word, and now we have reconciliation with the father and that cannot be undone. That cannot, that cannot be taken away from us. Candy, go ahead.
Speaker 7:Of course it kind of goes along with everything. And sister down here in the corner, I'd love to hear you speak those scriptures it's hard to hear you, Candy. The sister down in the corner.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 7:Robin, when you speak, those words that flow out of your mouth are like honey. It's so beautiful the way you speak it and the way you express the meaning of what it really means the truth. It's beautiful. Don't ever stop doing it. Yes, go speak, speak that truth, speak that life. Of course, the whole doc's been about being redeemed, redemption reconciled, been about being redeemed, redemption reconciled. And, of course, romans is a great chapter 6, verse 17.
Speaker 1:You're fading out again. Sister, Come closer to the phone again.
Speaker 7:Can you hear me now?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, stay there.
Speaker 7:So Romans, chapter 6, and we start at verse 17. To God be thanked that, though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that from the doctrine to which you were delivered, and, having been set free from sin, you become slaves of righteousness. So I'm going to speak in human terms, because of the weakness of your flesh, for just as you presented your name to the slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness, waiting for more lawlessness, Candy, you went back out again.
Speaker 1:It's really really hard to hear you, sister.
Speaker 5:I don't know what's up.
Speaker 7:Hold on.
Speaker 5:I'm not on my SX now for a moment.
Speaker 7:Can you hear me now? I hear that now, but you're going back out, but'm not at my essence.
Speaker 1:Can you hear me now? I hear that now, but it goes back out. But go ahead and try again. Go ahead, finish what you're saying.
Speaker 7:I swear to God but it's not clean. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. But just as you could gain a slave to their cleanliness and lawlessness, leading to our lives For not to be a member of that slave of righteousness for whole.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's really bad Candy. You sound really really buried and muffled. We can't make out what you're saying.
Speaker 7:I don't get that because I'm not even. Hold on, let me try something.
Speaker 1:I know it's good. It usually is what you got to say, so I want to hear it.
Speaker 7:I tell you what. Megan Meg, you got it open. Actually, robin, are you? Are you still in Romans? You got your book open in Romans, robin? Yeah, I have it open.
Speaker 1:Actually, robin, are you still in Romans? You got your book open in Romans, robin? Yeah, I have it open. What do you want me to read? Chapter 6.
Speaker 7:I stopped after 19.
Speaker 1:And where do you want me to go To?
Speaker 7:the end I was going to 23.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'll read it. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. So good, for when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness so good. And so what Candy had me read could not be more apropos to what we've been talking about when it comes to what it means to be a slave of sin, because this conversation has been about being ransomed and redeemed, and Christ is the one who provided the ransom, paying the price of his own flesh, dying on our behalf. So what this means is, and what this supposes, what this presupposes, is that if he had to redeem us, then that means that we were in bondage. So those who say they are free to do what they want to do when it comes to accepting or rejecting christ are saying that they are not in bondage to any man, like mariah read in 833 in john 833, when those pharisees were saying we have not been in bondage to any man telling jesus this. So either you are in, either man outsider christ is in bondage, or he's free to do whatever his will desires. However, if the man who believes that it is his free will that saves him and he says he's free and not in bondage to any man, then the ransom that Christ paid is not for him. It's not for him.
Speaker 1:The ransom is paid for those who were in bondage, and that payment that he made to the father on our behalf was to free us from the prison of sin, was to free us from the prison of sin, and so you will hear people telling you or telling others that all you have to do is just accept Jesus. It's all just a matter of your will. I choose it, and if I don't choose him, it's my choice to not choose him or otherwise. But what they don't understand Is that he is the one, the Lord is the one that gives us the ability To believe. He gives us the ability To believe An ability that we, as depraved sinners who have the wages of sin being needed To be paid, and there's only one person that can pay, and he already did, and he did it for his people, and his people will respond in the ministry.
Speaker 1:The gospel mission that we all have is to preach the gospel to every living soul. Why? So that we can reach those whom he came here to buy back, to take back. To take back. When he came here and he went to the cross, he had to first he bound Satan to get him away from us, so that he can come, take us back where we belong, reconciled to God. And that's where we all are now and that is what we aspire to be and that's what we are Reconciled to God, because we trusted him by faith. And now that that has taken place, it can never be taken away With that. So can I ask you a question, jonathan? Go ahead, brother.
Speaker 8:I didn't mean to interrupt you. I didn't know you were going to say something else. No, go ahead. Do you believe in a? Do you believe in a? I guess what they call it is a deathbed confession. A deathbed confession I mean if a person is getting ready to die, if they're in icu um.
Speaker 1:Do you believe?
Speaker 8:that they can be saved if they confess the lord jesus christ. I I believe that's possible. I mean a brother. I just had a brother who died. Uh, my brother died on July 17th. I had been trying to witness to my brother.
Speaker 8:He got very depressed after he retired. His wife got cancer of the uterus. That's when he decided to retire. He was the president of a union and he became.
Speaker 8:He started drinking every day, every day he was drinking and I would try to call him and ask him you know, why don't we go out for breakfast or something so we could talk? But he didn't want to leave the house. All he wanted to do was go to the liquor store, come back home, get drunk. He didn't want to leave the house. He turned me down numerous times so he wound up falling out. I guess he was getting ready to go to the liquor store.
Speaker 8:They took him to the hospital which I was trying to go to get him to go to and stay in the hospital, thinking that they might be able to handle his I mean, you know, get him off alcohol. Anyway, they did wind up keeping him in the hospital and that was May the 7th, but I believe it was by that time he had cirrhosis of the liver cirrhosis of the liver, I believe. And so my cousin went down to the hospital and prayed with him. Well, they sent him to rehab because they said that, you know. But anyway, he went to the hospital to pray with him, went to the hospital to pray with him and he said that Keith confessed that the Lord in every day and that he believed that Keith accepted the Lord at that time, because before that he wouldn't. I mean he just he just wouldn't, I mean he just wouldn't. So that's why I asked about that confession. I don't know.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you just much no one knows what goes on in a man's heart. One knows what goes on in a man's heart. No one knows the the what god is going to do. I am certainly no arbiter in that issue, but I do know what a few people have already said in the comments, which is that which is that when as long longest a person is alive, it's possible, it's very possible, and, like the fact that you said, that somebody that was there praying with him heard him acknowledge the Lord and made an expression of faith and belief that might be the only witness that man ever had in his world, and he very well may be somebody that you get to see when we get there.