Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-09
PRICE OF REDEMPTION
NOT IN LIFE'S VANlTlES
PETER KNEW SALVATION is
THROUGH THE DIVINE ONE
Rev. E. p. Ryland breaches on Theme
of Value of the Redeemer's Death
at Trinity Methodist Church.
Deepest Need Answered

Deepest Need Answered
Rev. E. P. Ryland at Trinity M. E.
church used the theme Price of Our
Redemption" for his morning discourse,
saying in part:
What Peter says of the value of the
death of Christ must bear great
weight. Peter was himself a witness
of these things and so declares: l.,
who am also an elder and a witness
of the sufferings of Christ And he
| also knew the meaning of redemption,
having himself learned to know the
salvation that is through Christ. And
yet he speaks in his great first epistle
OF the death of our Lord only Incl
dentally, the main theme of his letter
being courage in the midst of persecu-
tion. This incidental reference, how
ever, is of great value, because of it's
being evidently the expression of the
deep and abiding thought of the
apostles heart The references Peter
makes to the suffering and death of
Christ must ever be among the most
cherished passages of the New Testa-
ment.
I'm chapter 1:1S-19 we read: For
as much as yc know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things. as
|
| versation received by tradition from
your fathers; but with the precious
| blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
spot
Such a truth as this appeals but
| little to one who counts the vanity of
| life and it's gold and silver with which
all good can be bought as things most
to be desired. But to one who would be
| free, indeed, free to love God and men
| to I.,,, t,Nr
with his will, this redemption through
the blood of Christ is of inestimable
value, and answers to our deepest need.
Fidelity in Suffering
But Peter says even a higher word
as he urges prosecuted Christians to
fidelity In the time of suffering, saying:
For even hereunto were ye called;
because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example that we should
follow his steps: who did no sin, Meth
err was guile found in his mouth; who
! his own self bore our sins in his own
| body on the tree that we, being dead
to sins should live unto righteousness;
by whose stripes ye were healed This
was no attempt at systematic state
ment of doctrine, but was the uttering
of a living and eternal truth by one
who had learned to know it's value. 1t
|
my redeemer liveth.' 1t was Paul
who could say: L know him whom I
| have believed And Peter, who had
| learned the truth of Christ's bearing
| our sins i'm his own body on the tree,
could write this great word to Chris
tans who We're being tried by suf
fering and persecution
Our Substitute
| "Tn some way to Peters heart Christ
| is our substitute in his suffering. This
| is more than justice, it is love, and we
his followers ought to follow his ex-
ample, even if it bring us to endure
hardship for our fellows. Peters
thought is that Christians conscious of
the truth of the vicarious suffering of
| Christ should themselves bear all
things for the salvation of men.
HE who sneers at the Vicarious suf-
fering of Christ never felt the pang of
| the consciousness of sin nor has he
ever learned to know the love of
Christ nor the value of a man. He
who conscious of sin, has found
pardon through Christ has learned to
| know deep concern for lost men and
the value of the message of Gods love
as revealed in him who bore our sins
in his own body ON the tree.
Suffered for Us
"Peter again mentions the suffering
and death of Christ thus: For Christ
hath also once suffered for sins, the
| just for the unjust, that he might
bring us to God, being put to death in
the flesh, but quickened by the spirit.
Here is again the idea of substi-
tuition, the just for the unjust. 1t runs
through every reference Peter makes
to our Lords death and somehow is
necessary to our, sin-conscious lives.
We are away from God, like some
| Absalom at Geshur. He comes with
bruised brow and pierced hands, the
bearer of our sins, to bring us again to
God. Peter speaks these truths while
striving to urge Christians to courage.
We are grateful that he ever wrote
them for they reveal the thought of
the great apostle concerning our Lord S
DEATH and Peters thought gives us
comfort and courage. Jesus died, the
Just for the unjust, to bring us to God.