The Ransom Merit of Jesus Christ

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all kinds of people.”—1 Tim. 2:5, 6, NW, margin.

1. How does Jesus Christ stand alone in world history?

JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth rose from birth in a manger to a position of vital importance to humankind. No other single individual since the creation of Adam has made such an indelible imprint on the pages of history, nor has any other person ever been so universally the subject of controversy. Countless other men have gone down into death as martyrs for causes they deemed worthy of their full devotion, but in no other instance has there been attributed to such martyrdom the role of savior. Jesus Christ stands alone in world history as one whose death is said to qualify him to act as the Redeemer of humankind. So unique is his position that a devoted disciple of his was compelled to say, “There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.” (Acts 4:12, NW) Certainly no such efficacy is attributed to the death of any other man.

2, 3. What contrasting views are held concerning him, prompting what vital questions?

² Yet, despite the widespread confession in Christendom that Jesus Christ is the Ransomer of fallen mankind, there is great misunderstanding as to the role he plays in the purposes of the Almighty God. Even among those professing to believe on him there is actually startling disbelief in the merit of his life given as a ransom. Then, of course, there are millions who, though recognizing his prominence in Jewish history, attribute nothing spectacular to his life or death beyond his devotion to certain principles he considered good. However, in contrast, even before Christ made his appearance, “other men were tortured because they would not accept release by some ransom, in order that they might attain a better resurrection” through the ancient promise of God to send forth a “seed” that would provide an eternal release from sin and death.—Heb. 11:35; Matt. 20:28; 2 Tim. 2:8-10, NW.

³ Upon the basis of what the Bible teaches, what is the position of Jesus Christ in Jehovah’s magnificent arrangement of things for establishing a completely new world? Should he be regarded only as a legendary figure of noble ideals who set for us a splendid example of moral living? Or should we view him as the one who poured out his lifeblood in sacrifice so as to purchase by ransom the life rights that Adam lost through rebellion, and thus make it possible for men to ultimately live forever? The correct answer to these questions is vital to every living person today.

4. How was the appearance of Christ different from that of any other man?

⁴ It is important to appreciate that Jesus Christ did not suddenly burst upon the human scene and proclaim himself a savior. He was not merely a man of unusual gifts and mental brilliance who made a mark upon civilization by reason of his energetic activity, as other men have done with varying degrees of success from time to time. No, indeed! Rather, his appearance was singularly different, for long centuries beforetime his coming was foretold. Men of godly understanding looked for the appearance of a savior of humankind because of the promise Jehovah gave in Eden concerning the coming of a “seed” of righteousness.—Gen. 3:15; Gal. 3:19, NW.

5. How is the promise to Abraham brought into view here?

⁵ Nearly 1,900 years before the birth of Christ, Jehovah with an oath confirmed his promise to Abraham concerning this Savior, saying: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Gen. 22:18, AS) Abraham and other faithful men of ancient days looked for this “seed” and longed for the blessings that would come through it. The apostle Paul removes all doubt as to the identity of the “seed” when he says: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It says, not, ‘And to seeds,’ as in the case of many such, but as in the case of one, ‘And to your seed,’ who is Christ.”—Gal. 3:16, NW.

6. The words of Moses and the promise to David show what respecting the Christ?

⁶ More than three hundred years after Abraham’s day Moses spoke to Israel about this same coming savior, saying that anyone who failed to listen to him would not live. (Deut. 18:19; Lev. 23:29) Peter confirms the historical fact that Moses predicted the coming of the savior, Christ, saying: “In fact, Moses said: ‘Jehovah God will produce for you from among your brothers a prophet like me. You must listen to him according to all the things he speaks to you. Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’” (Acts 3:22, 23, NW) David was a direct descendant of Abraham, and respecting him Jehovah repeated the promise concerning a savior some six hundred years before Christ appeared. “Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king . . . and [he] shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”—Jer. 23:5; 33:15, AS.

7. What other prophetic things were written concerning Jesus Christ, and upon what are all the prophets in agreement?

⁷ Approximately 150 years before Jeremiah penned the above words in the sacred Record, the prophet Isaiah, knowing full well that the Redeemer was to come through Abraham and David’s line, under inspiration wrote: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever.” (Isa. 9:6, 7, AS) Bethlehem was predicted as the place of his birth. (Mic. 5:2) In fact, all the prophets agreed that a redeemer was due to appear upon the human scene; and “to him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone putting faith in him gets forgiveness of sins through his name.”—Acts 10:43, NW.

8. What supporting facts demonstrate that John was not wrong in his identification of Jesus?

⁸ The prophet Isaiah in advance declared remarkable details concerning Jesus Christ, namely, that he would be despised, rejected, be a man of sorrows and be acquainted with grief; that his life would be made an offering for the sins of many, that he would intercede for mankind, that when he was oppressed and afflicted he would not open his mouth to complain but would submit to his sacrifice like a lamb that is led to the slaughter. No wonder John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus approaching, loudly exclaimed, “See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, NW; Isa. 53:3-9, AS) That John was correct in his identification of Jesus as the Redeemer is made sure by the record of the angel’s declaration thirty years previous, when that mighty spirit creature said to the shepherds, “Have no fear, for, look! I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the people will have, because there was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in David’s city.” (Luke 2:10, 11, NW) Beyond any question, Jesus Christ was not a self-proclaimed savior, but had come in fulfillment of promises made by God long centuries before.

9. How do the apostles confirm the truth that Jesus was sent?

⁹ The apostle John supports this view with the forthright declaration that it was God who sent Jesus. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, NW) Jesus was thus not an ordinary mortal whom Jehovah selected to use in providing a ransom, but, with good reason, was one who came direct from God’s own heavenly realm for the specific purpose of vindicating the Father’s name and providing a ransom. Jesus’ prehuman existence extended back before humankind or even the earth itself came into being. (John 1:1-3; Prov. 8:22-36, AS) His disciples appreciated Jehovah’s great expression of love in sending his Son. They knew Jesus Christ was no mere man like themselves, and they showed no hesitancy in declaring so. (Matt. 16:16, NW) “By this the love of God was made manifest in our case, because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him. . . . we ourselves have beheld and are bearing witness that the Father has sent forth his Son as Savior of the world.”—1 John 4:9, 14, NW.

10. How do false conclusions of some religionists lead them into error regarding the Christ?

¹⁰ But there are some religious men who deny Jesus was God’s son and had come in the flesh by Jehovah’s miraculous transference of him to the womb of a Jewish virgin, Mary. Instead they teach the incarnation theory, saying that Jesus was actually God himself who clothed his spirit body with a covering of flesh, as angels had done in appearing to Abraham, Lot and others. (Gen. 18:1, 2; 19:1; Judg. 13:9-11, 16) Trinitarians are stuck with the same false reasoning, since they believe that God and Christ are one and the same. This erroneous doctrine forces still other wrong conclusions. For instance, this theory must assume that Jesus’ weariness and suffering were merely feigned, because no spirit creature can be weary and suffer. It is bound to force the conclusion that his prayers were feigned, since he was only praying to himself after all, and did so merely for the profound impression such made upon his disciples and others. (John 17, NW) Still farther along the same road of error it would have to be concluded, on the basis of the original premise, that Christ’s death was merely an appearance of death, for God, being immortal, cannot really die; hence there was no real death and pouring out of blood as a ransom for humankind at all!

11, 12. What other views are held by religious leaders?

¹¹ Closely akin to this hazardous reasoning are the conclusions of those who believe in the “moral influence theory.” They hold that the sole mission of Christ was to reveal the love of God in a way so moving as to melt the heart and induce men to forsake sin. (Theology at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century, p. 261) “Strictly speaking,” say they, “the death of Christ was not necessary to human salvation.”

¹² It is not surprising, then, to find a very prominent religious leader saying this in regard to the ransom: “Of course I do not believe in the Virgin Birth, or in that old fashioned substitutionary doctrine of the Atonement; and I do not know any intelligent Christian minister who does. The trouble with these fundamentalists is that they suppose that unless one agrees with them in their doctrinal set-up, he cannot believe in the profound, substantial, everlasting truths of the Christian gospel that transform men’s lives, and are the only hope of Christ’s saviorhood in this world.”a Included in this class of men are those who ridicule the death of Jesus Christ as necessary to provide a ransom because, as they say, it requires a murder to fulfill the will of God.

13. How is their disbelief in the ransom shown, placing them in a class described by Peter?

¹³ Thus we find religious men, leaders at that, who actually deny the ransom merit of Jesus Christ. Yes, they talk about the “everlasting truths of the Christian gospel,” but in their eyes the principles embodied in the Ten Commandments plus the new commandments that Christ taught, the love of God, the love of neighbor unto dying for him—these are the things “that transform men’s lives, and are the only hope of Christ’s saviorhood in this world.” By their own words and deeds they do not believe that the life of Jesus Christ, laid down in sacrificial death, actually served to open up the way for mankind to regain that perfection of flesh and unity with God that Adam first lost by his sin of rebellion. They do, in fact, disown Christ as their redeemer and savior, and do not believe that the value of his shed blood was the price paid over to God to regain for mankind the life rights lost by Adam. Pretending to be servants of God, they are actually false teachers. How accurately Peter describes them: “There will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves.”—2 Pet. 2:1; 1 Cor. 1:18, NW.

14. What full impact of truth must be appreciated by honest persons?

¹⁴ Every person interested in life must appreciate the full impact of the truth that the Sacred Scriptures are overwhelmingly specific and definite in making known that only through the ransom merit of Jesus Christ will anyone ever attain to salvation. Moreover, anyone gaining salvation must meet the terms of the ransom and thus qualify according to God’s standards. In the final analysis, the philosophies of men and all the worldly knowledge and human reasoning they can bring to bear against the Scriptures will avail nothing. The Word of God is sure, firm, to be relied upon as coming from the one who has all knowledge and who possesses all power to back up his word and fulfill it. Rightly we go to him for an explanation of the position of his Son in the divine purpose as it relates to the salvation of humankind.

15. To “ransom” means what, and why does the whole human race need such?

¹⁵ To “ransom” means to “redeem from captivity, slavery, punishment or the like, by paying a price; to buy out of bondage; to deliver, as from sin, its penalty, or the like; to be the Redeemer of.” (Webster’s New International Dictionary, 2nd Edition) That mankind since Eden has been in bondage to sin and its penalty, death, stands admitted. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me,” said David. (Ps. 51:5, AS) That confession of bondage applied not only to David himself, for Paul confirms it as being true of the whole human race, when he says, “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12, NW) The whole human race has been and is in bondage, slavery, which results in death, and needs a Ransomer to effect release if the full freedom of Eden in its perfection is ever to be realized again.—Heb. 2:15, NW.

16. Upon what conditions might man recover from sin’s penalty of death?

¹⁶ Death comes to man justly, through the operation of Jehovah’s righteous and perfect laws. It was no injustice on God’s part, for man brought this slavery upon himself, with its punishment of death. In keeping with justice, God could allow death to reign over men for all time to come, but his great quality of love and mercy moves him to provide a way out for men who incline to righteousness. In exercising his mercy, however, Jehovah cannot disregard or ignore the justice of the penalty judgment of death entered against man. “Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot”—this expresses the terms and principles under which God has always operated. (Ex. 21:23, 24, AS) Consequently what Jehovah had decreed as the penalty for mankind’s sin, namely death, could be lifted only by the payment of a ransom or corresponding price. If one could be found willing and able to make payment of this ransom, thus fulfilling Jehovah’s just law, then his mercy might be extended toward mankind. Jesus Christ was the one willing and able to buy man out of his bondage.

17. How is God’s great love shown in this respect?

¹⁷ That it was Jehovah’s love and mercy that moved Christ to provide the payment of a ransom is plainly shown at John 3:16 (NW): “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” It was an action initiated by God, and it was accompanied by the willingness of his Son to meet the terms of justice in paying the ransom. “By this the love of God was made manifest in our case, because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him. The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent forth his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9, 10, NW) Jesus Christ was willing to pay the ransom price, out of love for Jehovah and for fallen man.

18. Was the requirement of a ransom a new thing with God?

¹⁸ It was no new thing for Jehovah to thus require a ransom payment. He was merely following the same basic principle he followed in his dealings with Israel as that nation’s Ransomer or Redeemer. He said of himself, “For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead. Since thou hast been precious in my sight, and honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life.” (Isa. 43:3, 4, AS) The ordinances of the law covenant given to Israel provided for the payment of a ransom as a redemption for one’s life in certain kinds of offenses. The poll tax of half a shekel for every Hebrew was deemed the ransom to propitiate for their lives. (Ex. 21:28-32; 30:12-16) The annual offering of a bullock and of a goat for the sins of the people served as an atonement or ransom that Jehovah recognized and accepted.—Lev. 4:1-35; 5:1-19; 16:1-31; Prov. 21:18.

19. How is the payment of a ransom a difficult thing?

¹⁹ In the case of man, the ransom God required to restore perfection and everlasting life could not be paid with silver, gold or other precious things, nor by the blood of animals, for these payments would not correspond or be equal to the perfect life that Adam lost for all mankind. (1 Pet. 1:18, 19, NW) To all the “inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor” Psalm 49 (AS) points out that man can never give to God a ransom for his life, “for the redemption of their life is costly, and it faileth for ever.” It follows, then, that unless Jehovah provided the means of paying over the corresponding ransom, there would never be a recovery from sin and death. God made this provision by granting his only-begotten Son the privilege to lay down a perfect human life in sacrifice.—Gal. 4:4, 5, NW.

20. What was Christ’s attitude regarding this sacrificial course laid out for him?

²⁰ Jehovah did not have to coerce his Son into this sacrificial course, but Jesus willingly pursued it when he perceived that it was his Father’s will. Says Paul concerning him, “He . . . gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and came to be in the likeness of men. More than that, when he found himself in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient as far as death, yes, death on a torture stake.” (Phil. 2:6-8, NW) Jesus himself confirms his own willingness to lay down his life in sacrifice, saying, “This is why the Father loves me, because I surrender my soul [life], in order that I may receive it again. No man has taken it away from me, but I surrender it of my own initiative.” (John 10:17, 18, NW, margin) As the sacrificial lamb of God, Jesus Christ moved steadily, willingly and unwaveringly toward his sacrifice on the torture stake, with full appreciation of the ability it would give him to provide the ransom for believing mankind.—Isa. 53:7, AS.

21. In his loving-kindness how did Jehovah provide a basis for belief in the ransom of Jesus Christ?

²¹ It was doubtless at a distant time before his miraculous coming to earth that Jesus in his prehuman existence expressed his willingness to provide the ransom. It must have been so, for through Abraham, long before the earthly advent of Jesus, Jehovah illustrated how he would give his Son in sacrifice, and how that Son would of his own free will lay down his life. (Gen. 22:1-19) Immediately following this prophetic portrayal by Abraham, Jehovah made the promise that “in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,” which “seed” Paul identified as the Christ. So God was showing that, at a fixed time future from Abraham’s day, his own beloved Son would come to make the great sacrifice. In his written Word Jehovah was laying a groundwork so that righteously disposed men might fix their hope upon this great event and the untold blessings it would open up to them. A reliable record was being established by which men would be able to identify the one providing a ransom for them. (Prov. 8:22-36; John 8:58, NW) A great release was now in sight, but it would certainly come through the ransom of Jesus Christ.

“Release by Ransom”

“By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness.”—Eph. 1:7, NW.

1. How did sacrifices under the Law fall short of effective “release,” but what purpose was served?

BORN in sin and shaped in iniquity, men were doomed to live in sin and pay its penalty, death. Under the Mosaic law given to Israel the sins of the people were forgiven in a pictorial way by the animal sacrifices made and offered up by the high priest. Yet in a real sense the blood of bulls did not effect an actual release of permanent nature from the penalty of sin, death; for all those conforming to the law eventually died. Moreover, the sacrifices had to be repeated at regular intervals. The law covenant was actually a “shadow of the good things to come,” illustrating what God would do through his Son, Jesus Christ. (Heb. 10:1-3, NW) “Consequently, the Law has become our tutor leading to Christ, that we might be declared righteous due to faith.”—Gal. 3:24, NW.

2. What important part did blood play under the Law, but how did the coming of Jesus make a great change?

² But even under the law arrangement righteousness was imputed only by the shedding of blood. In viewing the sacrifice and ransom of Jesus we must bear in mind the plain statement of Scripture that “unless blood is poured out no forgiveness takes place.” That is why Israel through the high priest continuously offered the blood of animals to obtain, in a pictorial sense, the yearly release from sins. But with the coming of Jesus Christ there is a great change, for “he entered, no, not with the blood of goats and of young bulls, but with his own blood, once for all time into the holy place and obtained an everlasting release for us.” (Heb. 9:22, 12, NW) No more was it necessary to periodically offer animal blood, for the one who was foreshadowed by these animal sacrifices had come and established an everlasting release. Now it was a matter of qualifying to receive the benefit of that release by ransom.

3. In what way was the sacrifice of Jesus superior?

³ The entry of Jesus Christ to make propitiation for the sins of humankind and thus effect a release was not an entry into any earthly temple. “For Christ entered, not into a holy place made with hands [as the high priest of Israel did] which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the person of God for us. . . . the Christ was offered once for all time to bear the sins of many.” (Heb. 9:24-28) It was into the presence of Jehovah God in heaven that Christ went, following his resurrection, to offer the merit of the perfect lifeblood he had poured out, this to effect a permanent release for those of mankind who would exercise faith in the merit of that ransom. Peter confirms that it is the shed blood of Jesus that provides the ransom merit: “For you know that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, as a ransom that you were released from your fruitless form of conduct received by tradition from your forefathers. But it was with precious blood, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, even Christ’s.”—1 Pet. 1:18, 19, NW.

4. Why is it folly to regard the sacrificial death of Jesus as unnecessary?

⁴ The lifeblood of the perfect man Jesus, poured out in sacrificial death, is thus seen to have a saving merit in behalf of those who exercise faith in it. Hence it is the blood given in sacrifice that is needed to effect the salvation of the world, not merely the “profound, substantial, everlasting truths of the Christian gospel.” There would be no release without the shed blood. The Scriptures emphasize this truth outstandingly. It is sheer folly, then, to view the self-sacrificing course of Jesus as essentially unnecessary to his saviorhood of the world. If the merit of the shed blood is not applied in behalf of any person, that man has no hope of gaining everlasting life. The perfect lifeblood of Jesus Christ corresponded to that life value that Adam lost. When Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, he had in his possession the right to perfect human life with all its prospects, exactly what Adam by the sin of disobedience had lost for the human race. This ransom price Jesus handed over in the presence of God and in exchange therefore received the human race for the purpose of giving deserving members of it the opportunity to gain everlasting life.—Rom. 5:15-19, NW.

5. What great question is posed, and how does the wrong view of matters work injury to men?

⁵ This brings to the fore the question as to who benefit by the ransom. Do all men benefit, whether good or bad? Was it not God’s great love for all men that prompted the giving of his Son? And does not that support the view held by many that all must ultimately be saved, Adam himself included, and even the Devil? Decidedly not, for nothing could be farther from the truth. Holding to such a universal salvation theory works great injury upon men, for it blinds them to the real purpose of the ransom. It lulls men into a false sense of security and irresponsibility, for it tells them that everything will come out all right in the end, no matter what they do or how they live. Through belief in “salvation for all” they fail to see the need for examining God’s purpose and ascertaining upon what grounds they can qualify for “release by ransom through the blood” of Jesus Christ.

6. What simple facts support the correct view?

⁶ Stop, think, and examine some simple facts. When Jesus was on earth and preached repentance, some heard him in belief and others despised his teaching. To those who heard with belief and ‘stuck with him in his trials’ Jesus promised great blessings in the Kingdom. (Luke 22:28-30, NW) And he said that other sheep would in later times listen with faith and receive blessings, also. But to those unbelieving Jews who encircled him and derided his message demanding to know if he was the Christ, Jesus replied, “I told you and yet you do not believe. . . . you do not believe, because you are none of my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them everlasting life, and they will by no means ever be destroyed.” (John 10:16-30, NW) Those unbelievers later tried to stone Jesus. Promise of a ransom to everlasting life was held out to absolutely no such persons, but only to the believers, the “sheep.”

7. The record at Matthew 23 presents what perplexing situation to those who believe in “salvation for all”?

⁷ Proponents of “salvation for all” must close their eyes to the scathing testimony of Jesus against the false teachers of his day, the scribes and Pharisees. Claiming to worship God, they did all manner of evil. Jesus predicted nothing good for them, but only woe upon woe. Forcefully he pointed out their utter inability to escape the judgment of Gehenna (destruction) at Jehovah’s hand because of their wicked course. Would you say, then, that he died to provide a ransom for them? Could they be both ransomed and destroyed? Certainly not, as any reasoning person must admit! Yet Jesus did tell them they were doomed; so there could be no ransom for them.—Matthew 23, NW.

8. Jesus’ instructions to his disciples support what view?

⁸ The instructions Jesus gave to his disciples add weight to the truth that the ransom would not apply to all men individually, for, said he, “wherever anyone does not take you in or listen to your words, on going out of that house or that city shake the dust off your feet. Truly I say to you, It will be more endurable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than for that city.” (Matt. 10:14, 15, NW) He was pin-pointing the utter impossibility of ransom for unbelievers or those willfully wicked, because Sodom and Gomorrah were irrevocably condemned and destroyed, beyond any possible recovery.

9. How is there a difference between the position of Satan, Adam and humankind in general?

⁹ Satan the Devil is the god of this world based upon evil and wickedness. He is a deliberate and willful sinner and violator of God’s sovereignty. For him there is no recovery, but only a certain destruction. The man Adam willfully and deliberately chose the same course of rebellion as that taken by Satan, and God in justice meted out death to him. But for Adam’s offspring the situation is different, because they were born under condemnation as a result of Adam’s willful act, yet not because of anything they themselves had done. (Rom. 16:20; Rev. 20:10, NW; Hos. 6:7, AS; Rom. 5:14, NW) Hence, for them Jehovah provided the opportunity for recovery from this slavery by a release by ransom through Jesus Christ.

10. What transformation must take place in the life of one who benefits by the ransom?

¹⁰ In the days when Jesus preached the good news, not all of Adam’s descendants then alive heard and believed, and hence not all came under the ransom Jesus later made available. On the other hand, in the case of those who did believe, a marvelous transformation was made in their lives, as was true with the apostles. So today those who ultimately benefit by the ransom must first effect a transformation in their lives. It means more than refraining from evil and maintaining a neutral or aloof position from rank wickedness, thus hoping for ransom because of beautiful character built up through one’s own efforts. Rather, it requires hearing and belief in the good news that Jesus preached and that is, true to his promise, being preached today throughout the earth. It means activity in a positive way to support the entire arrangement of Jehovah God for the establishment of a new world, for which the blood of Jesus provided a basis. The Devil and all those who are of like mind, deliberate sinners, will not support the new world. Neither will they benefit by the ransom, nor ever experience release from slavery to their own selfish will, which drives them on to death.

11. How does the illustration of the “sheep” and “goats” show the ransom is limited? Why?

¹¹ In describing the division of earth’s people into two classes, sheep and goats, as a result of the Kingdom message being preached, Jesus foretold destruction for the “goat” class but ransom and life for the “sheep” class. It will generally be admitted that the sin of one man, Adam, brought death to all men; but it is equally true that “through one act of justification [on the part of Jesus Christ] the result to men of all kinds is a declaring of them righteous for life.” (Rom. 5:18; Matt. 25:45, 46; John 3:36, NW) These “men of all kinds” are the “sheep” who hear and believe in the ransom merit of Jesus Christ, and who show their belief by their works and way of living. These are the ones who have the ransom merit of Jesus’ blood applied in their behalf, because they recognize its worth and apply for its benefits on the terms Jehovah lays down in his Word.

12. What additional facts show a limit to the ransom?

¹² Carefully note that these “sheep” do not include all men of all nations no matter what their belief or living habits. Indeed not, for we must remember that the primary purpose of Jesus Christ is to vindicate his Father’s reproached name. Likewise the primary purpose of the ransom, in keeping with this, is to enable Jesus to buy out or redeem from the penalty of death men who by their faith and devotion would prove the Devil a liar. It follows that if some men, by their willful submersion in evil and complete disregard of the saving message of the Holy Scriptures, show themselves to be opponents of truth and righteousness, they have no hope in the merit of Christ’s ransom. “That is how it will be in the consummation of the system of things: the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous and will cast them into the fiery furnace.”—Matt. 13:49, 50, NW; Isa. 26:10, AS.

13. How does the Bible mark the selectivity of the ransom?

¹³ The Bible itself is careful to mark the selectivity of the purchase by ransom, saying of Jesus: “You were slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Rev. 5:9, NW) Note that those bought or ransomed for the Christian congregation, the heavenly “royal priesthood,” were “persons” out of every tribe, tongue, people and nation. Entire peoples and nations are not purchased wholesale. Why not? Because they do not qualify for the ransom. It is a difficult thing for an upright man to qualify for ransom because of the great testings of faith involved. “And if the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, where will the ungodly man and the sinner make a showing?”—1 Pet. 4:18, NW.

14. What further Bible record supports the availability of the ransom to all men, but on God’s specific terms?

¹⁴ A similar view of ransomed ones is described in Revelation 7:9, 10, and they come from all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues. Yes, it is God’s will “that all kinds of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4, NW) So he does not discriminate against any in granting them the opportunity to receive life by means of the ransom, but neither does he force the ransom’s benefit upon men against their own choice. He owes men nothing, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” but in his loving-kindness he offers life as a gift, because “it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus.” But men must seek and accept that gift with thankfulness, as did the apostle Paul, who exclaimed: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable free gift.”—Rom. 3:23, 24; 2 Cor. 9:15, NW.

15. How is it that the “great crowd” cannot include all men?

¹⁵ The “great crowd” of Revelation 7:9 are shown as having a favorable standing before God because “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” and hence the ransom merit of the blood has been applied in their behalf. Certainly none of the willfully wicked, of men or angels, are included in this group pictured as benefiting by the ransom. It could not be so, because the wicked do not serve God at all, and yet this “great crowd” is described as “rendering him sacred service day and night.” They are persons from everywhere who have heard the good news and left the darkness of this world to walk in the light; and, as John says, “if we are walking in the light as he himself is in the light, we do have partnership with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”—Rev. 7:14, 15; 1 John 1:7, NW.

16. What “world” did God love that prompted the giving of his Son? And what must each person demonstrate in this connection?

¹⁶ Clearly, then, it was the new world of righteousness that God loved so much that he gave his Son to provide the basis for its establishment by the pouring out of his blood. It is a world now near at hand that will be inhabited by people who accept the free gift of life and who have been released from the condemnation of sin and death inherited from the common father Adam. And it is in this connection that each person must demonstrate his personal desire for application of the ransom merit in his behalf by belief and right works. Here is where “release by ransom” for all men individually is ruled out, because not all choose to serve God and accept the free gift. What, then, is required to come under the release?

17. How was the situation with Abraham similar to that with us?

¹⁷ Well, we must have faith of the same kind that Abraham had and, like him, we must back up that faith with works. Abraham believed Jehovah and ‘it was counted to him as righteousness.’ (Gen. 15:6, NW) Abraham’s faith gave him a good standing before God and because of this he is due for a resurrection and blessings of new-world life, made possible by Christ’s ransom. Paul argues that the expression “‘it was counted to him’ was written, however, not for his sake only, but also for the sake of us to whom it is destined to be counted, because we believe on him who raised Jesus our Lord up from the dead. He was delivered up for the sake of our trespasses and was raised up for the sake of declaring us righteous.”—Rom. 4:22-25, NW.

18. Why does the ransom not fail men of faith in bygone days?

¹⁸ Paul himself and other believers of Jesus’ day laid down their earthly lives sacrificially, because they all died faithful to God. Their faith, like Abraham’s, was counted to them as righteousness with God. It gave them a favorable standing and placed them in position to receive the “release by ransom” and all its benefits then by imputation. Because of proving faithful as Christ’s fellow sacrificers to the death they will receive a resurrection to heavenly life to be joint heirs of Kingdom glory with Christ. To Daniel, who was a man of faith like Abraham, the promise was given that though he died before Christ’s first coming, yet his righteous standing before God would not fail of benefit to him, “for,” said God, “thou shalt rest, and shalt stand in thy lot, at the end of the days.” (Dan. 12:13, AS) Held within the memory of God are all suchlike men of faith, and the ransom of Jesus Christ will not fail them in the new earth of the new world now close at hand.

19. What great choice is before all men today, and what is absolutely necessary on their part?

¹⁹ Today we have approached the end of this old system of things. It marks the time of final warning to all nations, and the close-at-hand complete “release by ransom” for men of all kinds who prove of good will. Before all of us there is a great choice, namely, to accept the gift of God or cast it aside. True to the accurate prediction of Jesus, the good news of the Kingdom is being preached in all the inhabited earth as a testimony. (1 Cor. 10:11; Matt. 24:14, NW) Persons who hear must, before they can ever place their hope in the great blessings of the Kingdom, first exercise faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. They must appreciate the efficacy of his blood in opening up the way to life in that new world. They must be firmly convinced that there is “one mediator between God and men, a man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all kinds of people.” (1 Tim. 2:5, 6, NW, margin) They must confess Jesus Christ as their savior, by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, and seek their approach to God by means of him, according to the way outlined in Jehovah’s Word. This means they must dedicate themselves to him through Christ according to the principles of righteousness set forth in the Holy Scriptures, to be faithful servants of God and show their faith by works.

20. Why are mere expressions of faith ruled out? And what is really required?

²⁰ It means more than joining in an emotional religious “revival meeting,” raising the hand and saying one is saved. It means more than opening one’s mouth to say, “Yes, I believe in Jesus Christ and in his shed blood.” If that were all there is to it, anyone could do that, including drunkards, fornicators, idolaters and murderers. But the Scriptures are plain in declaring that such kind of persons do not qualify for the ransom. (1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:20, 21, NW) No, it means, rather, the development of a new pattern of life and the setting aside of the old. It means conscientious effort to let one’s actions and living be governed by the fixed principles of Jehovah’s Word, and to keep one’s hope and desire established in the new world of righteousness. It means following the advice of the apostle John who said of this present corrupt system of things, “Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; . . . Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:15-17.

21. So what is to be done?

²¹ So do what, then? “Strip off the old personality with its practices, and clothe yourselves with the new personality which through accurate knowledge is being renewed according to the image of the one who created it, . . . let the peace of the Christ control in your hearts, . . . Let the word of the Christ reside in you richly in all wisdom. . . . And whatever it is that you do in word or in work, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, thanking God the Father through him.”—Col. 3:9-17, NW.

22. Can you do it? Why and how?

²² If you do this you will be walking in the light and following a life pattern that will guarantee salvation to yourself. But you say, “How can I do this? Is it possible for me to make such a complete change when all my life I have been trained in the ways of the old world?” Yes, it is possible, otherwise Jesus Christ would not have died to save men of all kinds from all tribes, tongues and nations. And they could not benefit by his ransom if it were not possible for them to change and hew out a new life pattern. So you can do it! Therefore “God, after producing his Servant, sent him forth to bless you by turning each one away from your wicked deeds.” “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the person of Jehovah and that he may send forth the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven, indeed, must contain within itself until the times of restoration of all things of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old time.”—Acts 3:26, 19-21, NW.

23. Where is the starting point? And how is the heart involved?

²³ How will you start? Well, first put aside all false religious ideas you may have concerning the ransom of Jesus as applying to all men. And put aside teachings that tell you all you need do to gain God’s approval is live a decent life and do to others as you would have them do to you. Yes, you must put aside these ideas that you have been taught all your life and you must begin to fill your mind with the correct teachings of the Sacred Scriptures. You must “quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and complete will of God.” (Rom. 12:2, NW) Your mind is where you must begin, by absorbing the truth of God’s Word without false religious adulteration of any kind. This truth will overflow in your heart, too, and it will move you in the way of salvation by prompting right works.

24. If you will not become perfect now, what does this wise course do for you?

²⁴ This does not mean you will now become perfect in the flesh. Nor does it mean that you will be admired by all men who will praise you for your high moral life. But it does mean you will have a righteous standing before God and your service to him will be acceptable; and that the merit of Christ’s ransom will therefore apply in your behalf, because you seek it in the proper way. Your faith will become manifest in your works, and you will take your place with other faithful servants of God, both past and present, and will “enjoy peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have gained our approach by faith into this undeserved kindness in which we now stand.”—Rom. 5:1, 2, NW.

25. What knowledge and confidence will it bring you?

²⁵ In such a position, with continued application of your mind and heart to study of God’s wonderful way of salvation, and of your hands in works of praise, you will be unshaken by whatever comes. (Rom. 5:3-5, NW) You will have full confidence in Jehovah God, being fully aware of his great love for the new world and for those who seek entrance into it. You will take courage in the knowledge that “God recommends his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, therefore, since we have been declared righteous now by his blood, shall we be saved through him from wrath. For if by the trespass of the one man death ruled as king through that one, much more will those who receive the abundance of the undeserved kindness and of the free gift of righteousness rule as kings in life through the one person, Jesus Christ.”—Rom. 5:8, 9, 17, NW.

26. The return to what condition must you guard against? Why?

²⁶ You will not be lulled into a false sense of security in the belief that God must apply the ransom merit of Jesus Christ in your behalf, but you will appreciate that full release by ransom is a marvelous gift and will be received only by men who seek it in the narrow way God has provided. So you will guard against a return to the evil ways and practices of the old world, a willful plunge once again into sin, knowing that only death can result; “for if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and there is a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition.”—Heb. 10:26, 27, NW.

27. What is the key to understanding God’s purpose in providing the ransom?

²⁷ Make no mistake about it, Jehovah God has a very definite purpose in providing the ransom for mankind, and the key to that purpose lies in the vindication of his own great name. The building of a new world, including the starting once again of a human society that will worship him, is part of his purpose in the vindication of himself as the eternal sovereign. This helps us to understand why he arranges for the payment of a ransom by Christ Jesus, for through it a nucleus of men qualify to take part in the “new earth” after Armageddon and in bringing forth children and training them in the ways of God. “For the undeserved kindness of God which brings salvation to all kinds of men has been manifested, instructing us to repudiate ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things, while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us that by a ransom he might release us from every kind of lawlessness and cleanse for himself a people peculiarly his own, zealous for good works.”—Titus 2:11-14, NW.

28. What appearance of Jesus Christ will be both a blessing and a time of trouble? And what examination should be made by every person now?

²⁸ The next striking manifestation of God and his Son, Jesus Christ, at Armageddon, will not be a pleasing one for those who do not qualify for the merit of his ransom. It will be a righteous act on Jehovah’s part, for “it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you, but, to you who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings due punishment upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength, at the time he comes to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder in connection with all those who exercised faith, because the witness we gave met with faith among you.” (2 Thess. 1:6-10, NW) Do not be lulled to sleep by the teaching that God must save all men. He will not do so! But he does make the ransom available to “all kinds of men” who will accept it on the terms he lays down. Examine whether you are meeting those terms, for it means your life.

Letter Regarding “New Heavens and a New Earth”

THE following interesting letter from the twenty-second class of Gilead to the president of the Watch Tower Society is published because of its general interest.

November 9, 1953

Dear Brother Knorr:

The new earth founded 1919! Indeed a faith-strengthening fact to all lovers of truth and righteousness. We, the students of the 22nd class of Gilead, having completed an absorbing study of the book “New Heavens and a New Earth”, are very grateful to the “Giver of every good and perfect present” for this provision and, through you, we desire to express our