He Will Set You Free — Paris Reidhead

Salvation Is Found in Christ, Not in Religious Formulas

You see, salvation is not in a plan. Salvation is not in scripture verses. Salvation is not in ordinances nor a scheme of theology. Salvation is not in decision. Salvation is not in the pronouncement of an evangelist or a pastor or a teacher.

Christ Himself Is Our Salvation and Life

Salvation is a person. This is the cardinal truth of our faith. Salvation isn't from a person only. It is, but salvation is a person. You understand therefore that salvation is Christ. He is our life.

Freedom from the World, the Flesh, and Satan

He is our salvation. He didn't die to send it. He died to become it. The Lord Jesus died therefore to set his people free. Now can you see the folly of a person saying, well I don't want to go to hell when I die, but I'm quite content to be in bondage to the world, to its aims, to its goals, to its interests, to its rewards, and to engage in its service.

Can't you see what a total contradiction of terms this is? How unthinkable it is. And no wonder the writer of Hebrews says, how can we escape if we neglect so great salvation? When God's salvation intended deliverance not only from the penalty of our sin and from the certainty of hell, but it included deliverance from the power of the world, its grip and its hold upon us.

It included deliverance from the power of the flesh, the personality, the nature, the traits of the individual. It included deliverance from the power and control of Satan himself and the demons of darkness.

The Contradiction of Wanting Heaven Without Freedom

And for a person to say, well, all I really want from Christ is just to go to heaven anyway. Why, it's unthinkable. It's incontainable. It can't be. It just can't be that anyone can spur the grace of God and the mercy of God and the love of God manifest in the efforts of his son to set his people free and go on in bondage when he's already paid the price of their deliverance.

A Slave Purchased for Freedom

Years ago, an Englishman had gone out to California, made his fortune in the gold fields, and wanted to go back and live with his own people. So he sent his money by check around back to England and he came overland on the Santa Fe Trail to Kansas City and down to Missouri.

And then the Mississippi and ended up in New Orleans where he was going to take ship to New York and from there to England. And as a tourist in New Orleans, he did as most tourists do, he went down to the slave market.

The Slave Market and the Price of Redemption

Only then, in the early 1850s, there were still slaves being sold. And as he went into the market, he saw a lot of men gathered there and one party was put on and he heard the men as they were speaking about her.

He saw two evil looking men bidding for her, quite heatedly. And then he heard them say what they would do with her. And his heart just revolted against the whole swinish thing. And finally, when they were bidding and the biddings were getting, prices were getting very high and smaller, he just couldn't stand it.

And so he beckoned to the auctioneer and he said, a figure which was exactly twice the last bid, utterly beyond anything that had ever been paid for a slave in that market before. He said, have you got the money?

And he came up and he said, yeah, you got the money. And so the bill of sale was made out. He went over to the block to take the woman that he'd purchased. And as she came down one step and stood just about level with his eyes, she had made a mouth full of spittle and she spat right full in his face and hissed through her clenched teeth, I hate you.

Manumission and the Gift of Freedom

He said nothing. With the back of his hand, he wiped the spittle away. Took her by the hand, walked down the street across this intersection, through the mud down that street till he came to a little office building.

She couldn't breathe, didn't know what it was. He went to the desk, began to speak. The man behind the desk began to protest. He said, I insist, it's the law, I insist. And finally he came back, paid some money and got a paper.

He walked over to the woman and there was like a beast ready to spring on him. He handed the paper out and said, here, here are your manumission papers. You're free. She still hissed, I hate you. Said, didn't you understand?

I said, here are your manumission papers. You are free. She said, I know, no. You paid twice as much for me as they've ever paid for anybody in that block. And you're giving me the, I don't believe it.

Said, yes, these are your manumission papers. And he put them in her hand. And she said, stop, mister. Do you mean to say that you bought me to set me free? Said, yes, that's why I bought you, to set you free.

Freedom Produces Loving Surrender

Tears came up into eyes that hadn't known tears for a long time. They just spilled over. Her face softened and then she slipped down on her hands and knees. And she reached down and put her hands around those rough miner's boots and then laid her cheek down on the toe of one of them.

And through her tears, she sobbed, oh, you bought me to set me free. You bought me to set me free. You paid more than has ever been paid before just to set me free. And then through her tears, she looked up and said, oh, sir, all I want in life is to be your slave.

Bought by Christ to Be Set Free

You bought me to set me free. Listen, the Lord Jesus Christ bought you to set me free. And when you understand that, then it's the joy of your life to come and stand against the door of grace and let him bore through the ear of your heart that you can be a God's slave forever.

He bought you to set you free, not only from hell, but from the world and the flesh and the devil. Oh, come to him, kiss his nail-pierced feet and take from his hand that great salvation that he purchased with his blood.

And remember, he bought you to set you free.