WHAT IS THE RANSOM?

Put simply, the ransom is Jehovah's means to deliverer, or  save, humankind from sin and death. (Ephesians 1:7)  To grasp the meaning of this Bible teaching,we need to think back to what happened in the garden of Eden. Only if we understand  what Adam lost when he sinned can we appreciate why the ransom is such a valuable gift  to us.

When he created Adam, Jehovah gave him something truly precious-perfect human life.  Consider what that meant for Adam .  Made with a perfect boy and mind, he would never get sick, grow old, or die.  As a perfect human, he had a special relationship with Jehovah.  The Bible says that Adam was  a "son of God."  (Luke 3:38)   So Adam enjoyed a close relationship with Jehovah God, like that of a son with a loving father, Jehovah communicated with his earthly son, giving Adam satisfying assignments of work and letting him know what was expected of him.-Genesis 1:28-30; 2:16, 17.

 Adam was made "in God's image." (Genesis 1:27) That did not mean that Adam resembled God in appearance. As we learned in Chapter 1 of this book, Jehovah is an invisible spirit. (John 4:24)  So Jehovah doe snot have a body of flesh and blood.  Being made in God's image meant that Adam was created with qualities like those of God, including love, wisdom, justice, and power. Adam was like his Father in another important way in that he possessed free will.  Hence, Adam was not like a machine that can perform only what is designated or programmed to do. Instead, he could make personal decisions, choosing between right and wrong. If he had chosen to obey God, he would have lived forever in Paradise on earth.

Next time: Conclusion of WHAT IS THE RANSOM? 

From the Book: What Does the Bible Really Teach? 2005 and 2006