It is said that Sir William Curtis gave the educational world the phrase "The Three R's." When asked to give a toast he said, "I will give you the three R's, Riting, Reading, and Rithmatic."

All of mankind was lost and held in the bondage of sin. God had predetermined salvation for those who would desire it. In order to provide this salvation, He gave to the lost world His three R's, Redeemer, Ransom, and Redemption. Just as the three R's form the foundation for the education of an individual, God's three R's form the basis that enables Him to liberate man from his sins. A brief scriptural study will enable the interested person in acquainting himself with God's three R's and encourage him to utilize them in his own spiritual life.

If one is enslaved and desires freedom he must have a redeemer. A redeemer is one who buys out. Vine's Dictionary reveals that it is used "especially of purchasing a slave with a view to his freedom." A slave to sin could save all the material things in this world and yet would be lacking sufficient funds to purchase his own freedom from sin. Jesus came as the sinner's redeemer. His being, because of its eternal spirit, Hebrews 9:14, had the value to purchase the sinner from his bondage and give to him his liberty from sin and its enslavement. While the word "Redeemer" is not found in The New Testament it is used in Job 19:25 with apparent reference to Christ. In Romans 11:26 Jesus is referred to as "the Deliverer." However, this word has in it the idea of "rescuing from" and not actually "buying out." Nevertheless, we have been purchased by Christ. I Corinthians 6:20. Jesus is the redeemer that paid the price for us.

This is God's next R. What Jesus paid for us is called the ransom price. He stated that he came "...to give his life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28. His life was the ransom price. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:." I Peter 1:18-19. To whom this price was paid is a matter of speculation. Was it paid to Satan? To Death? To Evil? or to some other power? We just do not know. All we know is that this price had to be paid for our sins in order for God to be just and righteous in forgiving us. So, perhaps, we could say it was paid to justice and righteousness. Romans 3:24-26. In I Timothy 2:6 it is suggested that this price was paid for all men. However, this does not mean all men are automatically delivered from the bondage of sin. There must be an acceptance of and an actual deliverance.

This actual deliverance is called redemption in the Scriptures. There can be a redeemer who pays the price for deliverance. Yet if the slave does not accept this freedom he remains in bondage. From time to time I read of prisoners who have spent so much of their life in prison, that, after they have paid the price to society for their crimes, they still do not want to go out and live in freedom away from that which has been their prison home for so long. The redeemer only pays the price with a view deliverance. Some have lived in the prison 0 sin so long they refuse to accept the freedom offered them in the word of God. John 8:31-32. These three R's form much of what is called the grace of God.

Grace means favor. In this case it refers to the unmerited favor of God. In other words the three R's were given to man without man doing anything to deserve them. Roman 5:6 declares this. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." All had sinned. Romans 3:23. Therefore Christ died and paid the price for all. I Timothy 2:6. It now follows that either all men are going to be saved or this grace is conditional and you cannot be saved until you do certain things. Simply put, since the Bible teaches more people will lost than saved, Matthew 7:13-14, the grace of God must be conditional. Condition. do not destroy the grace or unmerited favor. In 2 Kings 5:1-19 there is a case that illustrates this. Naaman was a leper. He thought the gold, silver, and raiment would be enough to purchase a cure. However, God's man would not accept this. Elisha told him through a messenger, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." Naaman finally consented to do this and was healed. Do you see how Naaman experienced the grace of God even though he had conditions to obey? Conditions do not destroy grace. When Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," Mark 16:16, Re gave two of the conditions for being saved by the grace of God. Furthermore, baptism puts one into Christ, Romans 6:3; Galations 3:27, where redemption is. Ephesians 1:7. If a man says that baptism destroys the idea of being saved by grace then that man would also have to say that Naaman's dipping in the Jordan river seven times also destroyed the grace of God in his healing. How foolish can one be? Now, when the sinner has performed the conditions explained to him in the gospels, Romans 10:17; Luke 13:3; Romans 10:9-10; and Acts 2:38, he is then justified and set free from sin and its bondage in agreement with the grace of God. Ephesians 1:7.

Since all have sinned, all are guilty. To possess and enjoy freedom a person must be acquitted of this guilt and stand righteous and free from any stain of sin in the presence of God. That is what God does when he justifies the sinner. God declares the sinner as being justified only when he comes into Christ through the conditions mentioned above. Justification is closely related to redemption. Romans 3:24. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." A person can stand justified before God in two ways: 1. By keeping all of God's commands perfectly, having never sinned, and 2. By being forgiven of all sins and declared guiltless by God Himself. Sinner friend, look at your life. Don't you think it is time you came to Jesus to be redeemed and begin receiving the blessings from these three spiritual R's?