Bounty

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-7

I know that a ransom and a bounty are not really the same thing but I am going to treat them as such. Jesus paid the bounty for our  wayward hearts to be turned to God. No one in this world is forced to turn their hearts around and give them over to God. Yet He still paid the bounty for us. And once we accept the gift the bounty becomes the ransom, or the retribution for our sins.

After I accept the payment I can live on in this world the way I want to. God would hope that it would be in a manner that is pleasing to Him, but He still doesn't "force" that on us. Paul says...

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6: 1-4

We should want to live a life that is pleasing to God, in honor of the unimaginable gift that was given to us.  I lived a season away from God, He wasn't the one who "left", I was! I knew He was still right there with me, and I knew He saw me, I even prayed to Him sometimes. I just didn't live a life even remotely pleasing to Him or myself for that matter. It wasn't that I was living terribly bad, I just was not where I needed to be with God. I let my relationship with Him fall away.

My life today is still not where I would like it to be in regard to Christ, I am working on it. I am trying to live a life that is worthy of the sacrifice that was made, even though I don't have to and could never meet the requirements. That is why Christ paid the bounty and my retribution for me! I am so Thankful He did!

Thanks for Reading. God Bless You All!