[cheekopekman]

Bro, I like your explanation of God buying us back from Satan by analogy with redeeming something valuable from the pawnbroker. I'd like to make another analogy with regard to the redemption of sinners.

Jesus described His death as a ransom, which is referred to the price paid to purchase a slave. In the olden days, someone needing a slave would travel to the marketplace to view a variety of men, women, and children in chains on the auction block. He could 'redeem' the slave by offering the required 'ransom' and take the slave out of the marketplace.

Each and every one of us is born as a slave to sin and death, and Satan is our slave master. The 'wages' he offers for our servitude to him are misery and death. Through Christ's sacrificial death on the cross, however, He has paid the necessary ransom to redeem us from our slavery to Satan and has freed us to serve God and enjoy the wages He offers, which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The wages of sin is eternal death (Rom 6:23).

This illustrates the extent of the sacrifice Christ made to pay this ransom. The only reason Christ was willing to offer this ultimate sacrifice was because it was the only way to bridge the great gulf between God and man. "God and sinners reconciled," as the Christmas carol heralds.

Thank you lah, bro!  Salvation is free of charge to us but it cost the life of God's only begotten Son Jesus Christ lah! When Jesus shouted on the cross, "It is finished!" It means that the transaction is done and God has already paid the price in full for our sins with the blood of Jesus lah!