Remember Who You Are: REDEEMED
But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! Isaiah 43:1 (NASB)
Good conversations with friends centered around warm coffee or tea become even sweeter if we find a gift card in our wallet! Who doesn’t love gift cards? We each have our favorite kind we like to receive. While my favorite is Starbucks, my husband likes Bass Pro Shops, and my kids love it when they receive iTunes gift cards! Actually, we love any gift card we receive on a special occasion! Redeeming the value of each gift card is always a treat, since we know the price has already been paid for something we enjoy.
The gift to us is free and we are given the power to redeem, or buy back, at any time.
While gift cards are only for temporary items, in Christ your life is eternally redeemed.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 (NASB)
Redeemed from what?
Each one of us comes from a different background and/or culture, and we have our own unique stories.
However, there is one part of our story that is the same.
…but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die. Genesis 2:17 (NASB)
Based on what we can see in the present day, we hold a measuring stick up to our past. People judge stories. We compare our pasts to see whose was the worst, or whose was the best. We all have issues and everyone one of us has struggled with strongholds – some worse than others. Regardless, our stories originated in the same place.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. Romans 5:12 (NASB)
Each one of us has the same sin problem, as a result of the fall.
God told Adam and Eve they could eat from all the trees in the garden, except for one. The serpent deceived them, so they ate the forbidden fruit. It “looked” good to them.
God loves His creation. He forgave Adam and Eve, but they lived with the consequence of sin. They were banished from the beautiful Garden of Eden to live in bondage to sin. Sin is legalistic. Sin controls us. Sin says your are not good enough. Sin compares and sin drives unhealthy competition. We live in the consequence of sin.
But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. Romans 5:15 (NASB)
God loves His creation. According to Hebrew tradition, blood was shed on the alter in order for sin to be forgiven. So, at the perfect time, God bought us back.
On the cross, God redeemed us through the blood of His Son once and for all, so that we may live in relationship with the Father.
He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12
The source of eternal-life redemption is a person, not a program, and cannot be bought with money.
…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB)
And on the cross it was finished…tetelestai Greek (paid in full)
If man had his way, the plan of redemption would be an endless and bloody conflict. In reality, salvation was bought not by Jesus’ fist, but by His nail-pierced hands; not by muscle but by love; not by vengeance but by forgiveness; not by force but by sacrifice. Jesus Christ our Lord surrendered in order that He might win; He destroyed His enemies by dying for them and conquered death by allowing death to conquer Him. A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus’ Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope
May you rest in knowing that in Christ you are alive, free from the bondage of sin, and completely redeemed.
Regardless of where you are…
Remember Who You Are: BELOVED
Remember Who You Are: CHOSEN
Remember Who You Are: KNOWN
Remember Who You Are: REDEEMED
The general religion of mankind is ‘do,’ but the religion of a true Christian is ‘done.’ Charles Spurgeon
Basking in His Light
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