Redemption

Church family: Redemption always starts with something really bad, but then God makes that bad into something really good. To understand the majesty of the good in God's work of redemption we need to look at the bad. Every human being of all time has been at one point in their life enslaved to sin (John 8:34). You may be enslaved to sin as you read this. As a slave to sin we served the will of our master, and his name is “Sin.” As slaves to sin, we obeyed sin and followed the will of sin. We were held hostage to sin. We did not have any power within ourselves to escape the “sin master” on our own doing (Romans 6:15-19). Why is it this way? Well, it goes back all the way to Adam. Adam was God’s appointed representative for all of humanity (1 Cor. 15:22). Unfortunately, Adam disobeyed God and his sin was counted as our sin (Romans 5:12-17). The guilt and penalty was also transferred to us as well. This means that we naturally obey the "sin master" because of Adam's sin effect upon us. It was a whole big mess and it still is as we feel the effects of our sin daily. Don't forget, God gets much greater glory with us being in need of redemption than if this had never happened. Why? Because of the “But now…” in Romans 3:21.

"But now," our really bad situation is redeemed and made into something of perfection and righteousness through the work of Jesus Christ. Redemption has come to us through Jesus Christ. We can not be forgiven of sin and declared righteous without Christ's work of redemption.

What is this redemption? Redemption means to be released because a payment has been paid in full. What was the payment needed? A blood sacrifice to atone for the offense of sin. This need for payment was established by God through the sacrificial system in the Old Testament (Leviticus 17:11). All of the endless blood sacrifices in the Old Testament were temporary blood sacrifices for temporary atonement of sin pointing to the last and true atoning blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The shedding of Jesus’ blood was the final sacrificial payment to redeem us from being slaves to sin and death. But now! We have been finally and completely redeemed - bought back - unshackled - hostage price paid in full. God's grace was lavished upon us and we were released from enslavement to sin and death (Ephesians 1:7).

If you are sitting under the yoke of slavery to sin and shame then your spirit needs reminded and revived with the truth of your full pardon through Christ Jesus. You must go to the cross and let your consciousness be filled again with the understanding that you have been fully pardoned by the blood of Jesus.

Does your heart experience joy knowing that you have been fully pardoned and set free from bondage to sin and it's penalty?

Do you get joy from the understanding that God’s lavish grace has set you free from your debt of sin?

We will never experience rest until we understand that we are completely forgiven by God for offending God. God’s established price to release us from the penalty we incurred by our sin was paid by Himself. That is a life-changing, mind-blowing truth. Enjoy it.

Be at peace to today through Jesus Christ's guaranteed work that your sins have been atoned for. Redemption is in Christ.