Full Redemption has two parts...

If a thief was offered mercy and forgiven, then kept on stealing from others, that would be a mockery of both mercy and forgiveness. Any court that offered such leniency hopes for a changed life in response, but as the Bible says, leopards can’t change their spots. It takes more power than thieves, judges, courts, and good intentions to do that.

This is why biblical redemption is a two-fold thing involving the price for sin being paid and the power of sin being broken.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

The main OT story that illustrates the payment for sin is when God redeemed His children from Egypt. They were sealed and protected from judgment by the blood on their doors so the angel of death passed over them.Their part was to trust God and obey this strange request.

They were then given specific laws to obey and the promise of a Messiah to fully redeem them. Moses realized this but most did not. While they knew they were His, sadly, the laws only showed them their need for the Messiah. Then when Jesus came, they didn’t recognize He was the One who would deliver them. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11)

Even so, as a man Jesus became subject to the will and law of God in every point, working out a perfect righteousness as our Representative. He did what we cannot do, what most do not even try to do. We witnessed that yesterday at a funeral. The only mention of the Lord was in one line of a song and in a story about skiing where the family were thankful to Him for making it down a hill safely.

However, acknowledging God is rarely evidence of redemption or faith. A person might realize Jesus died to pay the penalty of sin, but this is just part of what redemption includes. The power of sin also needs to be broken. When God sent Christ to die for us, it was so “those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:15–17)

This means a full release from the bondage of sin and no more trying to please God by being ‘good’ and doing good things. This new birth is the power of God living in my heart. It is redemption that gives new life. In other words, the thief no longer desires to steal — this sinner no longer wants to run her own life. To live in sin means I would deny the ownership of God, and think He has no right, power, or authority over me. It is believing the lie that I am wise enough and well equipped enough to do what is best for me without any input from my Creator.

Redemption therefore is not just believing Jesus lived and died, but it is realizing that He took my sin and gave me His righteousness so I can say no to sin and obey the One who created me and gave me Jesus, my Messiah. It is relying on Him to both forgive and cleanse, and that does a total remake of a life that was once only about ‘doing it my way’ and ignoring His way.
This is a sure and certain fact. I am redeemed by His death and empowered by His life. There is no redemption in just believing He lived and died. It must include the reality of His life living in me and making me a new person.

PRAY: Jesus, I begin another day trusting You, worshiping You, wanting to be filled with Your Spirit and thinking of You, talking about You, and doing what You desire for me. Because of You, “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” (Psalm 31:5)

Good News!

 

The good news is simple: Jesus came, God in human flesh to become one of us so He could pay our penalty for sin and set us free from its power — death and separation from God — and restore to us what God desires for us — eternal life with Him.

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5)

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. (Romans 6:9)

It began in a manger, no, it began long ago in the heart of God who sees the end and the beginning. As God says, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of us.” (1 Peter 1:20)

God knew sin would happen, what it would do, and that He would need to come and rescue us. How He did it is a surprise — for He came as a baby, born in a lowly place and greeted by shepherds.

The ending was on a hill, actually that ending only started there where He was crucified, but He did not end His journey from heaven to us when He finished that payment of our penalty. Three days in a tomb and He walked out of it, ate and hugged His followers, then rose from this place and went to where He is now, until that day when He returns — to finalize the work He began — to make all things right — sin and death will be no more.

I am overwhelmed with awe at the wonder of God who did this and who gifted us with Himself. May the joy of Jesus fill our hearts as we celebrate what we usually consider as the beginning of the story and as we look forward to the finale — even though there is no ending — because we have forever with Him . . .