Redemption: Your Best Life is Just Ahead
Welcome back to another inspirational moment from historical Christian romance novels.
Ephesians 1:3-8: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
We are getting ready to dig into the Cross Family Saga by Jodi Bayse. Each of her books are centered on redemption. Which is noted in their titles: Redeeming the Swindler, Redeeming the Prodigal, and Redeeming the Outlaw.
Let’s first look at some definitions for redeem. I pulled these from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.
1. a: to buy back: b: to get or win back
2: to free from what distresses or harms a: to free from captivity by payment of ransom b: to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c: to release from blame or debt: d: to free from the consequences of sin
3: to change for the better
5 a: to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby.
b (1): to remove the obligation of by payment (2): to exchange for something of value c: to make good
6 a: to atone for b (1): to offset the bad effect of (2): to make worthwhile.
I must admit when I read through all those definitions, I get chills and I am filled with hope and gratitude. Hope in that Jesus can, will, and has redeemed me from the pit of hell. For that is where I would be without Him. Gratitude for His sacrifice on the cross, for by His blood He has redeemed me.
Let me just sink into the redemption we have through Jesus for a minute because honestly it is mind blowing. Jesus, the Son of God, left His throne in Heaven to live in the squaller of humanity on Earth. That alone is cause for pause.
The Kingdom of Heaven is beyond anything we have ever known or seen on Earth. It’s beauty and riches exceed what we can even imagine. Earth and humanity, in its sin, is like a filthy outhouse in comparison. Why in the world would Jesus leave His throne in Heaven to walk with us, even for a short while.
This is where we start to struggle a little because believe it or not, He left His throne in Heaven because He loves you and me. Yes, the son of God loves you. And how much you wonder? Well, not only did He leave His throne to walk among our filthy outhouses, but He also endured our ridicule, was falsely accused of our sins, took the beating we deserved, and hung on a cross for three days in our place.
And if that doesn’t blow your mind enough, He did it all without wanting anything in return except you and me, even in our filthy outhouse condition. You will never find a greater love than the love you have in Jesus Christ.
John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
We hand Jesus our sins and He gives us redemption so that we may have eternal life in Heaven with Him, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. You won’t find a better exchange rate than this.
Whether you’ve been a Christian for years, or you’re a brand-new Christian, or you’re sitting on the fence; the redemption we have in Jesus Christ is worth pausing and thinking about. Nothing will bring back your fire and zeal for living for Christ than reflecting on Jesus’s sacrifice and the amount of love He has for you; to have left His throne in Heaven and endured the cross, all to freely give you eternal life, if you will just believe in Him and accept His forgiveness.
I don’t know where you are right now in your walk with the Lord. You may have come to know Christ years ago, but your flame has died down to white ash. Or you may be on the outside looking in, unsure if you can trust Jesus with your life. Or you are on fire for the Lord! Wherever you are on that spectrum, my prayer is that you take the time to reflect on the fact that Jesus loves you enough that He died on the cross, took your sins away and redeemed you with His blood. Once you wrap your head around just how much He loves you, you can’t walk away, and you can’t help but be on fire for Him!
If you’re ready to trade in your filthy outhouse for a seat beside Jesus in Heaven, then I invite you to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to live in your heart. It’s as simple as that. From this day forward live your life for Jesus who gave His life in exchange for yours, by living according to God’s word. Your best days are just ahead as you walk with Him.
