It’s hard for many people to make sense of Biblical redemption. The idea of redemption seems strange. Redeemed? From what?
So here are three understandings to help you make sense of redemption from a Biblical perspective.
To Make Sense of Biblical Redemption You Must Understand The World Is Broken
Wow! News flash, right? Like you can’t figure that out yourself?
Countries fighting. Political parties fighting. Deadly diseases. Name calling. Finger pointing. Road rage. And everywhere you look, people are uptight, fearful and disconnected.
Yep. The world is broken. People are broken. You and I are broken.
The Bible says that sin causes the brokenness. We’re all guilty of it. And there’s nothing any of us can do to fix it.
The good news is…God could and did.
To Make Sense Of Biblical Redemption You Must Understand It Has A Cost
God fixed the problem with sin. And He offers salvation as a free gift. But it cost something. I’m sure you understand that. Nothing is ever completely free. Somehow…some way…someone picks up the tab.
And in the case of Biblical redemption, it’s God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Why Jesus?
Because the penalty for sin is spiritual death. Which is separation from God. And since God’s standard is perfection, the sacrifice must be perfect. And Jesus Christ–the only one to live a perfect life–is the only one who qualifies.
You Must Understand That Biblical Redemption Involves A Transaction
So to make sense of Biblical redemption you must understand the general meaning of redemption. It is the payment that secures a release.
For example, when you shop with a product coupon, the store cashier takes the coupon in exchange for the product. In other words, The cashier redeems the coupon.
And Biblical redemption works the same way. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself…died in my place…to redeem me. And you too.
At the same time, many people believe in Jesus. That he’s the Son of God. And he died for our sins. But belief alone is not enough.
You must complete a spiritual transaction.
Isn’t that how you redeem a coupon? You don’t tell the cashier, “I believe I can redeem this coupon for that product, but I’m keeping it instead.”
No, in order to receive the product you must make a transaction. Exchange the coupon for the product.
Biblical redemption requires the same thing. Thus, you make a transaction with Jesus. Receive his gift. And commit to following him.
That’s when you are redeemed. And your life changes forever.
You can reclaim your heart for God. Or maybe claim it for the first time. Sure you’ve messed up. We all have. And David who killed Goliath messed up too. Big time. And yet, scripture says David had a heart for God. So if David reclaimed his heart for God, there’s hope for all of us. Here are three steps to reclaim yours.
To Reclaim Your Heart For God You Must Recognize Its Condition
Is man basically good or evil? You can argue it either way, right? There are many examples of both. The Bible, however, simply calls us sinful. In other words, we have the capacity for both good and evil. Isn’t that what we actually see in the world?
Sin is the heart condition that separates us from God. And we all sin. Lying, cheating and stealing are just a few obvious ones. There are many other things we do as well. Also things we say and even think about. Seriously. Do I have to spell them all out for you?
The point is, when you let sin rule your heart, you act in all kinds of…well, sinful ways. But you don’t have to let sin rule. You can invite God’s Spirit to rule instead.
To Reclaim Your Heart For God It Must Be Transformed
It was a time after defeating Goliath that David committed adultery and then committed murder to cover it up. Two more examples of sin. But when confronted with his wrong doing, he confessed his sin and repented before God.
Confession and repentance open the door to transformation. Why? Because when you confess and repent, God forgives. Simple, but not easy. Because confession and repentance require humility.
And that means taking responsibility for your actions, rather than make excuses and blame someone or something else. That’s what David did. And we all have to do too. That’s when your heart is transformed.
Transformation doesn’t happen because of what you do, but what God has done. God’s forgiveness wipes the slate clean. Makes you new from the inside out. Lets you start over. And reclaim your heart for God.
Your Reclaimed Heart Must Be Guarded
When you reclaim your heart for God, it’s not one and done. Because sin is persistent and pervasive. And there’s a spiritual enemy seeking to drag you down. And relentless on his spiritual attacks.
That’s why even though God transforms your heart, it quickly and easily fills back up with sin. And so you must sincerely and regularly repeat the whole confession and repentance process.
You have to guard what you let into your heart. And manage what stays there. Play defense and offense. By also pursuing a life that moves towards God, rather than away.
As you reclaim your heart for God, you also reclaim a life of purpose, meaning and eternal significance.
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