Redeeming Grace
According to the Biblical ‘pattern’, we see ‘repent’ as a directive before ‘the kingdom of heaven is near.’ Repentance, Paul wrote, is a ‘ foundation’ of our faith. Seeing our errors and turning from them is an ongoing way of keeping our relationship to God close. Jesus showed this order: “Repent and believe the Gospel.” Too often, today the Gospel is received without the understanding that departing from evil will be required. (Matthew 7: 21- 27) Perhaps we can look at the ‘first Adam’ and the ‘last Adam’ to better see the picture.
God has given all people free-will. Throughout our lives, the choices remain– will we do right or wrong? When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s directive to not eat the fruit of the tree, something major happened to all mankind. “The disposition of sin entered into the human race by one man,” Oswald Chambers wrote in his book My Utmost for His Highest. This means we all have a tendency to sin, to choose ‘my way’. We are not born holy and saved. Even after salvation, we ‘wrestle’ our flesh into submission to God’s ways, until His ways become our ways. Jesus observed that the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. We can obey God’s will even when it’s difficult. We have available more power than we can even imagine. (the same Spirit that strengthened Jesus to fulfill His mission is ours.) Let’s continue to see what happened when Jesus ‘paid the price.’
My dictionary defines ‘redeem’ as: “to rescue, as from bondage, by paying a ransom; to rescue and deliver from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God’s violated law. ‘Redeemer’ is defined: “one who redeems; specifically the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.” (Preach it Merriam -Webster!)
Jesus explained clearly that: “everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)
We see two kingdoms–one of sin, separated from God, another kingdom of freedom from sin, its power, its hold, its lure –God’s Kingdom.
The cross was more than payment for sin debt. The sin of us all was laid on Christ. That picture alone should make us abhor evil. Death and hell couldn’t hold our Redeemer. The tables turned, justice was satisfied, our Holy God released to all who believe, the power to become sons of God.
Oswald Chambers continues “…The Holy Spirit entered the human race by another Man; (last Adam) and Redemption means that I can be delivered from the heredity of sin and through Jesus Christ can receive an unsullied heredity–the Holy Spirit.”
“…The moral miracle of Redemption is that God can put into me a new disposition whereby I can live a totally new life.” (Paul also wrote of this in Romans 5:17 through chapters 6, 7, & 8)
There is no shortage of spiritual power available to the Christian. The Spirit of God now comes to live in us. Our communication line to God is always connected. Prayer to Him is our very daily breath.
We do well to meditate on the power of being redeemed. This power is more than enough for every person who ever lived to leave ‘darkness’ and walk with God.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say, “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age; while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14)
