"Redeemed"

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph. 1:7) What wonderful, inspired words that came from our Lord. "We have redemption through His blood." We are not trying to be redeemed. He says we have!!! Redemption literally means "to buy back." What did the Lord have to "buy" us back from? The horrible enslavement to sin and its power. Sin was our master, it ruled our life and separated us from God. Through the death of Jesus, the shedding of His blood, our burial with Him in baptism put us under His blood and redeemed us! We belong to Him not sin.

Our redemption calls us to a holy response to God. The riches of the grace of God toward us, by redeeming us from all the flaws and headlong stumbling, should stir within our hearts a desire and want to respond to the cleansing we have received. Why should a wife submit to her husband as the head (Eph. 5:23)? Because she has been redeemed! Why is the husband called to love his wife and grant her honor (Eph. 5:25/I Pet. 3:7)? Because he has been redeemed! Why should we forgive one another who has sinned against us? Because God, through the redeeming work of Christ's blood, has forgiven us (Eph. 4:32)! Why should we accept one another, even those that seem so weak and struggling? Because of the redemption of Christ, we have been accepted in our weaknesses (Rom. 15:7)! Why are servants called to obey their master, even those who are unreasonable? Because of the suffering of Christ on our behalf has redeemed us (I Pet. 2:21-25)! Why are we to look to others as more important than ourselves? Because of Christ redeeming us, thought us as more important than Himself (Phil. 2:3-8)! Why does God ask us to live our lives in holiness? Because we have been brought into His presence through His Son's precious, redeeming blood (I Pet. 1;14-18)! Why do we need to be moving away from our selfishness? Because we have been given new life, the life of God through the redeeming blood of Jesus (Rom. 6)!

In all these things, we are not called to live with good attitudes and right behavior because we are good people. We are not called to the Lord because we are special above all others. We are called into a loving, right attitudes and blameless behavior because we have been redeemed! We have been "bought back" through the blood of Jesus and that should cause us, motivate us to live for Him. We are free from sin! We are children of God! Go ahead, sing it, shout it but above all, believe it: "Redeemed how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!" Every thing we do, every thing we have been given in Christ is tied to our redemption. It's all a gift and our lives reveal the response to His precious and magnificent gift! How does redemption affect you?