Life Redeemed

Last week, we celebrated Christ’s resurrection, the victorious climax to His sacrifice in payment for our sins. Because of the resurrection, we are offered salvation, for Christ’s blood redeems us from our captivity to sin.

But this past week, as I thought about the redemption Christ purchased with His precious blood, something else came to mind.

You see, as indescribably important and wonderful as it is that Christ has redeemed my soul, I have found a special joy this week in mulling over the fact that Christ has redeemed my life as well.

Lamentations 3:58 says,

“O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast redeemed my life.”

Not only has Christ redeemed my soul from sin’s eternal penalty of death, He has also redeemed my life. Right now. Today.

Galatians 4:4-6 says,

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that Christ’s sacrifice has purchased your freedom? No longer are we under the burden of a law we cannot keep. Now we not only have God’s forgiveness for our violation of His law, we also have the Holy Spirit, which indwells us at salvation, empowering us with God’s own power to say no to sin and yes to God!

It is a truth that is joyful and convicting at the same time, because, though I am free to obey God, I so often fail to live in the freedom Christ bought for me. How grateful I am for God’s lovingkindness and longsuffering, that freely forgives His foolish child no matter how many times I fail Him!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 is a passage that always reminds me just how much God has forgiven in me, and just how precious a treasure my redemption truly is.

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor coveteous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

What does it mean that God has redeemed my life? Simply this: that He has taken my brokenness and given me His beauty. He has taken my emptiness and filled me with His fullness. He has taken my weakness and given me His strength. He has taken my sorrow and given me His joy. He has taken my despair and given me His hope. He has taken my darkness and given me His light.

In gratefulness for all of this, how can I not live my life for Him, rejoicing to serve the One who set me free!

 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)