Dear friends, I would like to discuss today the high price ‘to be redeemed’ and what it really feels like ‘to be redeemed’. Everybody in the christian world knows what ‘forgiveness’ means, and the beautiful relief known ‘to be forgiven’. Outside of christianity we can only pray these precious souls will find their Saviour and also feel the precious love of their Saviour and the peace that comes with forgiveness. Without the redeeming love and precious forgiveness of our Redeemer we would be left to die in our sins. But this is not what Jesus intended when He created the universe. Let’s go back to the very beginning and listen in on our Saviour as He lays bare the founding principles of His rule of love.
Before the world began God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit created their covenant, theirs was a government ruled by love, its inhabitants were created free, peace and happiness was the prevailing atmosphere, feelings of discontent and discouragement were not known. However as the angels were created with freedom of choice there was the very real option of dissension. The Godhead knew from the beginning they had left themselves vulnerable, but they were more than willing to face the consequences of possible rebellion, rather than having a kingdom of robots. The Godhead, at the very beginning looked down the path of time, yes, they could see what the world is today and as a Godhead of love clauses were infused throughout their covenant, clauses that would forgive any repentant sinner and allow entry into heaven. According to the law of God “the wages of sin is death” but “the gift of God is life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). I have set apart the word ‘but’ to highlight its importance, it is because of this little word we today can have confidence in the love of Jesus and surety of salvation. See, the Godhead knew it would come to this (our world of sin) and in their covenant placed clauses for every possible scenario, so all have access to heaven no matter their past. But, once again that little word appears – but – there is a price to pay, the wages of sin is death, someone had to pay the price.
Mark 15:25 “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.”
I believe friends, this Bible verse says it all. Jesus paid the price.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Friends, the crucifixion was not in the covenant, God the Father never intended His Son to suffer and die. No-one was intended to suffer or die. But the plan of redemption was established after Lucifer sinned and tempted Adam and Eve into joining him. (Don’t get me wrong, in the covenant made at the beginning of time clauses were included for this situation, but the ‘plans’/details were not established until after Adam and Eve sinned.) The entire human race was doomed unless a sacrifice was made, “the wages of sin is death”. Jesus made this sacrifice on our behalf, He loved us so much He was willing to endure the agonies of the cross to obliterate our transgressions.
Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Let’s delve in deeper and see what this Bible verse really means to us. Friends, I’d like to take you down memory lane, let’s start at the beginning when your time began. The birth of a new life, yours. We are all born into a life of sin, Satan at the moment is the usurped ruler and his rule is sin, but, while we are born into a life of sin it doesn’t mean we are automatically Satan’s child. No, no, no, see this is where the cross came in, we are under the dominion of Satan but via the blood of the Lamb we are a child of the King, King Jesus. Jesus created us free beings, that means we are free to choose whose side we want to belong to and via Jesus’ sacrifice we can choose which ruler we want to serve. But let’s go back to our newborn. Are we, at this precious stage accountable for our actions? The simple answer is no, not at this stage, there can be no accountability at this stage as there is no rationality, no sensibility and little to no understanding or reasoning. A person cannot be held accountable for their actions if they don’t possess any of the above skills or abilities, so at this stage of life a infant is reliant on parental (or substitute) to guide their actions. Until the above virtues are established and full understanding comes our ‘newborn’ is dependent upon a guiding hand. Now in some cases rationalism is deprived and never eventuates, yes friend, Jesus has a clause for this situation also, accountability for actions is judged by Jesus according to each individual’s rationalism, Jesus isn’t going to cast anyone out because the sinful world they live in has caused them to be ‘different’. Jesus loves us all and as I said at the beginning there are clauses for everyone and everything.
So we have established there is no accountability for our actions until we can understand and rationalise for ourselves, but what then? This document friend, is entitled ‘To Be Redeemed’ so let’s take our ‘newborn’ down this road. So, life hasn’t been kind to our newborn now adult, some decisions have been made that haven’t been in their best interest, temptation has been listened to, and our ‘adult’ has found themselves in trouble. Let’s take a look into their lives now, let’s call our ‘newborn now adult’ exhibit A.
So exhibit A is struggling, they have fallen into the pit of Satan’s making. Discouragement and despair are engulfing them and they are groping about in the darkness. Their sin rises above them and they feel the waves crashing over them like a tsunami. Lost in the darkness exhibit A gropes around lost to despair and crushed under the weight of their sins, but suddenly in the darkness they bump into something hard. It’s wood, yes friends, it’s the wood of the cross. With them in the pitch black is Jesus, yes Jesus has been with them all along. Kneeling at the foot of the cross exhibit A finds forgiveness, they find Jesus and like a lightning bolt from heaven the darkness is shattered.
With assurance of forgiveness comes peace, to be redeemed to the sinner lost in darkness is relief unsurmountable. To know of a surety that your sins are forgiven and your place in heaven is secured, to know Jesus loves you regardless, to know you are redeemed is peace to the soul like nothing else. Only people who have been there can fully understand the peace and comfort that comes to the tortured soul, the peace of redemption, salvation. The deeper in the mire the deeper their love for God for the salvation obtained. The cross is for the salvation of all and all are welcome under the banner of Jesus. Friend, it doesn’t matter how deep you are in the mire the cross is a sanctuary for you, you too can be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus loves you friends, please come to Him today, lay your burdens at the foot of the cross and know for a surety you have been redeemed.
The following allegory will help paint a picture and put everything we have mentioned above into perspective.
John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Two boys, best friends, grew up together in a small country town (for ease of identification we will call them boy 1 and boy 2). Entering adulthood they went seperate ways, one boy (boy 1) content to stay in the country town entered his desired profession, married his girlfriend and started a family. He was a Christian and led his family to the love of Jesus. His friend (boy 2) on the other hand wanted the limelight, his friend had a loose hold on Jesus but it wasn’t strong enough and when temptation came knocking he didn’t have the desire to block it. Leaving the country, he (boy 2) embarked upon indulging in pleasures and finding his desired profession. But things for this boy didn’t go as planned, to start with life was fun. The first few years of work doing what he loved was easy to find, and he indulged in his pleasures. But things started to take a darker turn, his pleasures were becoming obsessions, longer and longer he wanted to indulge, shorter and shorter were his working hours, debts started piling up. He was in too deep, unable to withhold his passions and unable to hold down a job, he found himself evicted and lost in a town that didn’t care. His ‘pleasure’ friends quickly moved on not caring if he had a home or not. The troubled boy started walking, not intent on where he was going he soon found himself wandering about lost in the forest on the outskirts of town. Wandering along, the night seemed to close in around him, darkness and despair engulfed him and in desperation he sought a spot to ‘end it all’. The moon was rising and the boy saw before him the opportunity he was so desperately looking for, in front of him was a very deep pond and he couldn’t swim. Moving out to the very edge of the pond the boy lost in despair prepared to jump, but in the moonlight something stopped him. There spread out across the pond was a shadow, yes, it was the shadow of a cross. Looking up into the sky the boy could see the outline of trees with a moonbeam shining through making the shadow of a cross. The boy froze in his tracks, he did remember his mother’s God, maybe it wasn’t too late for him. Retracing his steps he found his way out of the forest and to a public phone, feeling around in his pocket he withdrew his last dime. The phone rang late that night in boy one’s house but it didn’t matter to him, his friend needed him. A late night road trip soon found both friends together, at the local church, both kneeling at the foot of the cross. The boy from town in tears, how good it felt to know there was a Saviour. All his wasted years he was never happy, but too afraid, too stubborn to acknowledge it. Years of darkness and oppression, pressing him down, holding him. Finally he knew what it meant to be free, peace came, yes, the path of recovery was going to be tough he knew, but he now had the strength of the blessed Saviour by his side. His depression, discouragement and despair departed like a sunbeam bursting through the storm. He felt encouraged and for the first time loved, yes, Jesus loved him. The darkness and gloom of the past seemed to lift and at the foot of the cross this troubled boy finally found the love of his Saviour, Jesus had found him and brought him home and nothing could now break his hold on his Saviour. Yes, he had been redeemed.
Come to the cross today friends, give your heart to Jesus today. No matter how deeply you are in the devil’s den friend, Jesus can lift you out. Please, find the cross and come to Jesus today.