As followers of Jesus Christ, we are the amazing beneficiaries of God's redemption. We have literally been "bought back" or "redeemed" with a price - which is the blood of Christ. According to the Bible, we all deserve death. It is a just payment for the sin that separates us from God. However, God in His great glory and grace has paid for us the debt of sin. Not only for us but for all who will believe and trust in Jesus' provisions made through the cross. It is because of Jesus we sing and proclaimed, "I have been redeemed!"
But even though there is a "once and for all" redemption of what Jesus did on the cross, I constantly find myself in need of redemption. I need redemption from my bad choices. I need redemption from the difficulties I face. I even need redemption from my persistent worldly nature.
It is strangely comforting to read and know the whole stories of the great men of faith in the Bible. Those we think of - Abraham, Moses, David, etc. - when we think of faith and obedience to God - also are great examples of what it means to be human. In a peculiar way, it gives me hope for my life.
Moses - the humblest man that ever lived, follower of God, leader of Israel - was disqualified from entering the promised land because of a simple act of disobedience. David - a singer of praises, a beloved king, a man after God's own heart - even continued to make sinful choices into his old age and yet God, His Redeemer, watched over him.
I thank God for the redemption provided by Jesus and the cross. I am a walking dead man without it (and in some respects, even with it). But I also thank God for the continuous redemption He provides when I make poor choices, bad decisions, and choose selfish directions in life. I am glad that God is still in the business of redemption - He has saved me. But I am also glad that He is in the business of on-going redemption - He is patient in helping to mold me into the image of His Son, Jesus.
I believe with all my heart that God desires to see eternal redemption through Christ for every living soul. And I believe that when we allow that first and ultimate act of redemption to occur - the covering of our sin and self by Jesus' blood - we can truly begin a process that He continually "redeems" us from our selves to be conformed to His glorious image.
I guess I'm saying that I am thankful for His "once and for all" redemption as well as His continual redemption process.
Amen.
But even though there is a "once and for all" redemption of what Jesus did on the cross, I constantly find myself in need of redemption. I need redemption from my bad choices. I need redemption from the difficulties I face. I even need redemption from my persistent worldly nature.
It is strangely comforting to read and know the whole stories of the great men of faith in the Bible. Those we think of - Abraham, Moses, David, etc. - when we think of faith and obedience to God - also are great examples of what it means to be human. In a peculiar way, it gives me hope for my life.
Moses - the humblest man that ever lived, follower of God, leader of Israel - was disqualified from entering the promised land because of a simple act of disobedience. David - a singer of praises, a beloved king, a man after God's own heart - even continued to make sinful choices into his old age and yet God, His Redeemer, watched over him.
I thank God for the redemption provided by Jesus and the cross. I am a walking dead man without it (and in some respects, even with it). But I also thank God for the continuous redemption He provides when I make poor choices, bad decisions, and choose selfish directions in life. I am glad that God is still in the business of redemption - He has saved me. But I am also glad that He is in the business of on-going redemption - He is patient in helping to mold me into the image of His Son, Jesus.
I believe with all my heart that God desires to see eternal redemption through Christ for every living soul. And I believe that when we allow that first and ultimate act of redemption to occur - the covering of our sin and self by Jesus' blood - we can truly begin a process that He continually "redeems" us from our selves to be conformed to His glorious image.
I guess I'm saying that I am thankful for His "once and for all" redemption as well as His continual redemption process.
Amen.
There was and will only be one perfect man .. who among us doesn't live with regrets, make selfish choices and bad decisions and stray off "the path" despite our best efforts? My own view is that the more you attempt to "do" with your faith-life .. the more you seek out opportunities to put your faith into action .. all the more will be the instances when you fall short of what Jesus would have done in the same situation. In his worldly ministry .. Jesus was a man of action and I absolutely believe that God expects us to live our faith pro-actively and interactively .. engaging the world as it is and making our best attempt to recreate it in a Kindgom context. The frailty of the human condition guarantees that we will fall short on a regular basis .. but I also think God expects this and watches to see what we do when we are less than we should be on his behalf .. and how we change and grow moving forward ...
ReplyDeletehttp://vimeo.com/45082610
ReplyDeleteJust discovered this discussion on Vimeo .. outstanding .. very impressed and inspired by Tony Merida as well .. he's quite a warrior for Christ ..