God's Redemptive Love

[setfree]

Romans 3: 20-30 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law; has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jeus Christ to all who believe. There is no defference, for all have sinned and fall short of the the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins comitted beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice and the one who justifieds those who have faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of obseving the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing thte law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumsized through that same faith.

[beloved]

(part 2)

I've been redeemed
by the blood of the lamb
I've been redeemed
by the blood of the lamb
I've been redeemed by the
blood of the lamb
safe and sanctified I am
All my sins are washed away
I've been redeemed

Do you remember singing that song in childrens church or youth group? I do. Did you know what it really meant though? Do you really grasp the fullness of its meaning today? What exactly was it that Jesus accompished by redeeming you? How far does that extend?

Colossians 1:12-14
Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.

In order to redeem something or someone, something had to be owed to someone. In this case the wages of our sin was owed to God. The wages of sin is death (Romans), so the debt we owed was death for sin. This debt is eternal. However, God decided this debt was too much for us to pay because he loves us. So, he made another law which is higher than the law of sin and death. It is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It was set into motion and accomplished by His Son through redemption. Jesus redeemed us from our sins. He paid our debt for us. Now we have the opportunity to receive that payment or reject it.

A good description of redemption is in Colossians 2:14, "And He (Jesus) has taken it (the proof of our sins by lawbreaking) out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

The Websters says this:

Redeem- to buy back, to pay off; to turn something in, as coupons or rain checks and receive something in exchange.

Jesus bought us back from the kingdom of darkness and we were translated into his kingdom. We were sold as slaves to sin by Adam but through the "second Adam" (Jesus) we were redeemed. Jesus paid off our debt for us and on our behalf. We no longer have to pay for the wages of our sins- eternal death. Now we can receive his payment, his redemption of us. It is a free gift that we have to receive by faith. We believe what Jesus did and tell him we receive his gift. It's that simple.

More definitions of redemption are to rescue, ransom, salvation.
Jesus rescued us from our debt of sin. He ransomed us back from death. He saved us.

Redeem, redemption, redeemer, etc. is mentioned many times in God's word. Thank God that he had compassion on us to choose to redeem us from our debt of sin.

Galatians 4: 1-5
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to gardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those that are under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba Father". So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Jesus redeemed all of mankind, who are under the law, because we cannot keep the law. We are all sinners. So God chose to free us from the wages of our sins and make us sons and saints instead.

How far did Jesus' redemption go? How far does God's love go?

Titus 2:14 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. [NIV]

Galatians 3:13-14
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

What was the curse of the law? All summed up it is poverty, sickness/disease, infirmity, the power of sin, and spiritual death. Christ has redeemed us from all of these.

How stable is this redemption?

I. Peter 1:18- 23
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by believing the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Apparently it is imperishable. It's like the song goes: "the blood will never lose its power".

Revelations 5:9-10
And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purcahsed men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

We can see in both Galatians and this verse that the redemption was for all peoples; not just the Jews. In Revelation we can also see that this redemption not only purchased our salvation, but has made us all priests before God to serve him and reign here on earth (male and female). The word men here (and through most of the bible) in the Greek is anthropos- a human being.

What is God's heart toward us? We can see in 1. Peter that God planned to redeem us before he even created the world. His love for us is so massive and intense that "he wills none should perish, but that all should come to repentance". Repentance from what? He wants us to "repent from dead works and have faith toward God"; His redemption through His Son's blood.