Ever have regrets? Of course you do! We all do! But, can you live with regrets? I guess it depends on how great they are, what consequences have been borne out of those regrets, and the impact they’ve had, or may still have.
And, that’s where redemption comes in.
One of the most noteworthy names of Jesus is that He is the Redeemer, and this is only a glimpse of what that name means.
These symbols probably look familiar to you. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. It’s basically referring to garbage. Waste. Stuff for which we no longer have any use, and has little value to us. But, what if it could be reclaimed for something good? Redeemed, perhaps?
Maybe we could re-purpose these symbols for today… for the sake of this topic…
Reconciled life in Christ.
One keep reality of the redemptive life in Christ is this: we are reconciled. We are reconciled to God the Father through the finished work of Jesus through His life, death, and resurrection. And, that simply means, through Jesus, we have been granted forgiveness of our sins and freedom from the guilt and shame of those sins. Consider these verses from Galatians 5:
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Righteous life in Christ.
However, we are guilty of the sins we have committed, and the sins that we have omitted, aren’t we? We do bear the shame of our sin still, don’t we? Well, yes, we are, and yes, we do… and no, we aren’t, and no, we don’t… Consider this simple, yet profound reality from 2 Corinthians 5:21:
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
This is a mysterious truth. We have been called to a life of righteousness in Christ, made new in Christ, forgiven of our sins, free to honour and obey Him. It is marked by Him transforming our lives through our thoughtlife, our heart attitudes, our actions and responses, our habits, our character and integrity. He, in redeeming us, makes us new.
Restored life in Christ.
A reconciled life means there is no longer any barrier between us and God. And, a life of righteousness means that we’re no longer slaves to our sin. Yet, in that freedom and forgiveness, transformation and fruitfulness, is the redemptive life more than what we have and what we do? Yes, we are! Yes, you are!
Through Jesus, we have a new identity, and it’s marked by a relationship. One that was once broken, and now restored. Consider Romans 8:15:
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”.
John writes about this remarkable change in our relationship with God in John 1:12-13. We are not just worshipers of God Almighty, nor are we mere servants of His. We are, as followers of Jesus, His adopted Children:
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
How amazing is that!
The redemptive life in Jesus is a reconciled life, marked by freedom from guilt and shame, and by forgiveness of sin, through Jesus.
The redemptive life in Jesus is a righteous life, marked by God’s work of transformation of our lives, and by His bearing fruitfulness through us.
The redemptive life in Jesus is a restored life, marked by His adoption of us into His eternal family, in which we have intimacy with our God, and share in an indescribable inheritance through Christ.
The redemptive life in Jesus is a great life!