Redeemed: HIStory for my Life Wrap-Up

Here we are at the end of another study!  I hope you find yourself with a deeper meaning of being redeemed and a clearer vision for your part in God's story of redemption.  As a wrap up, I wanted to go back to some of the questions I asked in the first blog post and answer them.


What does it mean to be redeemed?

It means we belong to Christ.  He has bought us with His precious blood.  In doing so, we have been freed from sin.  Christ is constantly working on us, perfecting us until that final day of redemption. 

Why is redemption necessary?

Adam and Eve sold us out to sin.  (Genesis 3) We were condemned to a life of sin and death.  It's easy to blame them, but truth be told, if not them, then it would have been us.  We are all sinful by nature.  (Rom. 3:23)   Sin separated us from God.  Sacrifices of goats and calves were made but they only put the sin off temporarily.  Eternal redemption could only be obtained by the perfect blood of Christ.  (Hebrews 9:12)   

What does a redeemed life look like?

It looks like the children of Israel standing at the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army behind them and dry ground ahead, choosing to move forward in faith rather than return to a life of complacency. 

It looks like a young boy without fear, slaying a giant with just a slingshot.  Then a man who had an affair with another man's wife, but then came to sorrowful repentance.   

It looks like a child being afraid to sleep at night for fear of dying, and God saving her soul and giving her sweet sleep.  It looks like a teenager questioning God and God showing her without a doubt He's real.  It looks like a young married couple leaving everything behind and trusting their jobs, home and future to God and God providing.  It looks like a Mom with a messy bun, pajama pants, and a cup of coffee pouring her soul out once more so God can fill her up with what she needs for the day.   

The children of Israel were never without, even in the wilderness.  David had some heartache over his sin, but ended as being known as one of Israel's greatest kings, part of Christ's bloodline and a man after God's own heart.  And that child, young girl, wife, and mom - I can personally tell you out of those instances came some of her biggest blessings!  A redeemed life looks like a surrendered life.  

What is hindering us from being free to live the life God has called us to live?   

I think perhaps the more accurate question is as Paul phrased it to the church:  "...who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" (Galatians 5:7)

The who is ourselves; the what is anything we are putting between us and God.  Christ has already freed us from all sin, so if we are holding onto it; it's not because Christ is wanting us to; it's because we are choosing to.  It may seem like the safe thing to do; but in reality it is the crippling thing to do.  It's stealing our joy, our peace, our freedom and the wonderful life God has for us. 

What is God's plan for the redeemed now and in the future?

His plan for the redeemed is to keep molding and perfecting us until the final day of redemption when He will return and we shall live with Him forever.  I think Paul does a great job in Titus 2 summing up God's plan of redemption:  past, present and future.

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.  These things speak, and exhort and rebuke with all authority.  Let no man despise thee.

Friend, I hope you've seen throughout this study the redeemed life is a good life, the best life!  It's not about being perfect.  It's about understanding that He has already conquered and freed us from sin.  It's not anything about our goodness, but it's about His.  God has a plan for us, but we have to get ourselves out of the way.  We have to realize that apart from Him we are nothing; with Him we have everything.  Being redeemed, is about being His.  Allowing Him to use our good, bad and ugly for His glory.  For one day our lives will be nothing but history.  Then once we do, we will experience the incredible journey He has for us - HIStory for our life!

I would love to hear what God has shown you through this study!

“There are cracks in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” ~ Leonard Cohen

The Best is Yet to Come: Keeping a Vision for the Future

"Where there is no vision, the people perish:  but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Proverbs 29:18

I can't believe we are already on our next to last week of this study!  We've looked at the past and our present now this week we will be looking at what's to come.  It's easy to look around us today and the future looks rather bleak but (to steal a line from one of my favorite former pastors:)  "I have good news - I've read the back of the book and we win!" 

As a mom I worry about what the future holds for my children. However, the Bible tells me not to worry or be anxious about anything. So as the redeemed, how do we keep from being discouraged as we see what's happening all around us today? 

Helen Keller said, "The only one thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision."  I often find myself with sight but no vision.  Seeing all that's wrong, but not focusing on my Redeemer - the only one that can fix it.  When I look at my children and other children, I should realize more than ever there is still a cause.  My desire for them, more than anything, is to follow Christ.  What I'm doing today is affecting an eternity - and not just mine but theirs too. 

I absolutely love hymns and love hearing the stories that lie behind them.  One of my favorites here lately is "Be Thou My Vision."  If you aren't familiar with it, here's the first verse:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

 

It was a hymn originally derived from lyrics from an Irish poet, Dallan Forgail.   Dallan was a blind man, yet he had vision!  In a world where all around him was dark, He had God as his light.  He is now known as the best Irish poet of the 6th Century and the words he penned are still comforting and bringing peace to us 1500 years later.  His desire was to see things through the eyes of God.  Can you only imagine what this life would be like if that was everyone's sincere desire?   

As we go throughout our study this week, we will be looking at some truths about our future as one of the redeemed:

1. We are sealed until the day of redemption.  God's plan of redemption is perfect.  As evil as Satan is and as evil as this world may become - nothing can pluck us from His hand.  We are His - focus on that!
2. We are a spiritual work in progress.  God is refining us and will continue to do so until the end of time.  Through the waiting, through the trials, through repentance we are growing closer to perfection through Him-focus on that!   
3. We will go through some trials here - Christ did and we certainly aren't above Him - yet hang in there it's all going to be worth it in the end!   The sufferings we go through down here will not begin to compare to eternal glory - focus on that! 
4. While it's great to think about the end - there's some good times ahead of us here too!  God didn't leave us alone.  We have the Holy Spirit with us to guide us and comfort us -focus on that!     
5. We should be looking for the day when He shall return.  A day when we no longer have to worry about distractions, worry or separations - but our eyes will forever be on Him - focus on that!

Our challenge this week is to spend some extra time studying and meditating on what is to come.  I think in this era of information and technology we are living, perhaps Satan's biggest weapon is distraction.  We get so wrapped up in the frivolous things of this world, we forget eternity!  We spend our time focused on things that won't matter tomorrow.  Don't let Satan distract you from keeping the end in sight.  Let this be a week of refocusing our vision.  When we have a strong vision of our final goal, then we will be able to prioritize and accomplish what needs to be done today. 

Let the Redeemed Say So!

Have you ever been pouring a drink but you aren't really paying attention and the next thing you know that cup has overflowed and the drink is everywhere?  Then you have a big mess to clean up.

 

That's kind of how we are with our own mouths sometimes.  We aren't really paying as close attention as we should be to what we are putting into our heads and into our hearts.  Before we know it, it's been filled up with negative statements, worldly issues, and tangible things.  So guess what spills out of our mouths?  Either offensive words or frivolous comments.

 

 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil:  for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."  Luke 6:45

 

 

I'm writing this on Sunday afternoon and I imagine a good bit of us have spoken of Christ at some point today.  By the time you are actually reading this, it'll be at least Monday morning, if not later...what has our conversation been about now? 

 

We come in contact with our friends, colleagues and strangers everyday and we'd rather talk about our kids, their accomplishments, the latest sports scores, the weather, facebook statuses, any and everything but what really matters - Christ!

 

We look around and we wonder why there is so much hate and so little hope.  I believe it's not because Trump is our president; it's not because Obama was our president; I believe it's because we, as Christians, aren't showing Christ.   The redeemed of the Lord - aren't saying so!  Instead we sit quietly by-maybe out of shame, maybe out of being "politically correct", maybe because we don't want to hurt our friends' feelings.

 

This week our Bible study is entitled, "Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So!"  We will be looking at how we can share God with others, the attitude in which we should do so, and ways we can share Him even more with those right around us.

 

So as we go through this week, I pray that we all will slow down and turn our hearts and conversations toward Him.  May our lives reflect the hope we have found as one of the redeemed.   Let the redeemed say so! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redeemed: Living Free

Ok, friends-it's about to get real this week!  We've been studying about the past:  about God's redemption plan through Christ and about the children of Israel's redemption story.  Now this week - we're going to look at the here and now.  We're going to see what all this means for us today.  Are we living the abundant, free life God has for us?

As I started preparing for this post and this upcoming week,  I knew there were are some sins that are holding me back from living out the life God has for me.  There are some things that hinder me from being completely and totally free.  So because I am a list maker and a planner, I started creating and searching for a "form" of how I was going to "do better" this upcoming week.  Maybe a checklist I could check off?  Well...nothing was really coming together.

Then as I started actually writing this blog post - in a complete different direction - it hit me.  I was trying to figure out a way I could overcome these sins when in fact - Christ already has! 

Freedom comes only through Christ.  It can't come through a case of "do betters".  It can't come through a check off list.  It comes through knowing and surrendering to Him.  My lists are no match for Satan but my God is!

Paul tells the churches of Galatia:

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

Our freedom has been won; that's in the past.  All we have to do today is "stand fast" in it.  We've been released from the bonds of sin - so don't get tangled back up in it!  Sin is a price far more than we want to pay.  It's is a heavy load to carry.  It'll weigh us down and cause us to live far below the life God has planned for us. 

So, if you find yourself worn out from trying to overcome sin on your own, just give it to Him.  He's got this guys.  Whatever it is - big, little or in between - He's already conquered it.  We just need to quit trying on our own, declare the victory through Him, and rest.  

Don't believe me?  Take His word for it:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30 

Rest...easy yoke...light burden - now that's living free!  How do we get there?  By coming to Him, by resting in Him.  That's  our part of the redemption story.  

I started out dreading this week.  I thought it was going to be a lot of work for me.  However, I was going about it all wrong.  It's time to stop fighting a fight that's already been won.  Now, I'm looking forward to a week of seeking His truth, repenting and then resting in Him.