In him we have redemption through his blood

[In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.]  ||||We have thought about BEING CHOSEN and BEING ADOPTED. Today we will talk about BEING REDEEMED. What is redemption? It is liberation procured by the payment of a ransom. One of the worst things that has happened in human history is SLAVERY.  The one thing that every slave dreams of is to be liberated from the chains that bind them. Man cherishes freedom and liberty. People sailed from Europe to America for freedom. That is what the statue of liberty symbolises, but soon slavery made a black mark on that great nation.  |||| Many people ask: Why do I need to be redeemed? Why do I need a redeemer? I am not a slave. I do not need anyone to buy me. But, people are enslaved to the world and the flesh and the devil. People are spiritually dead. They are slaves to sin and in danger of being slaves for ever. People look at us with sympathy when we say these things, not realising that they will be slaves for all eternity. Reminds me of the days when we had chores to do on the farm as children. We had free range hens, and it would be my task to bring in the chickens at night and the hen house had to be secured, or they would be killed a fox. But some of the chickens would not want to come in, as they did not know the danger. They did not know that this boy was in the fields looking for them to keep them safe. You and I will find that people will not want to listen. Because the god of this age has blinded their eyes. Those of us who have been redeemed, who have been liberated rejoice, and we want to tell everyone about it.  |||| THE PURCHASER—IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION: If we had lived 200 years ago as a slave, we would have understood that we needed someone to buy us and set us free. Who can redeem us from God’s wrath and from the devil’s grip? Who can do that? People think they can find redemption through religion, or good works, or priest, or church etc etc. But remember, that there is only ONE redeemer. Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the ONLY redeemer. Nobody else is able to pay the price for your redemption. Gal 4:3-4.  |||| Who is the Baby in the manger?  Who is the 12 year old Boy we see discussing the law with the religious leaders? Who is this 30 year old Man with John the Baptist, being baptised? Who is the Man carrying the cross and falling down, who they then nail to the cross and then lift up? Who is this Man. This is the Redeemer, the One sent into the world. There on the cross, He brought liberty for time and eternity. No other name is given in Heaven or on earth by which we can be saved.  |||| THE PRICE—THROUGH HIS BLOOD: Many people hate the thought that Jesus had to become the propitiation for sin, and that He had to shed His blood. But the Bible is clear in Acts 20:28 that this is what happened. In some ways this verse is frightening to me, that I have been called to pastor a church, to care for a flock of people, who have been redeemed, as they continue on their pilgrimage. I am reminded about how important they are to God. They are those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. Col 1:13-14, I Pet 1:18-19, Rev 5:9. The Lord went to the cross and there He purchased the redemption for each one of us by shedding His blood. All that we are, we owe it all to Him.  |||| THE PARDON BOUGHT—THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS: We cannot ever fully understand what it cost our Saviour. But none of the ransomed ever knew / how deep were the waters crossed; / nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed thro' ere he found his sheep that was lost. |||| Redemption carries with it something that is beyond amazing. Not only are we bought and redeemed, but our sins have all been blotted out, all forgiven. Not some, not most, but every last sin has been atoned for. Think about your rebellion of the past, your lying, your jealousy, and hatred. Think of what you were before Christ found you. Your sinful heart that continually flew in the face of holy God. Yet here you stand before Him today, He has chosen you to be His child, who He has adopted into His family, having redeemed you through His precious blood, having forgiven you! About forgiveness: Psalm 103:11-12, Rom 4:7-8, Col 2:13-14, Heb 10:16-17, 1 Jn 1:7-9, 1 Jn 2:12, 2 Cor 5:21  |||| THE POWERFUL FORCE THAT IS BEHIND REDEMPTION—THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE: Why did God want to redeem us? Why did Jesus come and pay the price? Why did the HS come and inform us about the finished work of Christ? What caused this holy God to go to such lengths to redeem us? It was because of the riches of His grace. What an amazing, incredible attribute God’s grace is. Amazing Grace that saved a wretch like me. Paul was amazed that God called him, the very Saul who had gone everywhere to round up believers to be imprisoned and killed. Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:10). It was nothing in us. Only His grace. We were all miserable hell-deserving sinners. But He has adopted us into the family of God, a people whose sins have all been forgiven. |||| Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it! / Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; / Redeemed through His infinite mercy, / His child, and forever, I am.