Redemption

We’ve all done something stupid that has left our jaws wide open and every time you’d look back you’re left wondering was that really me or did aliens invade my mind? It wasn’t me, they made me do it! I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been in a place or position that we needed someone to come and rescue us. It could be a situation which we brought upon ourselves through careless means or even a situation where you thought innocently “what could possible go wrong here?” and you didn’t think it would need any rescuing, but somehow it did, such is life really. 

I love reading the Bible which has many books written by different authors and one book that relates to me especially when am struggling with something, is Romans chapter 7. Here, Paul is real, so to speak and talks about real life struggles that we go through as Christians. Romans 7:15 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Haven’t we all being here? like the struggle is real people! Knowing what you’re supposed to do, verses doing what you ain’t supposed to do, that’s basically life as we know it. What is the one thing that you are struggling with? Pride, lying, gossiping, adultery & fornication? Have you talked to your Heavenly Father about it? One of the lies that the devil keeps whispering in our ears is that once you’ve sinned God doesn’t want anything to do with you. And so, we walk around with guilt and shame like they are our trophies around our necks.

Our Heavenly Father is someone that you can talk to, and He created that path when He sent His only Son to die on the cross on our behalf. Jesus is our mediator “for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” 1Timothy 2:5. You need not be afraid of being vulnerable to God with your struggles, after all He knows them doesn’t, He? But He takes pride when we have a relationship whereby, we tell Him, ‘Lord, I am struggling with 1, 2 or 3. I feel like when we become aware of our struggles and clearly bring them to light, then we can deliberately fight to overcome our flesh and all it brings. 

Sin creates an environment whereby it wants us to latch onto it and we all know what happens when we harbor and latch onto something – it grows and becomes part of us. You know very well that watching pornographic content is wrong and no matter how old you are, it will get you hooked on it like a drug! But still here you are watching then praying for forgiveness afterwards. We each have our own share of struggles, some that are so embarrassing that we don’t even have the guts to share with anyone – only God knows! 

When my youngest son was about 1yr 8months, he had developed a habit of observing what everyone does, and he would copy and do it. it’s like he knew which habits were right and which ones were wrong. Before he did something that was wrong, he would give you a cheeky look and while you’re still lost in his smile, he’d throw something down the stairs, who does that? It’s like he had premeditated in his mind he was going to trick me and all he needed was a smile. He knew it was wrong, but he was all smiling before he did it. I tend to think we’re just like children, knowing all the rules of the game but still we fall into sin time and time again. 

Everywhere around us, were surrounded by opportunities that can lead us to sin, whether at home, school, work, it simply doesn’t matter where you are, we cannot hide from sin. We’ve been given a mind that decides and chooses the decisions it makes, for every action, there is a re-action and as Cindy Trim writes in her book, The 40 Day Soul Fast Journey to Authentic Living, “whatever you focus on today, you give that thing permission to exist tomorrow.” In as much as we cannot hide ourselves in a cocoon and wait for all the evils in the world to end, we got to live and in our living, we have to make decisions to choose right over wrong. 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”, Romans 3:23. Just so you know, the Bible did say, ALL have sinned, meaning every single person in this world has done something that goes against the will of God. Verse 10 of the same chapter also emphasizes this point by adding, “There is no one righteous, not even one.”Does that mean that we’re doomed? No, not at all, there’s hope, there’s a way out of all this sin madness and that way is Jesus Christ. Yes we’ve sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, but, we are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came through Christ Jesus. 

To redeem means, ‘to compensate for the faults or bad aspects of someone,’ meaning yes we have sinned and fallen short, but we have being justified (show or prove to be right), by God’s grace (courteous good will) through the redemption of Christ Jesus. Wow just wow! I don’t need to go through life feeling hopeless and wondering what is the way forward. Instead, I walk by faith and not by sight, I make the right decision every minute and when I fall short, I don’t dwell in sin, but rather confess my sins unto God who is gracious and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. No one ever goes through life without sinning, Jesus is the only righteous and blameless one – The First Born of all creation. This should therefore not give us the warranty to continue sinning, but rather, to realise how much God loves us and wants us all to Himself. And because His promises are yes and amen, every word, every promise written in the Bible will come to pass and one of those promises is the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You’ve being redeemed and set apart, the only thing that you have to do without even moving a muscle is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, confess with your mouth that He died and rose again, and you will be saved. How cool is that? 

Salvation through Jesus Christ is our redemption in a world full of sin, so today if you hear his voice, harden not your heart, receive Him and He will come in and He will never leave you nor forsake you. And when the promise of He’s second coming is fulfilled, The King will say, “well done good and faithful servant! you have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Run to your Father and fall into His loving arms, you don’t need to hide anymore, give Him your heart and allow Him to work in you for He is your Father and your Friend. 

Make the choice today and be redeemed through Jesus Christ, He’s already made the sacrifice for you, therefore you don’t need to go through life with guilt and shame. And when this life is gone, do you know where you will be going? I know where I am going, Jesus is Lord over my life. 

Blessings!!