Redeemed and Forgiven

The word "redemption" is a familiar word to people in Bible times. One could pay the ransom for a slave's freedom. Through Christ's atoning sacrifice, God redeemed us from eternal damnation! Christ's death (through His blood) is the ransom necessary (required) to free sinners (slaves to sin) from the bondage of sin. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22b) Christ died on the cross once and for all to deliver us from sin and forgive all our sins. He paid the debt we could never pay.

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work of redemption at the cross, we go from death (eternal separation from God) to life (eternal life with God) and from rags (filthy rags of our own efforts to free ourselves) to riches (of God's grace). "Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace yo have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the Heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7) As long as we're still breathing, we will struggle with sin in this fallen world. When we repent and rely on the blood of Jesus Christ, He forgives us and covers us with His perfect righteousness. As believers in Jesus Christ, we can rejoice in the forgiveness of sins (past, present, & future). This is an everlasting comfort to the soul! We are redeemed and forgiven. We are rich (with spiritual blessings and eternal inheritance) and free (from power and penalty of sin).

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for Your indescribable gift of redemption and forgiveness through Jesus Christ's sacrifice! Thank You for the bottomless ocean of grace in Christ You have lavished on me! Thank You for blessing me in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ! Thank You for choosing me before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless! Thank You for loving me and adopting me into Your family!