Redemption.
What an incredibly beautiful word with the absolute, most gorgeous meaning.
Redemption.
10 letters.
One word.
And it applies to all the 7+ billion people in this world.
That's right, you heard me.
I'm redeemed. You're redeemed.
We are redeemed.
Here's one thing that you should always know and never forget (and I mean never).
We were created by God and for God. Therefore, we belong to God. We are HIS. Fully. Always. Forever.
And not only are we His people, but we are His REDEEMED people.
We were bought with a PRICE, my friends, and until we understand this we will never fully understand the beauty of this gift that He offers us all- freely and daily.
Jesus paid the price to bring us out of darkness and into the everlasting light.
He endured the pain and suffered horribly what He didn’t deserve- for you and I.
We deserved what He took upon Himself.
We deserved death for our sins and we received life for believing.
We did not reap what we sowed; we reaped what Jesus sowed.
Can you imagine what it was like to suffer on the cross?
He didn't deserve it, but he bore the shame for our sins.
One final breath, He conquered death- for me and for you.
He died so that we could live the lives that we are living in this very moment.
It is by his wounds that we have been healed.
We have been rescued.
We have been saved.
We have been redeemed.
Did you hear that?
We have been RESCUED.
We have been SAVED.
We have been REDEEMED.
And we did absolutely NOTHING to earn this precious gift! Take it with the grace that God gives it to us with. Seriously. Take this gift and hold onto it, forever.
WARNING:
Do not mistake redemption for perfection- EVER. We were not created as perfect people for a reason.
Listen to me when I say this.
Stop striving for perfection.
You are only wasting your time. We cannot achieve something that we were not created to have, or ever be.
When we strive for such an unattainable thing, we become frustrated, even angry with ourselves. We lie to ourselves and make our hearts believe that we aren't good enough.
But you know what? We ARE good enough.
So take off the "failure," "guilty," "condemned" labels and put on something new. Something more truthful, like "redeemed," "restored," "forgiven," "accepted."
If you're going to wear a label, make sure it says "Redeemed." Because that's exactly what you are, and don't you ever forget it.
We are fallen people that live in a broken world, but we are His redeemed people and God longs that we desire Him just as much as HE desires US.
He's waiting.
Yes, we are sinners. I get that. I hate when I sin and I mess up. My heart belongs to God and He deserves all the glory- always. And when I sin, God doesn't get the glory. Satan does. However, instead of allowing Satan to make me feel even worse about the mistakes I've made, I am able to now pick up my shield- and you know what's engraved on it? Redeemed. What you need to understand is that redemption does not mean we are perfect, it means that we are loved with perfect love. This perfect love looks a little something like Jesus taking it all upon Himself, just so we can be healed. Don't allow your sins to turn you away from the love of God. Chances are, you'll stray even more if you do that. Open your heart, pour out your sins to God through repentance, and let Him empty your heart of those things so that He can refill it with His love for you. Let Him heal you.
That's perfect love.
And there is NO greater love than this.
It is this love that we want people to see; an unconditional, unfailing love. The Father's love- for each and every one of us.
No matter how far we fall, this love won't go anywhere. Because God's love has no bounds.
Our story is accepted when we open up our hearts to God.
Know this.
We are no longer rejected.
We are redeemed.
We are set free.
And no matter what-no matter who you are, where you are, where you've been, what you've done or where you'll stray- don't you EVER forget it. Your forgiven past does NOT determine your redeemed future in Christ. Christ has bought you with His blood and has set you free. The chains are GONE, and they aren't coming back! You are FREE.
Jesus LOVES you. SO incredibly much.
You are a son and a daughter of the Most High King! You are loved beyond the SWEETEST of loves.
And believe it or not, with all our mistakes we STILL make Him proud. I know, I can't believe it either.
He conquered death- for me AND for you.
We are His, and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it.
Seriously?! Yep, seriously.
What a blessing.
He is calling you. Answer His call, take His hand in yours, and live your life knowing that you are in the greatest set of hands there ever was and ever will be. You are in the hands of the Redeemer.
We are redeemed.
Believe it.
Embrace it.
LIVE it.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1)
What an incredibly beautiful word with the absolute, most gorgeous meaning.
Redemption.
10 letters.
One word.
And it applies to all the 7+ billion people in this world.
That's right, you heard me.
I'm redeemed. You're redeemed.
We are redeemed.
Here's one thing that you should always know and never forget (and I mean never).
We were created by God and for God. Therefore, we belong to God. We are HIS. Fully. Always. Forever.
And not only are we His people, but we are His REDEEMED people.
We were bought with a PRICE, my friends, and until we understand this we will never fully understand the beauty of this gift that He offers us all- freely and daily.
Jesus paid the price to bring us out of darkness and into the everlasting light.
He endured the pain and suffered horribly what He didn’t deserve- for you and I.
We deserved what He took upon Himself.
We deserved death for our sins and we received life for believing.
We did not reap what we sowed; we reaped what Jesus sowed.
Can you imagine what it was like to suffer on the cross?
He didn't deserve it, but he bore the shame for our sins.
One final breath, He conquered death- for me and for you.
He died so that we could live the lives that we are living in this very moment.
It is by his wounds that we have been healed.
We have been rescued.
We have been saved.
We have been redeemed.
Did you hear that?
We have been RESCUED.
We have been SAVED.
We have been REDEEMED.
And we did absolutely NOTHING to earn this precious gift! Take it with the grace that God gives it to us with. Seriously. Take this gift and hold onto it, forever.
WARNING:
Do not mistake redemption for perfection- EVER. We were not created as perfect people for a reason.
Listen to me when I say this.
Stop striving for perfection.
You are only wasting your time. We cannot achieve something that we were not created to have, or ever be.
When we strive for such an unattainable thing, we become frustrated, even angry with ourselves. We lie to ourselves and make our hearts believe that we aren't good enough.
But you know what? We ARE good enough.
So take off the "failure," "guilty," "condemned" labels and put on something new. Something more truthful, like "redeemed," "restored," "forgiven," "accepted."
If you're going to wear a label, make sure it says "Redeemed." Because that's exactly what you are, and don't you ever forget it.
We are fallen people that live in a broken world, but we are His redeemed people and God longs that we desire Him just as much as HE desires US.
He's waiting.
Yes, we are sinners. I get that. I hate when I sin and I mess up. My heart belongs to God and He deserves all the glory- always. And when I sin, God doesn't get the glory. Satan does. However, instead of allowing Satan to make me feel even worse about the mistakes I've made, I am able to now pick up my shield- and you know what's engraved on it? Redeemed. What you need to understand is that redemption does not mean we are perfect, it means that we are loved with perfect love. This perfect love looks a little something like Jesus taking it all upon Himself, just so we can be healed. Don't allow your sins to turn you away from the love of God. Chances are, you'll stray even more if you do that. Open your heart, pour out your sins to God through repentance, and let Him empty your heart of those things so that He can refill it with His love for you. Let Him heal you.
That's perfect love.
And there is NO greater love than this.
It is this love that we want people to see; an unconditional, unfailing love. The Father's love- for each and every one of us.
No matter how far we fall, this love won't go anywhere. Because God's love has no bounds.
Our story is accepted when we open up our hearts to God.
Know this.
We are no longer rejected.
We are redeemed.
We are set free.
And no matter what-no matter who you are, where you are, where you've been, what you've done or where you'll stray- don't you EVER forget it. Your forgiven past does NOT determine your redeemed future in Christ. Christ has bought you with His blood and has set you free. The chains are GONE, and they aren't coming back! You are FREE.
Jesus LOVES you. SO incredibly much.
You are a son and a daughter of the Most High King! You are loved beyond the SWEETEST of loves.
And believe it or not, with all our mistakes we STILL make Him proud. I know, I can't believe it either.
He conquered death- for me AND for you.
We are His, and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it.
Seriously?! Yep, seriously.
What a blessing.
He is calling you. Answer His call, take His hand in yours, and live your life knowing that you are in the greatest set of hands there ever was and ever will be. You are in the hands of the Redeemer.
We are redeemed.
Believe it.
Embrace it.
LIVE it.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1)