How often do we feel overwhelmed, forgotten, scared, guilty, hurt, or disappointed, and yet, by the grace of God, we have been redeemed, but how do you experience God’s redemption? All we have to do is participate.
Redemption, defined by dictionary.com, is an act of redeeming, rescue, or deliverance from sin.
For followers of Christ, we know He is our Rescuer.
Ephesians 1:7 states,
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
It Hit Me
The other night I was wiping down my kitchen counters for the evening, reflecting on some of the different aspects of faith and being a follower of Christ. Simple moments can bring such clarity.
The idea came to me (no doubt from the Holy Spirit) that you cannot fully know the power of God’s redemption until you allow yourself to fully participate in the process of God’s redemption.
Jesus is Our Rescuer. He died on the cross, bearing the world’s sins. There’s not a pain you’ve felt that He didn’t also experience. So when we find ourselves lost for one reason or another, we need only to look to Him.
What If I Don’t Believe?
If you are not a Christian, if you had a bad experience, if you’re not sure what to believe, if you don’t believe in any God, or whatever else, I ask you to try participating in the process of His rescue.
God wants a relationship with you. No. Matter. What. Much like if you shut out a close friend trying to help you, Jesus cannot rescue you unless you participate in a relationship with Him. Actively so.
I ask you to try. Try walking alongside Him, allowing Him into your heart, and letting Him guide your path. Unless you participate, you may not experience the greatest joy possible.
This looks like reaching out to someone who does believe for help and mentorship. It looks like praying. A lot. It looks like reading the Bible, joining a church community, and even a church Lifegroup.
How Can I Help?
If you are a Christian, I encourage you to remember that those who haven’t experienced the power of redemption, cannot walk in and live from this understanding. Grace, grace, grace. Remember our call to lovingly help restore the hurt by bringing them to the One who can help, the only One who can.
This looks like inviting people to church or Lifegroup. It looks like praying for them. A lot. It looks like sacrificing your comfort to show them God’s love. It looks like doing what you can to bring them to God.
