These past few weeks have been teaching me about the definition of true redemption found in Jesus Christ. Growing up I was taught about forgiveness and redemption, but the culture of the church would contradict the true meaning of redemption. I believed that, yes my sins are forgiven, but ultimately my sins leave a stain on me even after they are cleaned by the blood of Jesus.
I saw myself as a dirty rag and when Jesus came He washed me, but He still left me stained: stained with my many sins that I thought no one could ever overlook. Stains that made me undesired by God and everyone else around me, but the bible does not say that sins are just cleaned, it says,
“Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” Eph 1:4-7
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Cor 5:17
“assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Eph 4:21-24
WE ARE COMPLETELY BLAMELESS, NEW AND REDEEMED!
How cool is that? Jesus didn’t come just to clean our sins, He came to completely abolish the dirty rag and turn us into beautiful white satin cloth. We aren’t just cleaned, we are made new, THANKS GOD!
“so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” Eph 2:7-8
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Gal 5:1
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Cor 12:9
This is amazing, God loves us so much! No matter how far gone I feel, He has amazing plans for me.
Saul dedicated his life to killing Christians, his goal was for our extinction, but God turned him into a warrior for the Christian church. God went on to use Paul to write 13 books of the bible, WHAT? That’s so amazing, Paul was made so new that God even changed Paul’s name, LIKE WHAT? We have that kind of redemption and potential in Christ, THANKS GOD!
To think that I used my mistakes as a reason to not serve God, when God can’t even see the mistakes I’m holding against myself.
I want to leave you with this, are you going to let the stains that Jesus abolished on the cross hold you back or are you going to live in the truth that you are 100% new and redeemed and go on to do extraordinary things for the kingdom?
