Before you read the rest of this, please do me a favor. I want you to take as much time as you need and ask yourself/contemplate this question.
“Have I been redeemed?“
Once you have your answer you can keep on reading 🙂 no cheating!
To start off, I would like to share an experience I have recently had.
My team arrived in Jeffrey’s Bay only 3 days ago after a long 25 hours of traveling. Almost immediately, we were sent to an educational weekend summer camp facilitated by the South African government. Although the campsite was typically used for Christian events, because it was government facilitated,
we were not able to speak about God unless a camper initiated the conversation.
Initially hearing this, I was extremely discouraged. I was exhausted from traveling, frustrated all my luggage was stolen and did not really understand the purpose of being at a camp I could not even talk about God at.
Quickly, God revealed to me that he had FAR greater plans than I could ever make on my own. Gospel centered conversations began to form all around me. A few ways these conversations began include: “Why are you in South Africa?” “What do your tattoos mean?” “Why don’t you ever say bad words?” “What is quiet time?”.
These conversations proved as a reminder that God can use us in ANY circumstance. Simply our actions can be a way of sharing the gospel. Standing out, being different, not conforming, being kind, loving each-other.
This encouraged me to ask a fellow counselor, Llewellyn, how I could be praying for him. He replied, “I feel really distant from God. I used to have a good relationship, but don’t really have that anymore.”
The next morning my sweet teammate, Veronica (Ronni), and I were able to spend an hour at a coffee shop simply reading God’s word and encouraging one another.
Upon returning, Llewellyn, asked us where we had been. Ronni and I each shared what scriptures we were individually reading and learning from.
HE WAS SO INTERESTED
We asked him if he’d be interested in doing a bible study with us if given enough free time.
AGAIN, HE WAS SO INTERESTED
So yesterday: Ronny, Llewellyn and I walked to the beach and sat right on the shore with our bibles. We began by simply asking the Holy Spirit to be present and to guide our conversations. We then discussed what scripture to read through. Llewellyn said he wanted to learn about something new, so we decided to go through my favorite book of the Bible: Ephesians.
We went verse by verse and discussed meaning, thoughts, and any questions.
Then we came to verse 7 of chapter one.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”
I actually have a tattoo on my arm that reads “Redeemed” in Greek inspired by this verse.
Through this, God was able to use my testimony to share with Llewellyn about redemption in Christ. I was able to tell him my story, what redemption really means to me, and how I came to have a deep relationship with God.
Eventually, I felt led to ask “Llewellyn do you believe you’ve been redeemed?”
He quickly said no.
My heart broke. See, Llewellyn had grown up in a Christian home, went to a private school, worked as a camp counselor, but had NEVER been told that redemption was free. WHAT?
Redemption is NOT something we need to work for. It is free. Simply trust in God. Devote time praying to him. Love others because of him. Love yourself because of him.
We get to wake up each and every day with a clean slate because we have ALREADY been redeemed.
Christ paid that price for us on the cross and because of that we don’t have to do good deeds to be loved. We are freely and graciously loved and forgiven.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
I told Llewellyn this. And he cried.
He finally realized he didn’t need to work to be redeemed. He didn’t need to be perfect. He didn’t need to hide from God.
He realized he IS loved by God, he IS seen by God, he IS forgiven.
My favorite part of this entire time was after Ronni and I prayed over him, Llewellyn began to pray aloud for himself.
He thanked God that he doesn’t have to work for perfection, he thanked God for placing us in his path, and he told God he wanted a deep relationship with him.
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So, now I want you to think back to your answer about redemption.
If you said yes, I hope you see this story as an encouragement and reminder of God’s faithfulness.
If you said no, I pray you realize you only need to believe in him and trust in him. No work is to be done.
As I type, I am praying the following verses from Ephesians over anyone reading this blog.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:16-19
