Redemmed

Some of you may not have heard of the Christian recording group Big Daddy Weave. Yes, you read that correctly. Well, they have a wonderful song called Redeemed. The first verse and the chorus are below.

Seems like all I could see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me
“Son, stop fighting a fight that's already been won”

(Chorus)
I am redeemed
You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain
Now I'm not who I used to be
I am redeemed
I am redeemed

The Scriptures put it this way. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. . .Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ[1].

Do not live as people stuck in the past! You are no longer the slave of sin and death. You have been redeemed. You do not need to crawl like the lowest servant into the presence of the king. You may enter as one of his own children, an heir of the kingdom of God.

If we are no longer prisoners, why do we walk along our Christian journey bound by the chains of our past? We live free. We live victoriously. We live eternally. We live forgiven.

Pastor Craig

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[1] Romans 6:5-6,11

Forgiveness

So, how do we do this whole forgiveness thing? I ask because, like many of you, I really need to know. I ask because I believe that, somehow, the quality of my relationship with Jesus Christ is linked to my relationship to those around me. If I have problems giving and receiving forgiveness with those around me, might I not have problems receiving and understanding forgiveness and restoration through Jesus Christ for myself?

We pray Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Do we believe that? Do we forgive others as though our own forgiveness depended on it?

I think much of the time we just don’t know how to get started. Most of the time, we ask forgiveness for things we do accidentally. Those are easy. We trip and drop a plate at a friend’s dinner party breaking a piece of their china. Our apology is out almost before the plate hits the floor. We offer to buy another one. We go to the store and look for the same pattern, and, even though we are shocked by the price when we find it, we order a new one and take it to our friend because we want to restore the relationship.

However, it seems that we find it hardest to confess our sins when they are purposefully committed against someone else. That might be because they were done with intention. We meant to hurt. We meant to embarrass. We wanted to cause pain. It is just that we don’t want to admit that we are the kind of person who could do those things intentionally.

Mark 7:21-23 says, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these things come from within, and defile the man. It is difficult for us to admit that all these things flow out of our own heart. It is so much more comfortable to blame them on any outside influence. We just don’t want to admit that those things are part of the way we are.

When we ask forgiveness we admit that this is our nature. We show we need forgiveness and regeneration. It is the difference from saying we made a “mistake” and saying we have committed a sin, a hurtful act. Forgiveness cannot begin until we know that we are in need of redemption. However, forgiveness is completed when we accept redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ.

Pastor Craig