Grateful for Redemption

They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ.  Romans 3:24

The Oxford Dictionary defines redemption as, “the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment or clearing a debt.” It goes further by identifying it as, “the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.” For a secular dictionary, they did a pretty good job at wrapping up what God did for you through redemption. Scripturally put, God redeemed you from an eternity apart from Him by paying a debt you owed but could never possibly afford.  

Have you ever received a gift card or coupon for a gift? No matter what the packaging reads or the fancy design imprinted upon it, the rectangle is only a piece of plastic or paper. Not until you surrender the card to the one who created it, does it hold value. Only the creator of the card can redeem the value to the object. The same holds true with God. He created you and assigned value to your life. The value He affixed to you was the life of His very own son, Jesus Christ. 

Showing gratitude for God’s gift of redemption should not be mistaken for trying to pay Him back. It’s a gift and had it not been without an expectation of reciprocation, then it would not have been a gift. Why must you be redeemed? You were born into the original sin of man thanks to what’s called The Fall having occurred in the Garden of Eden. Humanity sinned against God and the result was separation from His presence. It’s what Romans 6:23 calls, death, or life without God – (Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord).

Because of the corrupted nature of man, even the newest born newborn arrives with a corrupted soul It may sound harsh, but those are the facts. And to be completely honest, how much harsher could it be to have wrongfully convicted and murdered God’s very own son? You see, mankind is not kind and without the redemption of the cross of salvation, you are condemned to hell without hope. 

Because you do have hope through Jesus, showing gratitude for His sacrifice on the cross should be your priority. Redemption through crucifixion and salvation is a gift, and the way you feel about the gift (Jesus) reflects your level of gratitude toward the gift giver (God). You can’t repay God for your redemption but you sure can show your gratitude. 

Showing Gratitude:

Show gratitude for redemption by praying to understand the value of a gift that has restored you to righteousness yet has no expectation for payment. Put that revelation into practice by giving a non-obligation gift to someone.