Redemption

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Ephesians 1:7

The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness. That is an amazing statement. It is only through His blood that we are cleansed. Did you notice that? Cleansed. Not covered over. Not cleaned up. Cleansed. Our sins are removed from us. We are clean. We are white as snow.

This passage today talks to us of redemption. What does it mean to redeem something? Good question. When I was younger (and now I am going to date myself), my parents collected S & H Green Stamps. We got them every time we went grocery shopping. As a little boy, I wondered, "What's the big deal about those little green stamp things?" I would see my parents collect them and collect them, and then some evening, they would sit at the kitchen table, and put them all into these little books. Then they would gather all of the books, and take them to a store called, oddly enough, the "S & H Green Stamps" store. They would take them in, and redeem them for "stuff." Things that could be used around the house like kitchenware, dishes, things like that. My parents exchanged something they had, for something they didn't have. It is the same principle our monetary system is based on. You redeem currency for goods.

So what is the principle of redemption, as it pertains to our spiritual condition? Another good question; so glad you asked. Jesus gave what He had: His sinless, perfect life; His blood. He gave His blood, what He had, to exchange it for something He didn't have: you and me. He didn't have us because we were separated from God by the sin in our lives. You and I were separated from God when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. Through Adam we have in us a sin nature that keeps us separated from God, except for our redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. When we are born again, which means we are born of the Spirit of God in our spirit (born of the flesh when we were born from our mother-born again when we are born of the Spirit), then we are redeemed unto God. Our sin has been cleansed from us, removed from us, and we are a new creation. Not an old one that has been cleaned up, but a NEW one (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have been redeemed! That is such good news for us!

Beloved, I am going to list some verses on the blood that you can look up on your own and read.
Ephesians 2:13
Hebrews 9:7, 12-14, 22, 25-28; 10:4-22
1 Peter 1:17-19
1 John 1:7 (1:9)

Beloved, have a great day today, and go with the grace of God. Amen.