The Power of the Cross Week 4: The Power of Redemption

WEEK 4

The Power of Redemption

We are justified freely by His grace.

Text: Romans 3:23–26 (CSB)

INTRODUCTION

Over the past three weeks, we’ve walked steadily toward the cross.

Week 1 — The Message of the Cross: It looks foolish to the world but is the power of God. Week 2 — The Weight of Sin: We felt the crushing burden Christ bore. Week 3 — The Cost of Forgiveness: We heard Jesus pray, “Father, forgive them.”

Now today, we ask:

What did that cost accomplish?

Because the cross was not just suffering.

It was purchase.

It was redemption.

Let’s return to the old barn.

This week, the farmer told me something I didn’t expect.

Years ago, someone offered him a large sum of money for that central beam.

Reclaimed wood had become valuable.

He could have sold it.

But he refused.

He said, “That beam’s too important. It holds everything up. It’s worth more than what they’re offering.”

Redemption is about value.

It’s about purchase.

It’s about something costly being bought back.

Let’s read Romans 3:23–26.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness… so that he would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.”

There are three powerful truths in this passage:

The Problem

The Provision

The Purpose

I. THE PROBLEM: UNIVERSAL SIN

Verse 23:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Paul leaves no exceptions.

Jew and Gentile. Religious and irreligious. Moral and immoral.

All.

Psalm 14:3 says,

“There is no one who does good, not even one.”

Ecclesiastes 7:20:

“There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins.”

Sin is not just what we do.

It’s what we are apart from grace.

We fall short of God’s glory.

That phrase carries the idea of missing the mark.

Not slightly.

Completely.

Imagine trying to jump across the Grand Canyon.

Some might jump farther than others.

But everyone falls short.

That’s humanity before God.

And falling short creates debt.

A moral debt. A spiritual debt. An eternal debt.

Romans 6:23 says,

“The wages of sin is death…”

That’s the problem.

And no amount of good behavior can erase it.

That’s why redemption is necessary.

Back to that barn beam.

It had once been part of another structure that failed.

But instead of discarding it, someone saw value and reclaimed it.

That’s redemption.

II. THE PROVISION: JUSTIFIED FREELY BY GRACE

Verse 24:

“They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Two key words:

Justified. Redemption.

Justified is a courtroom term.

It means declared righteous.

Not made perfect overnight — But legally declared right before God.

Galatians 2:16 says,

“A person is not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.”

Titus 3:5–7 reminds us,

“He saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done — but according to his mercy…”

Freely by grace.

Grace means undeserved favor.

You cannot earn it. You cannot purchase it. You cannot deserve it.

Now redemption.

Redemption is a marketplace word.

It means to buy back. To release by paying a price.

In the ancient world, slaves could be redeemed — purchased and set free.

That’s the picture.

We were enslaved to sin.

But Christ paid the price.

Mark 10:45:

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

1 Peter 1:18–19 says we were redeemed not with silver or gold,

“but with the precious blood of Christ…”

The currency of redemption was blood.

Not symbolic blood.

Real blood.

Painful blood.

Costly blood.

Back to the barn.

The farmer said, “I could sell that beam. But I won’t. It’s already holding what matters most.”

Jesus didn’t redeem you cheaply.

He paid with Himself.

III. THE PURPOSE: GOD IS BOTH JUST AND JUSTIFIER

Verse 25–26 says God presented Christ as an atoning sacrifice.

Atoning sacrifice means wrath satisfied.

God’s justice demanded payment.

God’s love provided payment.

Isaiah 45:21 calls Him,

“a righteous God and a Savior.”

How can He be both?

Only at the cross.

If God ignored sin, He wouldn’t be just.

If God punished us fully, we wouldn’t be saved.

At the cross: Justice was satisfied. Mercy was extended.

God is righteous — And He declares righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

1 John 1:9 says,

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us…”

Righteous to forgive.

Not reluctant. Not hesitant.

Because the price has been paid.

That’s redemption.

Let me make this personal.

Redemption means: You are not what your past says you are.

You are not defined by failure.

You are not owned by shame.

You are purchased by Christ.

And when something is purchased, ownership changes.

You belong to Him.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20:

“You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.”

Bought.

Purchased.

Redeemed.

Back to that beam.

It once stood in a collapsed building.

Now it stands in strength, purpose, stability.

That’s redemption.

Not just forgiven — Restored with purpose.

APPLICATION

Some of you believe God forgives.

But you struggle to believe He values you.

Redemption speaks of value.

God does not redeem what He does not love.

He does not purchase what He does not treasure.

The cross is proof of worth.

Not because we were worthy —

But because He is loving.

And some of you are still trying to justify yourselves.

Still trying to earn what Christ already purchased.

Stop striving.

Start trusting.

Redemption is received through faith.

Not achieved through effort.

SERIES BUILD

Week 1 — The Message Week 2 — The Weight Week 3 — The Cost Week 4 — The Purchase

And next week —

We will see that redemption did not end at purchase.

It resulted in victory.

Because the cross didn’t just forgive sin.

It defeated darkness.

CLOSING

That old beam in the barn?

It was once discarded.

But someone reclaimed it.

Positioned it.

Secured it.

And now it holds everything together.

You were once lost in sin.

But Christ redeemed you.

Not with money.

Not with effort.

But with His blood.

And because of that —

You stand justified.

You stand forgiven.

You stand redeemed.

And next week…

We will see how the cross turns from purchase to triumph.

Because what looked like defeat

Was actually victory.