Our Redemption

What are some things that are redeemable? What can be redeemed? Many people think about a coupon. Some people may say that reputations can hopefully be redeemed. Also, for those who are creative, maybe you have hopes of redeeming a project that did not turn out like you would have liked. Relationship can be mended or redeemed sometimes with positive communication. When we redeem something, we are hoping to make it better or to exchange something for money, or an award or accomplishment. Basically it is not valuable and doing something with it that would give it more value. Like a coupon by itself is just a piece of paper, but you can use that piece of paper to take monies off of the piece of a good you are looking to purchase.

If we willingly see ourselves without Christ, we may assume that we hold little value. We sin, we are broken, we have problems. Yet, in God’s eyes we have value and are redeemable. Through God’s redemptive work, we can be saved from sin and the evil nature of this world.

Pray and Read: Psalm 107:10-22

Psalm 107:10–22 NRSV

Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. For he shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron. Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.

Why?

Some who are in sin, are comfortable in their sin. God rattles them. God’s Law offends them. Thoughts of Jesus are laughable to them, or even makes them angry. Why? Because, as we know, everyone needs God!

Sin imprisions us. It keeps us in the dark when it comes to the light of God’s love and grace (v. 10). Sin is rebellion against God and God’s commands and guidance (v. 11). Sin keeps us fighting for ourselves, in total conflict with what we desire and what should be for our lives like a dead-end job where we never see any rewards or completion (v. 12). Sin is a sickness, a disease that if left untreated, is fatal (v.17). Yet this disease is slow to kill us, slowly destorying the good that God created (v. 18).

We all have a need that only God can fill. John Wesley called this Prevenient Grace. All of God’s grace is a gift. God calls out to us, before we know Him wanting to save us from our own self-destruction. As we talked about last week, through sin we are living broken in a broken world. God did not design us to be this way nor does He want us to stay this way. God designed a way to come back to Him. However, that is a choice for us. We can either be broken or made whole. Our being made whole is the redeeming work of our Savior Jesus.

How?

One thing I love about this passage, this whole psalm is the use of the word, “Then”. In verses 6, 13, 19, and 28 it says, “Then they cried to the Lord in their troubles.” And each time, it also says something like, “And He saved them from their distress.” This is salvation. But this isn’t the end of the story even as beautiful as it is to be saved from distress. God redeems us by bringing us out of darkness and breaks our chains (v.14). God works wonders in us (v. 15). The jail cells that kept us locked in our sin are destoryed so that we never have to enter them again(v. 16). Through His Word, we are healed and will not be destroyed (v. 20). And once again we hear of God’s steadfast love (v.21). God’s love never ends, does not waver, nor can it be spent. God loves us so much that He gave us His Son as a sacrifice, redeeming us and saving us from our sins.

Jesus took our our sin. Think about the troubles that are mentioned this passage. This is what life is like without God, without redemption. But look at the blessings in this passage. This is what life with God is like, this is what redemption looks like.

Thanks be to God!

This psalm begins and ends with thanksgiving for God redemption. During the different paragraphs or movements of the psalm there are verses dedicated to thanking God for Redemption. Again, think about the movements in this psalm. People who are sick with sin, held captive by evil, they feel there is no way out. But “Then”, it says they turned to God. God ‘then” turns their live around. They are redeemed! “Then” they thank God! Why would we want to go back to the way we once were once we realize that we have been redeemed? God’s love endures all things for us. He grace is sure, and our salvation is free! “Let the redeemed say so!” Do you know that God has redeemed you? Say so! Speak out about how God has redeemed you from your sin and your troubles. Speak about it! Speak about God’s ever-enduring, never ending and never failing love.

In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!