Why We Are Redeemed - Blogs By Christian Women

Have you heard the song I am Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave? If not, take a listen…

We sang this in worship the other night and I was intrigued to learn more.

“I am redeemed, you set me free, so I’ll shake off these heavy chains, wipe away every stain. Cause I’m not who I used to be. I am redeemed”

First, let’s look at the Merriam-Webster definition of redeemed: to buy or win back, to free from what harms, to release from debt or sin.

The Biblical definition of redeem is very similar: To purchase back; to ransom; to liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying an equivalent; as, to redeem prisoners or captured goods; to redeem a pledge (KJV dictionary).

Basically, redemption means freedom!

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:5-11 ESV emphasis added).

We’ve no longer enslaved to sin! We’ve been redeemed by Jesus Christ. We were prisoners held down by the chains of our old self, the selfish desires, the pride, the malice, the envy. And those chains of sin have been BROKEN! We are free!

That’s amazing. And we can marvel at that all we want, but it’s often too easy to return back to those shackles. It’s a comfort thing. Those chains were all we knew in our past life are comfortable. It’s what we’ve always known in our past life. When we’re not held down by them, what’s left? Yet if we are constantly struggling with sin, returning back to those comforts, how can we fully love God?

Back to Romans 6:11: So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Our sin is dead, that part is dead! We must constantly remind ourselves to strive to be alive in Jesus. If we let sin take over our lives, if we fill those voids with earthly desires, where is there room for God in our lives?

If you go on to read verses 12-14: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

God detests sin. He desires to have a pure relationship with us. He gave each of us talents and gifts (‘members’ as is says in the verse) not so we may throw them away to sin, but so we may use those gifts and talents to further His kingdom.

That’s why we are redeemed. So we don’t have to worry about being bound to sin, but we can rejoice in being alive in Christ!

Ultimately it’s all for His Glory.

P.S. For anyone curious about how my life in the Dominican Republic is going so far.. you can head over to my personal blog. I’ve decided that I’ll write more Spiritual reflections here on BCW and updates on my mission work on A River of Joy. And of course, feel free to email me at anytime with questions!

Comments

Christine Malkemes says

January 4, 2018 at 4:58 pm

Good reminder. We who have been “churched” think we understand the truth behind redemption, but we don’t. How aweful it would be to pay the price for a hostage and find they’re not free because they don’t know they’re free. Again thanks for the reminder. Respectfully yours, Chris

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