David [00:00:02]:
You know, during the Easter season, and one or two of my messages, I stated that the journey to redemption, reconciliation and restoration started in the Garden of Eden. Actually, Paul, in Ephesians first chapter, said that our father God planned for our redemption before the foundation of the world. This tells us how much God loves us and cares for us and was planning for us even before the beginning of time.
David [00:00:57]:
But what we see in Genesis chapter three is that after Adam and Eve had eaten of the fruit of the tree, that God was talking with them, and with this, with Satan the snake there. And he said to the serpent, what is to come? He declared to him, here’s what’s going to happen now. Here are the consequences of your actions. And in Genesis 315, we see that he said this, and I will put enmity. I’m sorry, enmity. I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise his heel. Now, Paul writes about the fulfillment of this in Galatians chapter four.
David [00:02:06]:
In Galatians chapter four, verses four and five, Paul says this. But when the proper time had fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman, born subject to the regulations of the law, to purchase the freedom of. To ransom, to redeem, to atone for those who were subject to the law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us and be recognized as God’s sons. And so descalations four, four, five from the amplified version. So we see there God’s heart to redeem mankind was fulfilled in God’s son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to give us back what Satan had stolen from us there in the garden of Eden. So beginning today, over the next few weeks, we’re going to look at what it means to be redeemed, what it means to be reconciled, and what it means to be restored into Christ. And so today we start with redemption.
David [00:03:26]:
The word redeemed there in the Hebrew means to ransom, to deliver, to rescue. Jesus came to ransom us, to deliver us, to rescue us. And we see that the Lord put this into practice even through the law and in the, what he was having the children of Israel do in the temple and in the sacrifice. And so as we look into redemption, there are five things I want us to recognize as we talk about this today. The first one is this, is that Jesus is our redeemer that word Redeemer there in the Hebrew means he is acting as a kinsman redeemer. He is one who is related to us, coming to redeem us and set us free. And it means to avenge, to revenge in our behalf and to ransom us. Just similar to the same word there, that the word redeem means to ransom.
David [00:04:37]:
And so Jesus came as our kinsman, our relative, our brother, our family member, to redeem us. It’s much like Abraham did for lot in Genesis, when the people came against lot and everyone who lived around him and captured them and took off all their animals and all their resources and everything. And Abraham took his skilled, trained men and went and rescued lot and his family and everyone else. Abraham was the kinsman redeemer in that setting. Jesus Christ has done the same thing for us. He is our redeemer, our brother, our family member, who in our behalf came to redeem us. And so not only that, Redeemer also means, like I said, one who avenges, one who brings revenge and one who ransoms. That word avenged there means punishment for the act of inflicting an injury, in inflicting pain or evil on someone.
David [00:05:58]:
So Jesus came to punish the enemy, to punish Satan for the act of inflicting and injuring mankind and afflicting pain with them. It is one who vindicates. Jesus came to vindicate us. Jesus came to defend us. And he did it with success. He was successful. It means to justify. So when Jesus came to avenge us, he justified us.
David [00:06:32]:
He made us righteous, he made us just. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord, for your redemption. Now, second thing here in this definition is he came in an act of revenge on our behalf. Now, this isn’t revenge like we look at it today. This is a lot of times we look at revenge, and people are taking revenge not out of goodness, they’re doing it just out of hate and out of frustration and out of anger. But Jesus came to revenge us, to pay back that act that Satan did against us when he stole from us our identity. And so it means to inflict pain or injury for an injury received that was a consequence of the action the enemy took against duffs.
David [00:07:28]:
And then it means to ransom. In every definition of redeemed, you see, almost every time you see this word ransom, which means to redeem from the possession of an enemy by paying a price equivalent or worthy of the possession. We of were redeemed, we were ransomed. We were set free from the enemy who possessed us. Jesus paid the price so that we could become his possession, his family, the ones he loved and who were connected with him. Jesus is our redeemer. In deuteronomy seven, eight, nine, it says this, but because the Lord loves you and because he would keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh’s king of Egypt. Therefore, know that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant with mercy for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commandments.
David [00:09:02]:
He does this for a thousand generations. Actually, he does it for eternity. But so this verse includes us. God brought redemption. He has redeemed us from the house of bondage. So what he did here for Israel by setting them free from the bondage they were experiencing there in Egypt, was a type, a sign, a symbol of what he was doing for all of us through Christ Jesus, our Lord and savior. Isaiah 40 817 says this. This is one of my favorite verses.
David [00:09:44]:
It says, thus says, the Lord, your redeemer, the holy one of Israel, I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. God’s desire is for us to profit, to increase, to be more. And so he redeemed us so that we can walk in the fullness of everything he’s intended for us since the beginning of the world. And that word prophet here in the Hebrew means this. It means to gain. God wants to see you gain. And one of the things we gain is life eternal when we believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as our lord and savior. The second things it means is to benefit.
David [00:10:36]:
God wants you walking in his benefits today, the benefit of being in relationship with him. The benefit is his love, his life. It means he teaches you to profit, means he teaches you to be valuable. God has put within you valuable potential, wisdom, insight, understanding. You are valuable. You are valuable to him, but you can be valuable to others and bring value to others also. It means to be useful. You have skills and talents and anointings that God’s put within you and placed upon you.
David [00:11:20]:
That makes you useful today to all those around you. It also means this. I teach you, the prophet says, I teach you to rise above, to ascend on high, to excel. God wants us to rise up, to rise above, to ascend on high, to excel in all that we set our hands to. It means to be benefited and receive help in anything. God wants us to benefit in all things, and he wants us to receive help so he has redeemed us. He is our redeemer, and he teaches us how to walk in this and how to profit, and this comes, as a result, his divine favor. And we’re going to see more about his divine favor in just a moment.
David [00:12:18]:
In Galatians 313 and 14, Paul writes about this in this way. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, that curse that came with the law having become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith and because of Christ’s redemption, as we believe him as our lord and savior and receive him as our lord and our king, the blessing of Abraham comes on us, is extended to us. We become a part of the family of God, and we can walk in and expect that blessing. It is ours now. So we profit from that. We’re blessed by that.
David [00:13:25]:
We receive value from it, and we give value to others because of it. Galatians four five says this to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. All of this is available to us because he’s brought us in to that place of redemption where God looks and says, there’s my children, there’s my sons, there’s my daughters, all of those I’ve created. He loves us, and he cares about us. And so he sent his son to redeem us. Jesus is our redeemer. Titus 214 says this, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself peculiar people, zealous of good works. Now, if you remember what I shared before, from first Peter two nine, that word peculiar means a purchased possession.
David [00:14:40]:
He paid the price for us so that we could be with him and be a part of him. He purchased us, us by the stripes on his back, the blood that he shed on our behalf. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for all that you’ve done for us. Hebrews 912 talks about this not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood. He entered the most holy place once for all, for everyone having obtained eternal redemption. Your redemption isn’t just for now. It’s forever.
David [00:15:27]:
And he’s received eternal redemption for all. He paid the price for all of us, for everyone who has ever been on the earth, for everyone who is on the earth right now, for everyone who will be on the earth. He has paid the price. He has redeemed us all for all eternity. Jesus is our redeemer. Praise God. Rejoice in that church. Come on.
David [00:16:00]:
Let’s rejoice in the fact that Jesus is our redeemer. All right, the second thing I want you to notice in this is this fact. And don’t let the enemy rob you of this or convince you that it’s not true. But redemption is ours. You have been redeemed. Say that redemption is mine. That word redemption there in the Hebrew means again, to ransom, to pay the price for it means deliverance. It means liberation.
David [00:16:36]:
And in the Greek, in the New Testament, it means this, a releasing, a liberation procured by the payment of a ransom. Whoo. God has delivered us. He’s liberated us. He’s released us from bondage, and he’s liberated us. Hallelujah. From all that Satan wanted to keep us in chains with him. Hallelujah.
David [00:17:03]:
He paid the price for us. Redemption is ours. He’s given it to us. It’s his gift to us. Psalm 111, verse nine says this, he has sent redemption to his people. Hallelujah. He sent redemption to us. He has commanded his covenant forever, holy and all.
David [00:17:27]:
Awesome is his name. That covenant he made with Abraham that he extended through Moses with the children of Israel, he’s made that covenant forever. We all get to walk in it as his sons and daughter, as his children, we become heirs of the abrahamic covenant. Of that promise. Hallelujah. He has sent redemption to his people. Hallelujah. Romans 323 and 24 says this, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
David [00:18:06]:
Being justified freely didn’t cost you anything. You didn’t have to earn it. You were justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Our redemption came to us in Christ Jesus when we received him as our savior, our Lord. We were redeemed. We received redemption, and it came to us freely. Again, we didn’t have to buy it, pay for it, earn it, deserve it. And it came by his grace.
David [00:18:41]:
And again, that word grace there means unmerited, favorite. His favor upon us brought it to us. Ephesians one seven eight says this, in him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence. I don’t know what you’ve been through. I don’t know what you’ve done in your past. And the enemy may try to bring it back up and say, oh, look what you did there. Ashamed. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
David [00:19:28]:
No. God redeemed you. He got rid of it. He cleansed you from it. You have forgiveness. A part of redemption is his forgiveness. Forgiveness in your behalf, according to the riches of his grace, of his unmerited favor, which he made to abound toward us. His grace, his favor, his forgiveness, his redemption abounds toward us in all wisdom and prudence, colossians 113 14 says this, he has delivered us.
David [00:20:11]:
We said that word redemption meant deliverance. Right. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of his son, the son of his love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins. Here it is again. We have redemption. We have redemption through his blood and the forgiveness of sins. We have been ransomed. We have been delivered.
David [00:20:46]:
We have been liberated. We have been released from the power of darkness and brought into the kingdom of his dear son, Jesus Christ. Redemption is yours. Say that today. Redemption is mine. I have it because I am in Christ Jesus. Now, the third thing I want you to see today is, we are the redeemed. If we have redemption, Jesus Christ is our redeemer.
David [00:21:15]:
We have redemption has been given to us. So we are the redeemed. You can get up every day and declare, I am the redeemed. I am set free. I am delivered. I’ve been ransomed by the blood of Jesus. That word redeemed there in the Hebrew, means to recover from the power of another by the payment of a price. In the Greek, it talks about Christ freeing the elect from the dominion of the mosaic law at the price of his vicarious death to buy up for oneself.
David [00:21:51]:
He bought us up for himself. We’ve been redeemed. We’ve been recovered from the power of the enemy by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are the redeemed. Psalm 71 23 declares this, my lips shall greatly rejoice when I see to you and my soul, which you have redeemed. Give praise to God. Rejoice in him every day. Be glad and rejoice in him every day, because he is your redeemer, and you are the redeemed.
David [00:22:29]:
Psalm 107, verse two, says, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, who he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. We’ve been redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and we need to say so every day. I am the redeemed. The Lord has redeemed me. He says in his word, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. So I’m saying so. I am the redeemed. Hallelujah.
David [00:22:57]:
Isaiah 50 111 says this, therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head. They shall obtain gladness and joy. Sorrow and mourning shall flee away. It has to flee from us, because we are the redeemed, and we come rejoicing. We come with singing, we come with joy. Hallelujah. Gladness is ours because we are the redeemed. I don’t care what’s going on in the world.
David [00:23:35]:
We can rejoice and be glad in the Lord God Jesus Christ, our redeemer, and declare with faith and confidence every day, I am the redeemed. Revelation five nine. Here we are in revelation, the end of the story. And it says this. And they sang a new song saying, you are worthy to take the scroll and to open the seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood. Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation all over this world, we are part of the redeemed. We are a part of the redeemed. Hallelujah.
David [00:24:26]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The fourth thing I want you to see today is this. Not only are we the redeemed, God is working in our behalf, redeeming the time. Ephesians 516 says this, since then, that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Redeeming the time. And then Paul talks about it again in colossians four, five, and six.
David [00:25:02]:
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside. Redeeming the time. Let your speech, which always. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each other again. Redeeming the time. This means that what is lost can be redeemed. The time that you feel like you’ve lost can be redeemed if you’re willing to do whatever is needed to make it happen. God will enable you, work through you to regain and recoup time that was previously lost or squandered.
David [00:25:49]:
He can give you another opportunity. Think about that. God can give us another opportunity to accomplish what we felt like. Oh, we miss that. I don’t know if I could do that. God can redeem the time. Man, that is so wonderful. That is so wonderful that it makes up for what we previously lost.
David [00:26:18]:
God can do that if we will trust him and believe him for it. In fact, when Paul wrote of redeeming the time, the word time is the greek word kairos. Kairos which would be better translated as the word opportunity. This means God will help you to recoup, recover, regain and retrieve lost time and opportunities. Those things. You think that was a great opportunity, but I miss that. One way that this phrase could be paraphrased in this scripture is to buy back time. Considering that the word redemption is used here, an expanded interpretation of this phrase could be redeeming the time that could read do everything you can to make up for lost territory.
David [00:27:19]:
Buy up all the time you can and make the most of every opportunity. God can work through you to make that happen. I mean, can you think of opportunities you’ve lost along the way in life that you wish you’d had taken a part of advantage of? Have you ever squandered an opportunity that God tried to set before you and you feel like, man, I totally missed that. Did God try to increase you? But as a result of negligence on your part, the increase went to someone else? Wow, I’ve been there. I’ve done that a few times. Can you think of a possibility that God designed to be yours, but it never happened because you were too busy or too lazy to put forth the effort to make it happen? Here’s the reality. The truth. We’ve all lost opportunities along the way in life for various reasons.
David [00:28:30]:
Some of it was due to hardships or difficulties in life that prevented us from doing what we wanted to do in the moment. But regardless of the reason, Paul tells us that if we’re willing to go the distance to do whatever is necessary to redeem time, we can turn things around and end up with a lot of brand new, wonderful opportunities that make up for any lost or wasted time in your past. As Jesus said, with man, it’s impossible. With God, all things are possible. So the last part of Colossians four, verse five could read, do everything you can to make up for lost territory. Make the most of every moment you have right now. Do everything you can to recover those precious moments and opportunities that you thought were lost forever. Get up every day expecting God’s redeeming the time today, and I’m going to regain what I feel like I lost.
David [00:29:39]:
I’m going to make the most of the opportunities that he brings to me. He is redeeming the time for me now. The fifth thing I want us to see last thing here is do this. The day of redemption the day of redemption is talked about in scripture, is a reference to the future time when Christians receive their resurrected bodies. The term comes from Paul’s word in Ephesians Ephesians 113 14, it says this in him you also trusted after you heard the word of faith or the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a guarantee of our inheritance and the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. You are the purchased possession, the redemption. And so we are sealed by the Holy Spirit in anticipation of the full inheritance that is ours. Ephesians 430 talks about it and says, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
David [00:31:04]:
Paul saying, look, for there’s a day coming where not only are you walking in the blessings that you have right now, you’re going to be fully redeemed. Walking in a glorified body like Adam and Eve before the fall, you’re going to be like God and walk in a glorified body and be fully redeemed. Have that full inheritance and redemption that’s been promised to us. Romans 822 23 declares it, for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together, until now, not only that, but we also, who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Day of redemption, when we’re fully walking in all that God has for us, the future resurrection of our bodies is also referred to as receiving our glorified bodies. This event is so certain because of the sacrifice Christ made for us, that our future glorification is spoken of in the past tense. It’s already done in God’s eyes. In his mind, it’s a finished deal.
David [00:32:30]:
Romans 830. And when he predestined us, chose us beforehand. These he also called, and whom he called. So he’s saying, we’ve already been called. These he also justified. You’ve been justified. And whom he justified, these he also glorified. You’ve already been glorified in Christ.
David [00:32:53]:
Hallelujah. Glory to God. And in the day of redemption, we’ll walk in the fullness of that glorification. We’re already walking in it now. But there’s even more for us as we look forward to that day of redemption. So the day of redemption is that future day when we will all be resurrected, changed, glorified, and receive our resurrected bodies. I’m looking forward to my resurrected body. I’m looking forward to my glorified body.
David [00:33:26]:
Hallelujah. Glory to God. Redemption began in the garden, and the fullness of our eternal redemption will be realized as we were carried away, as we are carried away on the day of Christ’s return. Jesus is our redeemer. Redemption is ours. We are the redeemed. The Lord is working in us, through us, with us, and for us, redeeming the time as we anticipate and look expectantly toward our day of full, eternal redemption. Hallelujah.
David [00:34:07]:
Rejoice in Christ your redeemer each and every day. He loves you forever and always. Let’s bow our heads in prayer today. Father God, we thank you, Lord, for redeeming us. We thank you for your redeeming power. We thank you for setting us free. We thank you for bringing your favor to us. God, we thank you for ransoming us, paying the price for us, Lord, that we could be with you, be in relationship with you.
David [00:34:44]:
Come boldly before your throne of grace, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for your redemption power. And I pray that you empower us to share with others, Father, this good news so that they can walk in the fullness of your redemption also and benefit and profit from all that you have for them. And we thank you for it today. Lord, we praise you for it in Jesus name. Hallelujah.
David [00:35:16]:
Kindness coming with a closing word today and a prayer. God bless you. Have a blessed week.
