Real Redemption
“He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14
Often, our coach would challenge us in various skill competitions after practice. He was very competitive, so there was always a punishment for the loser. Whether it was running, push-ups, or planks, it was never fun to lose to him.
One day after practice, he presented his regular challenge to anyone who wanted to participate. The skill was juggling the soccer ball without dropping it. A few of us accepted his challenge but were sadly defeated. While we were preparing for our punishment, he stopped us and asked if we wanted one more shot – redemption. We all agreed and gave it one more shot. One of my teammates beat the coach this time, and we didn’t have to do the punishment workout.
The thing about redemption is that it’s never something you earn; it’s always a gift. Since we lost, we deserved the punishment workout, but our coach chose to extend an invitation for us to try again.
God’s redemption for our sins works similarly. We deserve death for the sins we have committed (Romans 6:23). But God recuses us from our fate and gives us a chance to follow Him and be washed clean of our sins. He offers us another go and a life out of the darkness and into the light. There is nothing we did to deserve redemption; that’s what grace is.
We are given redemption from all our past sins through God’s grace. He is ready to bring us into the light – will you let Him?
- Do you believe God’s redemption is a free gift?
- What do we do once we receive redemption?
“God, we come before You now, thanking You for choosing to give us redemption daily. Without Your grace, our lives would be in darkness, and we would have to succumb to our own fate. You save us, Lord, and for that, we thank You. Amen.”
