Power-filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 7b—In Christ Are Redeemed from Sin’s Chains into Joyous, Abundant Life
Redemption—to be redeemed literally means to be “bought back” and restored. Throughout the Old Testament, the word redeemed was used in reference to God redeeming a people to Himself—drawing them out, bringing them out of slavery, and mercifully forgiving their sins. All of this pointing toward the “Messiah” who would pay the price once and for all for our sins. David understood this truth and writes often about his being redeemed. David understood that it was God’s mercy and grace that would redeem David from the chains of sin and death that bound him in this world. David was a man of great passion, who loved God with a fervent love. Did that always keep David from sin? No, we know that—the Bible very clearly reports David failures as well—his moments of pride, his adultery, the ordering of Uriah’s certain death in battle, the lying to hide his sin, and his failures as a father to discipline his own son.
Still, David understood that if he were to be “redeemed” from the chains of sins, the penalties of sin, and from death’s clutches; it would be due to God’s mercy and would take more than the sacrifice of a lamb or burnt offering. It required a broken and contrite heart—a heart that had seen the depth of its own sin against God. A heart that had been stripped of all selfish, self-exalting pride
. Just like David, we can never be redeemed unless we understand that we have no hope to be unshackled from these chains without a redeemer to set us free. Look at just a few of the prayers of David recorded in the Psalms.
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