Redeemed

Living Abundantly
According to God's Word Series

Read Time: 7 Minutes

Redeem definition: 1) To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum. 2) To pay off, as a promissory note. 3) To turn in (coupons or trading stamps, for example) and receive something in exchange. 4) To fulfill (an oath, pledge, or promise). 5) to convert into cash, as stocks. 6) To set free; to rescue or ransom. 7) to save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences. 8) To make up for. (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 1979).

When John (my husband) read that first definition in our dictionary that raised the hair on my arms. I had been studying our legal rights and mentioned 'redeemed' and John said, "What does that really mean?" So we retrieved the dictionary and he looked it up. To recover ownership - exactly.

Galatians 4
:3 Even so we,
        when we were children,
    were in bondage under the elements of the world:
:4 But when the fulness of the time was come,
    God sent forth his Son,
        made of a woman,
        made under the law,
:5 To redeem them that were under the law,
    that we might receive the adoption of sons. [sonship]
:6 And because ye are sons,
    God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,
        crying,
            Abba, Father.
:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son;
        and if a son,
        then an heir of God through Christ.

We were in bondage under the elements of the world. Notice that this is in the past tense, "were in bondage". God created seed in Mary and she brought forth God's only begotten son, born into this world a human child to live as we do, to experience all that we would ever experience, but to walk with God correctly and fulfill the law. He was our sacrificial lamb whose blood, once and for all, cleansed us from all unrighteousness and redeemed us, bought us back so that we no longer have to be 'owned' by the elements of the world. We are now sons and daughters of God.

Ephesians 1
:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children [better translation - sonship] by Jesus Christ to himself,
        according to the good pleasure of his will,
:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace,
    wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood,
    the forgiveness of sins,
        according to the riches of his grace;

In regards to the phrase "the adoption of sons", the word "adoption" is imprecise, we are made sons and have sonship because of seed. A person adopted into a family has sonship by legal arrangement, which is true of us, but God has made our relationship with Him and Jesus Christ superior to that, for the holy spirit that we now have because of the new birth is seed, and incorruptible (I Peter 1:32).

We are now part of the family of God, the body of Christ, where Christ is the head. Satan, the god of this world, no longer has any right to us.

Past reality:

Ephesians 2
:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
    according to the prince of the power of the air,
        the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,
    fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;
    and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

This aptly describes those that are ignorant of God's Word and benevolence. They live their lives self-serving, drawn by their lusts seeking satisfaction in the world which can never really satisfy. But God, who has provided all things for us spiritually, mentally and physically, meets our needs exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.

Present reality:

:4 But God,
        who is rich in mercy,
        for his great love wherewith he loved us,
:5     Even when we were dead in sins,
    hath quickened us together with Christ,
        (by grace ye are saved;)
:6 And hath raised us up together,
    and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
:7 That in the ages to come
    he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith;
    and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
:9 Not of works,
    lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship,
    created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
    which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God has drawn us in to Him to buy us back, save us, take care of us, love us, protect us, provide for us. And all this, not because we are so great, but because He loves. We are His workmanship, made by Him, and our Heavenly Father makes no mistakes.

Do you need strength?

Philippians 4
:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Ephesians 3
:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted
      by that which every joint supplieth,
        according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
    maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The body of Christ is there to help you be strong and thrive, and by the holy spirit that is placed inside you, you can do all things.

I Corinthians 12
:9 And he [God] said unto me [Paul],
        My grace is sufficient for thee:
            for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
    Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
        that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul learned that he couldn't do it all, he had to rely on God to be his strength. When we give God the access to our lives, when we rely on Him we'll see Him bring things to pass.

Hebrews 11
:11 Through faith [pistis - believing] also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed,
and was delivered of a child when she was past age,
because she judged him faithful who had promised.

We receive strength when we believe.

Do you need peace?

Romans 8
:6 For to be carnally minded is death;
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 15
:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope,
through the power of the Holy Ghost.

When you set your thoughts on things above God will fill your soul with peace and you will be unshakeable.

Do you need knowledge and wisdom?

I Corinthians 12
:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
:8 For to one [profit] is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
to another [profit] the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

Luke 11
:9 And I say unto you,
        Ask, and it shall be given you;
        seek, and ye shall find;
        knock, and it shall be opened unto you..

Do you need to be free from debt?

Philippians 4
:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Romans 13
:8 Owe no man any thing,
but to love one another:
for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Debt is not of God, it is bondage, you have a need to be free from it and God meets needs.

In addition you need to confess the Word - download God's Prosperity Affirmations (pdf).

Do you feel you are in bondage?

James 1
:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein,
        he being not a forgetful hearer,
        but a doer of the work,
    this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Romans 6
:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin,
but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

:22 But now being made free from sin,
        and become servants to God,
    ye have your fruit unto holiness,
        and the end everlasting life.
:23 For the wages of sin is death;
    but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
7:1 Know ye not, brethren,
        (for I speak to them that know the law,)
    how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

Romans 8
:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
        who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
:2     For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
                [read Deuteronomy 28]
:3     For what the law could not do,
            in that it was weak through the flesh,
        God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
        condemned sin in the flesh:
:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,
        who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;
    but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
:6 For to be carnally minded is death;
    but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

We are no long in bondage to this world. Satan has no right to our lives, our bodies, our minds and certainly not our holy spirit. Anything that is afflicting us that is not of God has no right to be there. You can command it to leave. That is your legal right and obligation. You have been redeemed, bought back by the blood of Christ; live like it.

Colossians3
:1 If ye then be risen with Christ,
    seek those things which are above,
    where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
:2 Set your affection on things above,
    not on things on the earth.
:3     For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
:4 When Christ,
        who is our life,
    shall appear,
    then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
        fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
            which is idolatry:
:6     For which things? sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
:7     In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
:8 But now ye also put off all these;
        anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
:9 Lie not one to another,
        seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
:10    And have put on the new man,
            which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
:11        Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
                circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:
            but Christ is all, and in all.
:12 Put on therefore,
        as the elect of God,
        holy and beloved,
    bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another,
    if any man have a quarrel against any:
    even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
:14 And above all these things put on charity, [agape - the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation]
        which is the bond of perfectness.
:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
    to the which also ye are called in one body;
    and be ye thankful.
:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
    teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
    singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,
    do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
    giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

"Thanks, God!"

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Redeemed

Living Abundantly According to God's Word Series

Living Abundantly
According to God's Word Series