On Redemption

All of time is pointing to God’s work of redemption – making good from evil, making beautiful creation out of chaos, drawing near to those who are far away. 

 Here’s the thing though – this redemption is not just for someday, it weaves through infinity, back to the creation of the world, to us today, and forward through the end of time.

What is true about sin, redemption, and eternity are not only true in the macro picture of time, they are also true in micro-instants of day to day.  The same pattern of sin and the curse happen in the moments of our lives.  Our lives are about working out redemption and providing a picture of God’s salvation in the midst of the real world.  Redemption and grace are not something that is only in the past or only in the future. They are for here and now. And the remembrance of the Lamb who was Slain will be the work that unites us in worship for all eternity.

Today is the day we can move from death to life.

Today is the day we can experience and give hope. 

Today we can be part of the cycle of redeeming what is broken and healing what is painful. 

This is the why of what we do. If we love God and if we care about most the things that he cares about, then we get our hands and feet dirty in the work of redemption.  We engage sin and evil and brokenness, and we bring healing, hope, restoration in a way that – in word and deed – we are showing God’s heart to the world.  We are about moving both ourselves and those around us from the curse to the cross to glory.

Anytime lies prevail over the truth, death prevails over life. . .our hope is to get to ourselves and others back to the cross.  Our job is to remember hope, to see salvation NOW.  

In the time of my favor I heard you,
    and in the day of salvation I helped you.

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.  2 Cor. 6:2

These words are from a talk on redemption I gave last year – on how the Christ’s story of redemption fits in a world that seems evil, and how it plays into the picture of eternity and weaves through infinity. . . – David