Great Grace And Freedom #6: Redemption Series

GREAT GRACE & FREEDOM #6: REDEMPTION: ON SLAVES AND SAILBOATS

INTRO TO TOPIC: One of the most important concepts in the Bible is that of redemption. But – what is redemption, and what significance does it have in our life?

THE BIG IDEA: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law so that we can receive the blessing of Abraham in our lives.

1. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE GALATIANS:

“1 Oh, foolish Galatians! What magician has cast an evil spell on you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I had shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross.

• Paul calls them foolish for abandoning simple faith in Jesus. It’s all about Him!

2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 You have suffered so much for the Good News. Surely it was not in vain, was it? Are you now going to just throw it all away? 5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.” (Galatians 3:1-6, NLT).

• Paul challenges the Galatians to look at their personal experience of God’s grace.

• They were saved by grace, received the Spirit by grace, experienced miracles by grace.

• He tells them they are foolish to think that now they must do it by keeping the law.

• Everything we received from God is by grace through faith in Jesus.

• Paul then moves from their experience to an example from the Old Testament:

2. THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM:

“6 In the same way, "Abraham believed God, so God declared him righteous because of his faith." 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are all those who put their faith in God. 8 What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would accept the Gentiles, too, on the basis of their faith. God promised this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, "All nations will be blessed through you." (see Gen. 12:1-3). 9 And so it is: All who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

• Paul says that Abraham was made right with God by his faith, not keeping the law.

• And all believers who put their faith in Christ receive Abraham’s blessing.

10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all these commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." 11 Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." 12 How different from this way of faith is the way of law, which says, "If you wish to find life by obeying the law, you must obey all of its commands.” (Galatians 3:7-12, NLT).

• The only way to be right with God by keeping the law is: do it perfectly your whole life.

• Obviously, that is impossible, so the only way to be saved is through faith in Jesus!

3. THE EXCELLENCE OF REDEMPTION:

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of 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.” (Galatians 3:13-14, NKJV).

• Redemption: exagorazo = by payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to ransom, buy off; to buy up, to buy up for one's self. Literally: out of the market place.

ILLUSTRATION OF REDEMPTION #1: THE SAILBOAT:

The story is told of a little boy who built a sailboat. He built the sail and had it all fixed up, tarred and painted. He took it to the lake and pushed it in hoping it would sail. Sure enough a wisp of breeze filled the little sail and it billowed and went rippling along the waves. Suddenly before the little boy knew it, the boat was out of his reach, even though he waded in fast and tried to grab it. As he watched it float away, he hoped maybe the breeze would shift and it would sail back to him. Instead he watched it go farther and farther until it was gone. When he went home crying, his mother asked, "What's wrong, didn't it work?" He said, "It worked too well."