How Should Christians Live? Redeemed

Jesus loves the song of the redeemed. The bible teaches us that the angels have a party when one soul is saved. Heaven has a victory party when one person becomes redeemed from their lost lifestyle! God redeemed the Israelites from the chains and bondage of Egypt. It wasn’t long afterwards that the Israelites wanted to go back to their old lifestyle. How many times did they ask Moses, “Were there not enough graves in Egypt?”

Tell your neighbor, “I am redeemed.” Ask your neighbor, “Are you living a redeemed lifestyle?” How many know that you are redeemed? How many of you actually live redeemed life styles? Free from sin. Free from old habits, or addictions. Today, I want to expand your thought pattern. I want you to realize that God has a party every time that He redeems you from an old habit. God celebrates every time that He gives you victory over your addictions and sin! Here is something you already know, but forget to easily. Once you have been saved, the victory is yours for the taking. You just have to believe that God will overcome it through you. Let’s discover how.

Redeemed with support. Advocate. (vs. 1)

John tells the people that they should not sin. Did he give them a chemical equation that they couldn’t figure out? No. That is about as plain as you can get. We all know now that as Christians, we choose to sin. So if we are truly redeemed, set free, why do we still sin?

How many of you would buy a computer without a support group to call? Not many would do that. Why? Computers are complicated, and the average Joe needs help figuring them out. What kind of God would send His people out into life without a support group? Life is much more complicated than a computer. After all, man made the computer; only God created and gives life! If we can figure out that we need support, wouldn’t an all knowing God know this as well? The answer is yes! So how does this support group work? First we need to realize that do we get support from the Father. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights”, James 1:17. And in Jn 2:1 we see that it says, “we have an advocate with the Father”. Again, just to reiterate that God is supreme, in control, and all powerful, He sends us Himself, our support in time of need. How does this manifest itself?

Support in the form of His Son. Philippians tell us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Support in the form of His Spirit. Jesus said that He wouldn’t leave us alone, but that He would send a helper. Romans tells us that we need help praying.

Support in the form of His Seat. Heb. 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Is all this provided so that we can get what we want? No. It is provided so that we can obtain God’s perspective. So that we can obtain God’s vision. So that we can obtain God’s victory. It doesn’t make it easy. It doesn’t make it fun. It probably won’t make you popular with the world. But it will make you right with God. How much more faithful can you be then when you have taken God at His word to the point that you are applying it to your life, living your life as a living sacrifice that is Holy and acceptable to Him?

John commands us not to sin, but when we do to realize that we have help. Help to enable us to overcome. Help to enable us to get back up and try again and not quit. Help to give us hope. Help to give us His perspective. And ultimately help for us to live redeemed lives!

Redeemed to satisfy. Propitiation. (vs 2)

Propitiate means to cause to become favorably inclined; win or regain the good will of; appease or conciliate. What Jesus has done will make us favorable in the sight of God. However, what Jesus is doing in our lives at this moment will make us favorable in God’s sight!

God responds to faith with delight. Rom. 3:21-26.

God longs to disciple. Heb. 2:17

He chose to be like us to so He could teach us. Could what you are experiencing be a lesson from God? A refining time (gold) sanctification.

God is motivated by His devotion. 1 Jn. 4:10

26For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 1:26-31