I am Redeemed, Christ is my Redeemer
Being redeemed only matters when we discover who we’ve been redeemed by, and what we’ve been redeemed to. That is why we have to look at the two parts of this identity statement as though it is one, fluid statement. Yes, we’re redeemed…by and through Jesus Christ; He is our redeemer. THAT is what makes our redemption the foundation of our identity. That, and that alone.
You’ll find a lot of definitions for the word “redeemed.” While they all fit, there is one at the bottom with old roots -
“To buy back.”
Hang on to that definition and go with me to Hosea. This book gives us one of the best, most beautiful illustrations of the Gospel in the Scriptures. The story goes something like this…
Hosea was a known prophet. Gomer was a known prostitute. Those two worlds really had no reason to overlap, traditionally. And yet, the Lord called Hosea to marry Gomer, even while she was in the midst of prostitution, intending to use this marriage to illustrate His redeeming love for His people.
Hosea walks in obedience despite how much sense this seemingly does not make from man’s perspective. They have three children together. Formerly a prostitute, and now a wife and mother, Gomer voluntarily goes back into prostitution.
Prostitution. The lifestyle of selling ourselves to the temporary desires of the world. That’s what Gomer went back to. The world would say, “Let her go, you never belonged with her anyway.” And yet, the Lord said -
“Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” (Hosea 3:1)
And so Hosea walks into this broken, dark world of prostitution to find his wife, and literally buy her back to redeem her. Those other men bought her to use her; Hosea was buying her back to give her a chance to experience freedom and the abundant life she was created for.
Let’s pause here and go back to where we started…we are redeemed, Christ is our redeemer.
God uses Hosea to paint the picture of redemption. To be redeemed is to be pursued; to be infinitely valued and set free to experience the abundant life (John 10) Christ died to give us. While this tells us so much about who we are in the eyes of Christ, it also tells us so much about our Redeemer. It tells us that His heart is set to pour out redemptive love on us no matter the darkness He has to talk through to redeem us.
And what do those who have been redeemed do with their redemption?
They live, humbly, in the freedom they were redeemed to, and bask in the love of their redeemer.
~ Alyssa