“By your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation.” -Revelation 5:9
We only purchase that which we want to possess, and so it is with God. He purchased us from every tribe, language, people and nation with the goal that we might be His possession.
We will never be what God wants us to be until we understand the simple truth of redemption.
If I buy a house I take possession and become the rightful owner of it. Once I pay for it I can do whatever I want with it. The person I bought it from doesn’t get to say what kind of trees I plant in the yard. I can paint the house any color I want and I don’t need their permission to do it. Once I pay for it, the house belongs to me.
This is redemption. You belong to God now.
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” -1 Corinthians 6:19-20
The meaning of redemption
The truth about “redemption” is captured in the above verse.
Speak it over yourself-
- I am not my own
- I was bought with a price
If you look up the definition of redemption you’ll find the idea of being saved from sin.
But that’s only part of what redemption means. When Jesus came to save us and deliver us out of sin, He did it with the purpose of obtaining ownership of us.
Consider further the definition of redemption-
“The action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.”
This is exactly what Jesus did, isn’t it?
I understand that Jesus paid the price for me by His blood and that He has freed me from my sin, but have I seen that it was with the intent of Him regaining what was lost in the garden? Do I understand that He desires to have me as His present possession?
God’s intention in redemption goes much further than simply forgiveness of sin. God’s purpose is that He would have me as His own possession.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,“ -1 Peter 2:9
What would you think if you spent a lot of money and bought a house, but when you asked for the keys to get inside, they refused to give them to you and let you take possession of it?
God bought me with the blood of His Son and He has complete right of ownership over me. I’m not own anymore, I’ve been bought with the priceless blood of Jesus!
That’s redemption.
God wants to take possession of what is rightfully His!
God bought a house
Let’s just be blunt about it- God bought a house, and that house is YOU!
“Do you not know that YOUR BODY is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” -1 Corinthians 6:19-20
You’re a house that God bought! Your body was literally bought by God to be a house that He would live in.
I’m going to tell you right now that God is going to do stuff with your house that you may, or may not, like at first!
And He has every right to do it!
The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are moving in, and He intends to take full ownership!
“And we will come to him and take up residence with him.” -John 14:23
Personally, I find it exciting! I love the fact that God is living in me and I’m His house! He can do all the redecorating and renovation that He wants to do. He took a lot of old furniture out of my life, but then He brought a lot of new stuff in too! More and more I don’t even recognize the house I used to have! I thank God for it!
But maybe you’re resisting the remodel.
You’re having a hard time acknowledging that He owns the title deed to you. You don’t want to turn over the keys to your heart! You’d rather keep the keys and have control.
When the Apostle Paul wrote the church in Corinth he had to deal with some of these things because they thought they could do whatever they wanted with their bodies. Some of them were engaged in sexual sin and Paul had to stop them and say, “Hey, wait a minute! Your body belongs to the Lord now! Stop doing that!”
The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. -1 Corinthians 6:13
The whole world is under the impression that we can do whatever we want with our bodies and it’s nobody’s business. It’s a total lie, but every one of us at one time believed it! When a person becomes a Christian they might still be thinking like that, but God wants us to understand that everything about us, including our bodies, now belong to Him!
A change in perspective
Submitting ourselves to God changes our perspective in radical ways.
I feel like God’s building a brand new house for me so it’s super exciting to let go of my rights. I actually want to get out of His way and let Him do whatever He wants with my life! But if you’re resisting Him, you’re not going to be too excited about the changes He’s making. God’s “construction mess” might seem like an annoyance to you. Maybe you’re digging in your heels and resisting Him with everything you’ve got. Let me tell you, the Lord is able to outlast you!
Rather than fighting the Lord, why not surrender to His love?
Could it be that God’s actually making something beautiful out of you? I actually believe that getting that perspective is so important. Everything that God does in our life is motivated by love and the sooner we realize that the better off we are.
In any event, God is the Master Architect and Builder and has the complete right to do whatever He wants!
You are the house of the Lord! You are His Temple. He purchased you to the end that you would be His prized possession. You are literally not your own anymore, you belong to Jesus!
“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!” -Psalm 107:2