LENT III

March 3, 2024

“Redeemed Through Sacrifice, Justified by Grace” 

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”    (Romans 8:38-39)     

The letter of Paul to the church at Rome includes some of the most eloquent statements of Christian faith in the New Testament.  Throughout the book of Romans, we read messages of encouragement that however uncertain or fearful we may feel, or however frightening a situation may be, we are never separated from God’s loving care.  These are not just cliches of “hang in there” or “cheer up, it could be worse,” but rather, statements of the foundational belief that God’s love has power beyond anything and everything.       

We 21st Century, Western hemisphere people put much emphasis on independence and self-reliance.  If we start to believe that our relationship with God occurs on our terms, we’re on the wrong path and need to rethink that attitude!  By letting go of the mindset that we’re the ones running the show and simply accepting the amazing gift of God’s grace, we are on the way to a right relationship with our heavenly Father.  Faith is not the accomplishment of the individual.  We are brought together by the truth that as all humans are sinners, so too all are redeemed and beloved children of God.    

The Apostle Paul gets to the heart of Christian belief in the following verses:“For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”   (Romans 3:22b-24)     Paul expresses the promise of justification by God’s grace in a number of ways, but the message remains the same.  In these verses, we see the statement of redemption in Christ  included.     

I had always assumed that redeemed and redemption meant the same as payment or purchase; one item of value is exchanged for another.  However, I found a new and thought-provoking perspective in a margin note in my Lutheran Study Bible, which stated, “Redemption refers to buying back someone who has been kidnapped or taken as a prisoner of war.  It also refers to buying a slave in order to set the slave free.” I realized that time after time I’ve read or heard phrases such as “a lost and redeemed sinner” but hadn’t understood the true meaning of redemption.  The concept of redeeming or paying a ransom for the purpose of setting a person free goes far beyond generosity — it is life-giving!  That action is so far beyond a business transaction it stands alone as a gift of immeasurable generosity.  Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross was the cost of redeeming all humanity, a cost beyond our ability to comprehend.  How humbling it is to be saved so as to be set free, and how blessed we are to be able to share the news of this gift. 

Journeying through Lent together,

Your friend in Christ,

Mary Rogers