Redeemed to what?

My life verses the lives of Christians in the First Century

The greatest difference between my Christian Life and the Christian Life of the Christians of the Bible, is the new testament Christians lives showed the power of God that made a real difference in everything they did.  The Kingdom of God was expressed and evident in every aspect of their lives.  (No they were not yet made perfect but they continually pressed on toward the goal).  However, my life falls significantly short of their example. 

I contemplate... When I go to the grocery?  When a neighbor or family member drops by? When I am extremely busy at work?  When I have a "Murphy's Law" kind of day?  When I am cooking dinner?  When I choose a relaxation activity?  When I choose what to eat and when?  When I choose what to do, what not to do, and when and for how long?  Is the Kingdom of God expressed in my life?  Is the Power of God visible?  *sigh*  Not as it should be.  I wonder if I didn't tell anyone, would anyone know there was something different - something Godly and Holy about my life?

Redeemed to... what...?

If we have truly surrendered our lives to Christ.  We are redeemed from slavery to sin.  We are more than freed FROM. We are free TO.  Being redeemed from slavery, we are freed to serve and love the one who saved us and redeemed us.  This freedom comes through a new birth.  A birth of the spirit. We are born of Spirit to live a redeemed (reconciled) life (by, in, and through the Spirit of God).

Most of us are born in the Spirit as babies.  I believe that is biblically appropriate only for awhile.  We have been redeemed to be JOINT HEIRS.  Heirs are not babies (Gal 4).  Heirs are mature sons and joint heirs with Christ Jesus.  Think about that.  To join with Jesus Christ for His Kingdom purposes.  

Redeemed to be free, but are we free?

ABSOLUTELY!!  It is important to think/re-count/meditate about what we are free from.   You see, so often act like freed captives walking around in the filthy clothes of captivity.  So often we return to our cell for our meals and our rest.   This is our choice.  Many of us make this choice because either we believe the lie that we only partially free or we don't really trust God and our freedom enough to be willing to take the risk and leave the familiar.   

In my minds eye, I see it like this.  We are "freed captives" rejoicing that the gates of the prison are no longer closed or locked.  Celebrating our freedom to go out and play in the fields, feel the sun on our faces for we have been brought out of darkness and into the light.  BUT this is where we stop or get stuck. Too many times we return to the familiar, for our rest, for the majority of our sustenance, for our so called "protection", for a home.   The old familiar ways, are the ways and places of darkness and captivity.   

And you know what?  For some of us, God has set fires in the old familiar places of "comfort".  (Or for some it may seem that He has sent a Hurricane).  Yes, that is exactly what I am say GOD DID THIS.  He SENT the destroyer to destroy our shakable treasures.  For everything that can be shaken must be removed.  But we fight and cry, like little toddlers, and shout at the fire and storm.  We cry out to God, to make it right and fix it.  We are perplexed when the answers to our prayers are so different than what we expected, and we tell ourselves that the fire and storm is from the enemy and that God will bring back to us everything we want and love, and then demons disguised as angels of light encourage us - telling us that this self-deceiving lie is true.

LISTEN

Consider and listen with an open HUMBLE heart.  Is this God torching your place of captivity, so that you may never again return to it?  Is this God sending the storm to pick up and destroy to the utter most the idols that so easily entangle us in sin and fear and lies, the idols that we came to trust, in our time of darkness, but that are empty and dead and only lead us to places of death and speak only half-truths and lies.  I ask you.  I ask myself.  Is it possible?

That is NOT what God has planned for any that are truly birthed of the Spirit.  We were brought from death and captivity into life.  That we would have life abundant.  To fully walk away from the things and comforts from our captive lives.  Leaving them behind to be joint heirs in the Freedom of the Kingdom of God.

We have a bible FULL of His Words and instructions. Let each of us choose to listen. In the context of the whole of everything He has taught us (Genesis to Revelations) we must listen to what God saying to each of us about our lives, our faith, our trust, our actions, the way we honor Him, the way our lives worships Him, etc.  

What is He "saying" to you about you current condition?  Are living like a "freed captive" or are you living like a mature Joint Heir of Christ?  

Surrender

When we admit who we are and with honesty and humility surrender, God's Power is made perfect.  It is the good news!  We surrender.  We open our hands.  We stop fighting.  We get still and we allow ourselves to be naked and filthy before Him.  We allow Him to take us from the familiar places of captivity.  We allow Him to wash us in His Love and in His Word.   We allow the yeast of the Kingdom God start to grow and multiple inside of us.   We cooperate with Him. We allow Him to grow us up to become joint heirs - powerful in the Kingdom of God.

Live as children of light  

Ephesians 5

 ¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 ³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^" ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them.

 ⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 
   "Wake up, O sleeper, 
      rise from the dead, 
   and Christ will shine on you."

 ¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 ²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

God, Lord Master of all things.  Hear my prayer.  Oh that you would make me willing and teachable.  Oh that I would faithfully follow the Faithful One and watch with awestruck wonder the fruit of the Spirit (Your Godly reproductive power) grow and fall from my limbs bringing Your Eternal Life to the world I have been planted in.  This is your work.  My work is to follow, listen, watch, obey, trust, and move by/live by faith.  That in every aspect of my life Your Kingdom would come and Your will would be done.  Amen