I just spent many hours writing my monthly article for The Good News/FL newspaper, March edition. It is about Redemption. I got the idea several weeks ago, when there was much chatter on the news about Newt Ginrich's conversion, and his belief that he has been forgiven and has changed.
It made me think about what really happens when we become "born again". I know all the Christian doctrines and believe them with all my heart, but how often have I taken each one out and dusted it off and re-examined it, allowing the Holy Spirit to teach me something new about this invaluable inheritance we have from God the Father, because of God the Son's act of redemption for us.
It was more than just His love for us that gave us new life. It was the redemption price, the cup of wrath....with all its blood and suffering... that paid the price for my helpless fallen state. In Misty Edward's new release, The Measure of a Man, she sings a 13 minute spontaneous song called The Harlot that paints this picture even better than the movie, The Passion of the Christ.
Our sinful state is nothing to make light of, regardless of how much God loves us, His created ones. It infects our minds, motives, personalities, will, self-image, and actions with our own selfishness, pride, arrogance, and all the deceptions of the devil, the evil one. That's why the story of Adam and Eve's fall is so crucial to us still. They had ALL of God's love and attention, but fell to the deception of the devil, becoming aware now of good and evil. God could no longer have them in His paradise that He had made for them. He is completely without sin and unable to abide with it. The Bible is very clear that this separation has been passed down though ALL generations; only His grace at the time allowed those who had faith to have a relationship with Him.
In my article, I write about the plan that the Trinity had before even the foundations of the world to have the Son, at the Father's desire and command, go down to earth and pay this awful price for the root of sin in our lives. They desire to have a relationship with us....a spiritual family, sharing intimate love with each other, and changing the world around us with that love. But it demanded a price...a redemption fee....the Blood of the Lamb of God. It is only by faith and acceptance of this vital truth that we experience this "new birth". We were bought with a price. We must believe that. And that is the Holy Spirit's job...to give us wisdom and understanding of all that Jesus has done for us. What a plan!
Read the article in the March issue titled I am redeemed!
Back to the title of this blog, I guess this was sort of a week of very hard work (the price I paid) in order to now have a manageable and user-friendly storage closet (which is my garage since I really don't have one). I have to move all this stuff in 4 weeks, and that was the motivation behind it.
Not the best analogy, but the best idea I could come up with.
See you next week. Don't forget to put your email address in the email notification box at the top right, so you'll know when I write again. AND....please let me know what you think. Just click on the word comments below, write, and click on publish
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