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Eternal Redemption

by Robert Beames  
7/06/2014 / Devotionals

Hollywood constantly cranks out movies with revenge as their theme. In these movies, it's often called redemption, which doesn't sound as dark as calling it personal retaliation, but that's what it usually is. Most of the violence we end up watching has more to do with vengeance than redemption. Yet, in the end we are left unfulfilled, in a desperate sense of longing for that sense of finality which continues to elude us when, even though it appears that all evil is utterly destroyed, there is that one enemy who survives to strike back in a sequel. Even after all the explosions have died down and the debris from the battle has finally settled, we rarely get the sense that the hero's deliverance is complete. Our thirst for eternal redemption is hardly ever quenched.
Why? Outside of keeping the moviemaking, money machine well oiled for another bout with the fight for the world's entertainment dollars, there are a couple of reasons springing out of the souls of mankind providing some explanation as to why we continue to long for our redemption.
On the one hand, as finite creatures, we can barely grasp the concept of anything eternal or absolute, and on the other, we tend to deny a need to be rescued by anyone. The fact that we are so attracted to fictional heroes, who are not only able to save themselves from any conceivable doom, but who can also liberate all the helpless around them from unfair oppression, proves the existence of the dichotomy inside of us, which causes us to believe that in the right circumstances we could possibly be "that guy", while at the same time we acknowledge that we are probably not able to save even ourselves from the relatively safe environment in which we live. Fortunately, it is not ultimately in our hands.
In a letter to newly converted Christians, we read, "But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:11, 12).
After a summer of blockbuster movies featuring heroes able to breach the security of the most fortified stronghold, we may easily be able to visualize Christ entering an out of this world fortress built by unconventional means, by His own merit, by His unique abilities, only to emerge with the once and for all redemption of us all. For others of us living fairly agreeable lives, a serious sense of needing to be saved may evade us.
It might helpful to look closer at the redemption spoken of here. While it is certainly about saving people who are not able to save themselves, there is another aspect to Christ's redemption of His people as their high priestas if we need more! While we don't often use the word redemption outside of the Bible, or certain science fiction thrillers, the word redeem does have a common meaning to us.
Most of us have taken a worthless piece of paper like a coupon, or a number representing a total balance on an online account, such as cashback bonuses, sky miles, or stocks, and redeemed them for something of great value. So, in a way, our lives are like free sandwiches which Christ received with the purchase of a sandwich of equal or greater value. In a sense, we are like the gift card Christ got by redeeming His cashback bonus points. We are that free trip to a tropical vacation spot earned by paying for enough trips with the same credit card... okay, not really. We were hardly able to present a piece of paper in exchange for our souls. In fact, we had nothing to offer in exchange and no amount of effort could redeem anything of value to us. In fact, the priceless was redeemed for the worthless, not the other way around. How outrageous is that?
Our spiritual redemption is ludicrous. It would be like earning enough cashback points to redeem for a brand new Porshe, but instead we exchange them for a smashed up ten-speed bike with no wheels. When Christ died for us, flawless perfection was exchanged for damaged articles. It was as if, Bill Gates' net worth of 76 billion dollars was exchanged for what's in my nine-year-old son's piggy bankthere's a lot of rattling around in there, so I don't think it's very much. Christ exchanged the vengeance meant for us, which God was justly due, for His explicit kindness toward us and His unquenchable mercy. Bogged down by our sin, incapable of saving ourselves, our adversity to God and propensity to snub our noses at the only completely good presence in the world, we held no value to anyone. But all of this changed for all time, as God, "made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions" (Ephesians 2:5).
Jesus is not only the high priest of our past, but of our present, as well. He not only redeemed our evil past, filled with sin, but He is the "high priest of the good things that are now already here", (verse 11 above), and so He is even now the incalculable joy we receive in exchange for our contemptible offerings of discontentment and disappointments in this life. Like an invaluable coupon, we are able to exchange our failures, as well as our tainted successes, for His perfectionwe have something to offer, after all!
There is much more to come because of what Christ has done for us, but if we live by faith we already benefit a great deal now because of His accomplishments on our behalf. We can live without the fear of failure, knowing His pleasure for us never changes and we can make decisions without fearing rejection, knowing His love for us depends only on the faithfulness of Christ. While it is true, that if we disown Him, He will disown us, once we've experienced the long-lasting, truly unconditional love He freely gives, who would do that? Only someone who doesn't believe such an unfair offer!
So the next time we redeem that coupon for a free sandwich, remember how we were likewise redeemed, when Christ was exchanged for an insignificant and offensive people. Unlike the coupon, Christ's exchange only needed to be done once and was sufficient for each of the spiritual blessings for which it can be redeemed. We don't need a coupon for grace, another for faith, another for patience, and so on. For He, "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).
We have been saved, and we are secure in Him. Even more, we have that eternal redemption which we so desperately long for. Christ has delivered us completely, but we can't wait for the sequel!
(I believe He wanted me to remind you of this!)

Copyright 2014, Robert Beames.
Rob Beames is the author of the book, Cornered by Grace. For details or to read his blog visit www.robertbeames.com. Get the book at kalospress.com or Amazon.com

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