The One who can Redeem
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
(Isaiah 43:1-3)
Are we too far gone?
Sometimes the people who believe others can be redeemed may have difficulty believing it for themselves.
Redemption is powerful. And the truth is, we are never too far gone from grace. All we have to do is turn around and surrender to the One who is pursuing us.
The purpose of setting our gaze upon God is so that we have the opportunity to be made new. To continue growing in our walk by daily reminding ourselves of the gospel. We can look back at what God has done so that we have hope for the future.
There are sections of Isaiah that serve as reminders that God is the One who can redeem. Isaiah 43 speaks of this amazing truth. Firstly, the sentence “thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel” (vs. 1).
It is the Lord who speaks. These words are trustworthy and true, extending beyond even a specific time.
They were addressed to beloved Israel, God’s chosen people, even before their rebellion. As spoken through the prophet Isaiah, the Hebrew people were to be taken captive by the Babylonians as a judgment for their sins. Protection was removed from a season because they deserted their God. Yet, these were the words of love being proclaimed for them to look back on: They were His, and He was their God.
The same is true for the children of God today. We are formed by our Maker and crafted by love Himself. Only through Him are we able to understand our true value, identity, and purpose. And before we were even made new in Christ and dead in our sins, He went to the cross for us.
The second phrase that speaks of eternal truth is this;
“I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (vs 1).
The starting place in redemption is acknowledging the human tendency to sin. This is not to depress the human heart but rather a recognition of that which we have been saved from. We must understand the depth we had fallen in sin to grasp the height from which the arms of love have lifted us up. If sin is belittled or, worse, left out entirely, the consequence is that sacrifice on the cross, the holiness of God, and the extent of love God has shown through Jesus Christ are minimized in the process.
As necessary for redemption, we are called to die to self so that we can be reborn. In this, God, who made us and called us His own, is respected as the rightful authority in our lives.
Satan would have us believe that this is a negative act. As it was in the garden, he tries to make the authority of God look unappealing by implementing questions and doubt, which aggravate pride within the human heart.
But the truth is, the authority of God is blissful trust in the arms of the Father, and the gateway to true peace. We let go of what goes against the God of love to be born into a new life through the cross.
The following section serves as encouragement to the heart of the believer:
“when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (vs. 2).
The Israelites were comforted by the presence of God through trials, so the children of God can receive that comfort today. Often when God calls a person (whether an individual or group), He points out that He will never leave or forsake them (Exodus 3:12; Jer. 1:8, Matt. 28:20).
Even if the circumstance we find ourselves in seems overwhelming, it will not overwhelm us as long as we lean on Him, who is the source of all comfort and strength.
“For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (vs. 3)
With these words, God Himself points back to the true reason we can rely on these promises; He is the Lord, Holy One, and Savior.
I pray that you would be encouraged in redemption that is found through the cross, for Jesus endured excruciating pain so that we would not grow fainthearted but be daily encouraged by the gift of life (Heb. 12:3).
Whatever situation comes our way, we know that the one who gave us new life through Jesus Christ is more than able to sustain us.
As we reflect on the past, may we look onward to the hope for which we were called through redemption on that rugged cross.
If you do not have a relationship with God, I pray that you will consider the gift of redemption. That you would trust in the One who has made a way for us if only we would surrender our lives to Jesus.
Blessings,
Amen