God’s Redemption is Absolute

Jim Davis

Psalms 15:1-5; Ephesians 1:3-14; Isaiah 43:22-25

Psalms 15 creates a certain amount of anxiety for me. David asks, “LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?” Reading this psalm and similar passages may provoke a tremendous amount of frustration in all of us. 

Psalms 15
15:1 A psalm of David.

LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill? 

2 He whose walk is blameless 
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart 
3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong 
and casts no slur on his fellowman, 
4 who despises a vile man 
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath 
even when it hurts, 
5 who lends his money without usury 
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things 
will never be shaken. NIV

A casual reading of Psalms 15 may lead us to think the writer is merely accusing us. I know I am not blameless. I do not always do the right thing. I do not always speak the truth—I try . . . but . . . there is something inside that resists. There are times I can’t whole my tongue. Sometimes I enjoy the company of sinful people more than religious people—they seem more real. I don’t have any money to lend, so I am good there. Yet, I always wonder what I would be like if I had a lot of money? I wonder if that doesn’t define who I am. This leaves a nagging question, how can I come into God’s presence? 

We may come away from this psalm feeling as others who contemplated drawing near to God. Bildad contemplated Job’s plight as he reflected on God. He comes to the conclusion the evil Job suffers is proof that man is no more than a maggot in God’s eyes. 

Job 25
25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 

2 "Dominion and awe belong to God; 
he establishes order in the heights of heaven. 
3 Can his forces be numbered? 
Upon whom does his light not rise? 
4 How then can a man be righteous before God? 
How can one born of woman be pure? 
5 If even the moon is not bright 
and the stars are not pure in his eyes, 
6 how much less man, who is but a maggot — 
a son of man, who is only a worm!" NIV

The call to holiness may provoke deep frustration. A conscientious person seeking to come into God’s presence is well aware of haunting shortcomings. As we seek to follow all the rules, it seems as though the rules themselves condemn our efforts. 

Romans 3:19-20
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. NIV

Christianity does not keep the law from proclaiming my sinfulness. I can’t study the law of God without becoming aware of my sinfulness. If anything becoming a Christian heightens my awareness of my sinfulness. 

Romans 7:8-9, 24-25
But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died . . . What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! NIV

The wretchedness Paul felt as he struggled to live by God’s law is what the psalmist feels as he writes:

Psalms 143:2
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you. NIV

The psalms invite us to get real with ourselves and God. It is scary, but with God it is the only thing we can do. The psalmist writing Psalms 15 understood the sentiments in this psalm: 

Psalms 130:3-4
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand? 
4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared. NIV

Discovering God’s Mercy

"Between the radiant white of a clear conscience and the coal black of a conscience sullied by sin lie many shades of gray--where most of us live our lives." (Sherry L. Hoppe, A Matter of Conscience: Redemption of a Hometown Hero, Bobby Hoppe)

How do I even begin to reconcile these disparate realities? On the one hand, I have this joyful confidence. On the other, I have the terrible reality of my sinfulness. The truth is, I cannot reconcile these incongruent realities—only God’s mercy can. He does it through Jesus Christ.

It is when we stand between the fear of the Lord and his forgiveness that we discover God’s mercy. God is not mercilessly or puritanically judging our every move. This is the type of judgment we see in religion. The disciples of Jesus were judged for not washing their hands before they ate, for gathering grain on the Sabbath, for not fasting as John’s disciples fasted, etc. Jesus was judged for healing on the Sabbath, for associating with sinful people, etc. 

God’s judgment reveals his mercy.

Isaiah 1:18-20
18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool. 
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land; 
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. NIV

Mercy can only be understood as it is contrasted with God’s punishment of sin. Isaiah prefaces his book with the above verses. Isaiah contrasts God’s mercy with his wrath. He reminds Israel of God’s mercy and then he reminds Israel of her sins. The book of Isaiah follows the tone of the following verses. 

Isaiah 43:22-25
22 "Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob,
you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel. 
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings 
nor wearied you with demands for incense. 
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,
or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins 
and wearied me with your offenses. 

25 "I, even I, am he who blots out 
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more. NIV

Isaiah tells the story of redemption like no other. Israel burdened God with her sins and wearied him with her religious practices and offerings. Yet, God says, “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you" (Isaiah 44:22). Have you ever noticed how quietly the morning mist disappears? God’s gentleness is just that inviting.

Isaiah 42:1-4
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him 
and he will bring justice to the nations. 
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets. 
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 
4 he will not falter or be discouraged 
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope." NIV

Isaiah speaks of redemption as something that has already been done for Israel. It is not a question of will God forgive? A merciful God has already forgiven before we ask. It is hard to believe that every sinner on earth has already been redeemed. Yet, it is true. God doesn’t say, I will redeem you—He says I have redeemed you!! It is unimaginable!! 

A man told of his visit to the Holy lands. The tour guide got on the bus, introduced himself as Amnon. He said that he was named after one of King David’s sons. The man said, "You mean the one that assaulted his half-sister Tamar?" It must have been on his "to-do" list to read "How to win friends and influence people." They actually hit it off amazingly. Later, they were talking and the man asked Amnon how many Jews went through the Exodus. Amnon said, "We all went through it." That is a collective view of history, a shared history. We, as westerners, don’t think that way. 

Yet, the history of Israel is our history, it tells the story of our redemption. Israel’s history came to fruition through Christ (Acts 2:1-47). It is our story as we embrace the Author of those stories through Jesus Christ. Our redemption goes beyond the exodus of the Hebrews. It reaches back to eons of time before the creation of this world. It is God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:11). His purpose is absolute!

God’s mercy is unrelenting as he holds out his plan of redemption for Israel and us.

Isaiah 42:14-16
4 "For a long time I have kept silent,
I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant. 
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills 
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands 
and dry up the pools. 
16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them 
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them. NIV

God compares his willingness to extend mercy to that of a woman giving birth. There is no way a woman in birth pains can stop the child from being born. There is no way God can withhold his mercy for the weak and helpless.

Isaiah 40:27-31
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"? 
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. 
29 He gives strength to the weary 
and increases the power of the weak. 
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; 
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. NIV

God redeems us for his own sake. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake . . .” (Isaiah 43:5). Redemption is a proclamation of God’s purpose for his creation. His purpose defines his character. God does not save us because we are holy. He saves us because he is holy. Our salvation defines who He is. God’s true nature is revealed as he proclaims his absolute need to redeem his creation. God’s very nature drives his mercy to meet his demands for justice through Christ.  

Romans 5:20-21
20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. NIV

Redemption Is Hard to Accept

Why is it so hard to accept redemption? God’s mercy says his future plans for us define who we are and who we can be. 

The church in Largo, Florida, had pine trees scattered over five acres. For a couple of years there was little rain. In dry weather the pine trees naturally dropped their pine needles all over the ground to conserve their need for water. The fewer needles growing on the trees, the less water trees needed. Yet, there was a double value in the trees dropping their needles. The ground around the trees were mulched with the pine needles. This naturally helped retain the ground water for the trees survival. 

The members always raked and bagged the needles for aesthetic reasons. In reality we were working against God’s natural order for the trees survival in drought conditions. Gathering the pine needles made everything aesthetically appealing, but it was not really helping the trees.  

How often do we fight God’s spiritual order of things? God’s redemption is complete, and free. Yet, we have such a hard time accepting God’s redemption. We go about seeking to redeem ourselves through religious activities and doing good deeds to improve our self-image.

God created us in Christ to do good works. “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).We do not do these things to make us holy. We do it because God has made us holy and blameless in Christ. 

We long for redemption. But the world says our past defines our future—defines who we are. Religion and the world hang this cloud of guilt over our head. It says, this is who you should be, ought to be, would have been, if only you were not who you are. To relieve our guilt today’s world turns this around and says you should blame others for who you are. Redemption does not come in blaming others, but trusting in God.

God wants me to know I can come to him just as I am. Redemption is absolutely free. There is nothing we must do to earn it beyond simply accepting it. 

Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory. NIV

Redemption is freely given to all through Christ. Paul explains how we can walk blameless before God. God chose to make us blameless through Christ’s sacrifice. God predetermined before the creation of this world that he would freely redeem every person through Jesus Christ. God chose to make us holy and blameless in Christ. 

We must accept the fact that we cannot redeem ourselves--our spiritual health depends upon it. Otherwise guilt and dread will destroy us. God has wiped the slate clean. There is absolutely nothing I can do to turn back the pages of life and correct all my sinful mistakes. We must not live regretful lives. It only thwarts God’s efforts to salvage our lives. He knew this before he created the world. God’s redemption leaves us free to engage ourselves in God’s holy calling unburdened with the past as we trust in the redemption only God can provide. 

"We must not offer people a system of redemption, a set of insights and principles. We offer people a Redeemer." Paul David Tripp (Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change)

David ask, who may dwell in the presence of God; he answers saying—those whose walk is blameless. Accepting God’s redemption is the only way we can dwell in the presence of God blamelessly. There is absolutely nothing we can do to redeem ourselves beyond simply accepting redemption as a merciful gift from God. 

Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV

Salvation and redemption rest solely in God’s hand. We can’t come to God doing religious acts to redeem our past. This would only leave us full of doubt and fear wondering if we ever did enough to make amends. God doesn’t empower us to redeem ourselves; he doesn’t empower us to salvage our own lives. God’s purpose is not some deep dark mystery we must somehow figure out. He desires to open our eyes to his incomparable power working on the behalf of those who believe (Ephesians 1:18-20; Ephesians 3:20-21). 

Yet, God’s redemptive purpose for our world goes beyond mere forgiveness. We speak of mercy, grace, atonement and forgiveness and fail to see God’s redeeming purpose for our lives. It is why the church has become stagnant in her approach to Christianity. To understand God’s redemption we must grasp God’s plan for our world and how we fit into his plan. 

God’s mercy introduces us to a constructive way of life. Sin brings destruction as it focuses our lives on self. Sin places the emphasis on self. When self becomes the center of our lives—self drains the life out of everything self comes in contact with. How merciful would God be to allow us to pursue a self-destructive path? 

“Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I'm not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things - things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him.” (Oswald Chambers)

God’s plan is personal and poignant. If you want to know God’s plan in simple terms read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Simply stated—treat others how you want to be treated. We do this because we have been saved not to be saved.

Conclusion:

When I ponder Christianity I have difficulty figuring out who is worshipping whom. People offer sacrifices to the gods they worship. In Christianity we see God offering those who worship him the sacrifice of his Son. He lays him on the altar for each of us without hesitation. He lays all our sins upon Christ. He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). God didn’t choose to do this because he knew we would never sin again after accepting his free gift. He did it because he knows we can’t live above sin.

Salvation is an absolute gift of God’s mercy.

Romans 4:4-8
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 

7 "Blessed are they 
whose transgressions are forgiven, 
whose sins are covered. 
8 Blessed is the man 
whose sin the Lord will never count against him." NIV

Knowing that redemption is absolute and free allows us to rest from our labors of seeking to redeem ourselves. 

Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." NIV

God’s absolute redemption allows us to cast our anxiety upon him.

1 Peter 5:6-11
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. NIV