You've Got to be Lost to be Redeemed
Acts 9:15 NIV
"But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel."
When we talk about redemption, which is what today's thought it about, I love going back to the story of Saul of Tarsus. Saul, who was later named Paul, played a monumental role in forming the Christian church alongside the original disciples after Jesus' death and resurrection. What makes Paul unique is that, though he was a Jew, he didn't agree with the Christ-believing Jews, and in turn, persecuted them severely. He had families torn apart and people thrown in prison for worshipping Jesus. However, this didn't stop Jesus from being able to use him. In an act of redemption, Jesus appeared to him on his way to Damascus and told him to head into the city to await his instruction, then struck him blind. I love this part because I truly believe that in order for us to be redeemed, we must be blind in our faith. Vision is essential to our daily lives, and without it, we must rely on someone else to guide us. When we're blind in our faith, our guide is Jesus. Now, in a vision, the Lord spoke to a disciple named Ananias telling him to go to Paul so that he could see again. Hesitant, Ananias obeyed Jesus' command and in doing do, Paul's vision was restored, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
If we look at Paul's past, we can see that it was pretty ugly. I mean, we can do some pretty sinful things, but down right denying Christ and persecuting others for their faith in him can get pretty hairy. But guess what? Jesus had a plan for Paul anyways! Even Jesus-despising Paul, was not too far gone to be redeemed. You see, we all go through hard things. We all make poor choices. We may have gone off course and have a really ugly past, but none of those things matter anymore. Because Jesus died, we have entered into a new covenant with our God. One that doesn't matter how sinful we have been, but still offers forgiveness that wipes away our iniquities for good. When we turn our lives over to Jesus, just as Paul did, we allow him to guide us out of our blindness and into a fruitful life through him. That right there is true redemption.
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