“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13).

The amazing truth of the gospel is that we’re bought back from the power of sin and Satan — redeemed. That’s a fact that influences not just the day of conversion but the entirety of our lives.

This is no small deal. Psalm 49 explains: 

Truly no man can ransom another,

or give to God the price of his life,

for the ransom of their life is costly

and can never suffice,

that he should live on forever

and never see the pit (Ps. 49:7-9, ESV). 

Sin brings a total bondage from which it is impossible to free ourselves. No power of our own will can break this. No amount of our own good works or attempt to clean up our lives can pay back the immense debt we accrue every single day because even our best, most righteousness deeds are like filthy rags (Is. 64:6). 

When Christ redeemed us, he purchased us by his own blood (the only thing sufficient to pay the debt of our sin) and bought us out of the slave market of sin to be his own.

But what I love about this reality is that it doesn’t end the day we’re bought out of the slave market. In other words, not only has he paid our immense debt and set us free, he’s also offered us a place in his family and continual redemption for our present and future sins. 

A dear friend of my moms often reminded her as she was raising young kids “God is a redeemer God.” Those were comforting words, because it’s easy to fear if you don’t get your toddler’s sleep schedule right or train them to sit still in church, you’ll ruin them forever…  But I love that reminder, because no matter the season, it’s so easy to regret our failures of the past or be paralyzed by fear of failure in the future — all the while forgetting that our God is a God who loves to redeem. He delights in taking the broken parts of our lives and making them whole again. And while our sin (even as believers) does bring consequences, how often does God show us immense mercy and grace and give us healing and wholeness, blessings and opportunities, we don’t deserve at all?

As you grieve over the broken parts of your life — whether they be past or present — remember that our God is a redeemer God. He redeemed us from the curse of sin. And he is continually showing his redemption, restoring to us the years the locust have eaten (Joel 2.25).