S - Scripture

Romans 3:24

24 they are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:6-11

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

Romans 6:23

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

O - Observation

• We are freely justified through Christ's redemption of us
• What does redemption mean?
• Christ did this while we were still sinners (or before were put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior)
• What is reconciliation?
• Wages are earned, what am I owed then? And what did I do to earn it?
• Why is it important that God's gift is free?

A - Application

There is comfort in the fact that salvation is based on Christ's work on the cross and not my own doing. Now, this does not give us a license to sin or do as we please. Rather, we are to grow more Christlike and ultimately not be like the rest of the world.

Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Without Christ, we are owed what we are due. As we read, we are sinners (even I), and sin must be punished or God wouldn't be just. I am owed the punishment of my sins, death. If that sounds bad, it is, but that is probably the most just and fair thing about life. Last session we read that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and the law is there so we can recognize our sin.

Remember though, God is also loving. While He has to punish sin, He also paid for it, redemption, for those that are His adopted children.

Merriam Webster defines redemption as: the act, process, or an instance of redeeming; and redeeming as: serving to offset or compensate for a defect. But what does it mean in the context of the Bible (language and words change over time).

Let's take a quick look at the Greek word used here, apolytrōsis. "It is a compound word: combining apo- ("away from") and lytrōsis ("ransoming" or "buying back"), literally meaning "a ransom in full" or the release of someone by paying a price" (Dr. Bill Mounce).

Wow, so God-through His love for us (John 3:16-17)-pays for our sins, therefore, buying us back and reconciling Himself with us.

Reconciliation is another word we see repeated, but what does it mean? Reconciliation is when two or more parties at odds with each other recognize their parts in the issue and begin to come back together to actively restore their relationship. As we have been reading in Romans, our relationship with God is broken and we are unable to resolve this ourselves. By definition, reconciliation shouldn't be possible, so how is it? God pays our punishment and bring us closer to Him, fixing our broken relationship. Reconciliation only comes through God by Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross.

Salvation is not something we earn; it is something Jesus accomplished for us through His death and resurrection. Because of that, Christians can have real confidence and comfort. But grace is not permission to live however we want. God saves us so that we can be transformed and become more like Christ, not conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).

Key takeaways

• Sin deserves judgment: all of us have sinned and fall short of God's glory, so we cannot fix our broken relationship with God on our own.
• Jesus paid the price: the Bible's idea of redemption is a ransom paid in full. Through the cross, God forgives our sin, brings us back to Himself, and restores the relationship that was broken.

P - Prayer

Lord, I acknowledge that the wages of my sin is death, and I am grateful that You have intervened with Your grace. Thank You for the free gift of eternal life in Jesus. Help me to never take this gift for granted. May I live each day in humble gratitude, relying completely on Christ for my life and salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.