A post encouraged viewers to comment their favorite word. I had to think about it a minute.
Saved is a good word. I save lots of things. Sometimes there is a really nice bag or box, you know, something your purchases are packed in at the store. Those items are destined for the trash, but I save them. I tuck them in a closet so that they may be used later. They were trash, but when I save them they have potential. God saved me through the blood of Christ. Saved is a good word.
Loved is also a good word. Love carries a lot of fuzzy warm feelings. I love a lot of people, and a lot of people love me. God loved me enough to send his son Jesus to die for me. No one else has died for me, and only a few would. Love is a good word.
Christian is another good word. I am a Christian. I have chosen to follow Christ. The word Christian defines much about who I am. That one word encompasses my beliefs, my goals, my world view, my hope. Christian is a good word.
But I didn’t choose any of those words or any of the millions of other really good words. I chose the word redeemed.
To be redeemed means to be saved, but it also involves love. A person who redeems something has to pay a price to save it from destruction. It is so much more than what I do when I snatch a good box from the trash. Jesus gave his life to save me from. Redemption, therefore, isn’t just liking something a little and seeing its potential use. God loves me so much that he sent his only son to die for me! So, redemption also speaks of the value of what is being saved. You don’t pay a high price to save something you are going to store out of sight and mind. The redeemed is purchased at a high price and set apart for a special use. Because Christ redeemed me, he has given me purpose. Because I am redeemed, I have a calling, a hope, a future. Redeemed speaks volumes about the person who has been redeemed and the Redeemer himself.
Yes, redeemed is a really good word.
In fact, I think it is my favorite.
“Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed through his infinite mercy. His child forever I am!”