God Has Redeemed Us Series

He tried to pull it back to shore, but the string broke. The little boat raced downstream. The boy ran along the shore as fast as he could. But his little boat soon slipped out of sight.

All afternoon he searched for the boat. Finally, when it was too dark to look any longer, he went home.

A few days later, on the way home from school, the boy spotted a boat just like his in a store window. When he got closer, he could see - sure enough - it was his! He hurried to the store manager and said, "Sir, that’s my boat in your window! I made it!" "Sorry, son," the manager replied, "If you want it, you’ll have to buy it for one dollar."

So the boy ran home and counted all his money. Exactly one dollar! When he reached the store, he rushed to the counter. "Here’s the money for my boat." As he left the store, Tom hugged his boat and said, "Now you’re twice mine. First, I made you and now I bought you."

God made us, then lost us to sin. But in Christ, He has redeemed us - He has bought us back. He did this by giving His all, which was enough, to pay the price so that we might belong to Him.

The only difference in the story and our situation is that, unlike the boat, we have a choice to make. The price has been paid for our redemption. The question is, are we willing to accept the new relationship with God made possible because of the price Jesus paid for us?

If we choose to accept what Christ has done for us, then like the boy and his boat, we can have God’s original purpose for making us fulfilled as we live in fellowship with Him. Which brings us to a second truth concerning our redemption.

2. The purpose of redemption - vs. 5-6

Paul identifies a two-fold purpose in Christ paying the price for our sins. He did so in order that . . .

A. We might become the heirs of God - v. 5

Some translations read, "that we might receive the adoption of sons." The Greek word for adoption is `huiothesia’. `Huios’ meaning `son’, `thesis’ meaning `position’, `huiothesia’ means `taking the position of a son’.

Understand this: Adoption is not the method of entry into God’s family. As Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, we enter into God’s family only by being born again. Rather, adoption speaks of our privilege and standing within God’s family. The moment we were born again, we were placed in an adopted state as heirs, as sons of God.

We think of adoption in terms of adopting a little baby. But that’s not the biblical concept of adoption. Biblical adoption refers to a full-grown adult. Suppose that Donald Trump, on his show, The Apprentice, chose to do more than hire the winning contestant. Suppose he chose instead to adopt them as his son or daughter. Instead of having a job, they would have an inheritance.

The Son of God took our position on the Cross of Calvary, paying for our sins, in order that we might in turn take the position as sons of God. Having said that, however, let me say this does not mean we are equal to Jesus Christ. True, we are adopted sons, but God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Nevertheless, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.