Redemption's responsibility
16 April 2025|Papa God & Denae Roth
Redemption must be accompanied by responsibility. As Easter approaches, we focus on the unimaginable sacrifice Jesus suffered on the cross, and the inexpressible joy of His resurrection bringing us new life. Through the pouring of his blood and the breaking of His body, the nails that pierced the hands of the God incarnate, the scars forever inflicted in His sides, we are offered a love too great for words, we are offered: redemption. Freely, He gives this new life; but how do we respond?
In Hosea 3, Hosea redeems Gomer, his wife, from her adulterous lifestyle in obedience to God's command. He writes, “So I bought her back for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and lethech of barley. And said to her, ‘You must DWELL as MINE for many days.” Hosea 3: 2-3. He bought her back. He redeemed her from her shameful ways. He loved again.
However her redemption came with an expectation, she must dwell as his. Gomer was no longer free to pursue her compulsive passions, she was no longer her own, because redemption is accompanied by responsibility. Isaiah 43:1, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Mine, meaning the ownership and possession of someone or something. Just as Gomer had to surrender to the authority of Hosea, so we must learn to steward our lives for Adoni, our Master, because we are no longer our own. Every breath we take is for the glory of Yahweh, every dream has to come under the alignment of the Father’s will, every seed sown is not for our recognition, but for the building of the kingdom. I wish I could say it is easy for me, but it is not. My spirit is fully committed, but my flesh fights for control, to be the master not the stewart. Jesus is not unaware of the inner turmoil. He is not ashamed of the process. He is a man that acquainted Himself with the sorrows of the world to be our Wonderful Counselor.
In John 13 we see Jesus humble Himself. Kneeling on the ground with a towel around his waist, He wipes the dirt of the calloused bruised feet of HIS disciples. Peter, however, rebels. “Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’” John 13:8. It is so easy to become like Peter. Separating our mess and our dirt from our relationship with Jesus. We want to show our King the best of us, offer what we’ve gained for His kingdom, do the big things and then show up at His throne once we have the finished product. “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.” Hosea 6-7. He just wants us. Pure and simple. There is nothing wrong with wanting to give Him our best, but He wants to do it with us. In fact He died not for the purpose of receiving more sacrifices, but to be THE sacrifice, restoring our eden relationship. He is our Master, who desires to cleanse us, consecrate us, and make us holy by His truth. If we do not let Him in, we do not get to become His. We have no share in His abundant life. As we bask in wonder of our Savior's death and resurrection, may our response to His free gift of redemption be a surrendered heart of responsibility. Allowing Him into every part of our lives, so that we can become wholly and completely His alone.