The Power of Redemption (part II)

By Odon Bulamba (summary only)

As you know, when kings die they are buried. Whether poor or rich, every one of us will be buried and if the lions eat you, when the lions die you will be buried too. Anyway, life finishes there. The earth received David. The earth received Adam. The earth has swallowed a lot of people that we know and kept them. But the day when the earth swallowed Jesus, three days later the earth threw Him up. Jesus was bitter for the taste of the earth (like the bitter taste of vinegar Jesus was given to drink on the cross). The earth knew that this man couldn’t stay there, He had to go out.

When you are sick for example, are you in peace? I don’t think so. Even if you are driving, you feel that you have to stop to throw up. If you are in a meeting, even if it were with a president, when sickness is there, you won’t stop it. And the earth could feel this nausea with Jesus too and this nausea was the power of redemption. It was the power of freedom. The earth was in trouble and the earth said let Him go.

So Jesus was alive. And something else - the tomb that was closely guarded, the tomb felt that it was not possible. In the same way as when you feel like you need to vomit, you cannot even close your lips, it has to go and if you close your lips it will come back again and go with pressure and you will throw up. And the tomb also could feel this power and rejected Jesus with power. All the soldiers in front of the tomb fell on the ground. That was the power of redemption.

And us as Christians, one day we will feel that we have been redeemed and Satan already knows how strong we are and if Satan hasn’t thrown you up yet that will be the time when he will throw you up because your price has been paid already a long time ago.

When Jesus was resurrected, the Bible says that His body was transformed. When you would see it, it was the same Jesus but He was living in spirit. He had a body that maybe didn’t have water. He had a shiny body and He had a body working as a spirit. And your body and my body how are they waiting? If someone has already paid the price, why are our lives and bodies not transformed too? If you smoked, you keep smoking, if you were drinking, you keep drinking. Have you already received redemption? The Bible says redemption is eternal.

Ephesians 1:7. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace.

Our sins have been forgiven and we have received redemption through everything that He’s done. It means He paid for our sins. He paid also the price for our lives and on top of all this, He gave us grace. What a miracle! Animals don’t have grace. Birds don’t have grace. But for us, God gave us grace, the power of redemption. We have to be proud as Christians because someone paid our price. When I’m hungry, He gives me some food. When I’m sick, He heals me. When I’m in distress, He gives me joy. But what do I give him?

And do you know one thing? - after Jesus’ death on the cross, someone who was very courageous but in a negative way, took a spear and came in front of the body and pushed the spear and said “Die again.” He pierced the body which was already dead. What a misery. Something that is not good for us Christians, and us Christians today, we do that. When our brothers or sisters are in a mistake, and we find out that they are dying spiritually, we take also a spear to pierce them to say let’s finish it once and forever. This is a danger for us.

So the power of redemption gave us transformation. The power of redemption gave us life. That’s how you have been called by God and saved. When you were saved, I can tell you that it was not your will. That was God’s will because He loved you first. How many people in this world look for God and cannot find him? They ask me, “where can I find God? I really need to be saved but I can’t. I really need to know the gospel but I can’t. I push myself to read the word of God, but I can’t understand a word. I try to follow people to have the Word of God explained to me but I can’t understand anything”. They cry everyday and say that if Jesus came back today I’ll be lost. And you who have received the grace of knowing Jesus, you don’t even think of when Jesus will return. Take the assurance of salvation tonight. Be assured that if Jesus will return today, you’ll be with him in the heavens. And you the good news that Jesus gave you - when Jesus will return only those who belong to him will be caught up in the air. It means that you and me will be caught up in the air. I see my sister Colleen and say “Ah, sister you are here. Praise the Lord!” And we are going to dance together, and sing with our brother. We are going to sing with everybody. What a joy! The price of our life has been paid.

For the full message please email: littlebethlem@windowslive.com