We have redemption

Ephesians 1:5-8 In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.

One of my first memories of a "big news story", other than the 1968 World Champion Detroit Tigers, is of the Watergate hearings. The recent passing of Chuck Colson brought back memories of the Watergate hearings, the characters, the drama and revelations wrapped up in this national tragedy.

Moving forward in our lives is a constant, and an imperative. Failing to move on with our lives leaves us to wallow in a quagmire of self regret and self pity. With Easter 2012 in the rearview, I am left to wonder about how the disciples felt in those three days between the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and his resurrection. Regret on the part of Peter for denying Jesus, the loss of their Rabbi and friend all must have weighed heavy on their minds. And when Jesus restored Peter, it had to be a truly moving experience for all the disciples. And yet, for Jesus it was another opportunity to teach the disciples back then and us today.

On some level, I admire Chuck Colson. The miracle performed by God in turning his life around is astounding to say the least. He went from a central character in the Watergate scandal, to prison for the crimes he committed and then to finding Christ and becoming a driving force in the Prison Fellowship ministry. To say that he lived an interesting life is an understatement. He, through Christ, accomplished many great things in his post-prison life. He embraced the principle of redemption in Christ. And tried as best as he could to share the good news of the Gospel with many who needed to hear that good news. Make no mistake, Chuck was human just as you and I are human, and he did not lead a perfect life after prison. But the lessons you and I can take away from his life are three fold. First and foremost, we too can embrace the forgiveness that Chuck found in Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of all of our sins. We should not ever forget that lesson. We sin, we are forgiven, and we try to do better. We move on with hope for a better future. Second, we share the good news. The world is full of people who do not know, or reject the forgiveness and love found in Jesus. If we keep that good news bottled up inside of us, we fail in our responsibility to bring all to know Jesus as we are tasked in the "Great Commision" found in Matthew 28:16-20. Go, make disciples, baptize and teach are the imperatives we embrace as followers of Jesus Christ. And last, but certainly not least, we see the brilliant possibilities that are out there when the Holy Spirit enters a life and implements a profound change. This is the hope and promise we all embrace. God can forever change lives. There are many wonderful examples for us to see, all we have to do is to look around us. This is the hope we hold onto for all who have been lost to sin, and now are trying to change their lives by embracing the love of Jesus. For those who have already embraced this in our lives we are forever grateful. Ephesians 1:7&8 lays it all out for us. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. We know this as believers. We trust in this a people who are prone to failure. And we rely on this as sinners. It keeps us moving forward, and to not remain stuck in the past. When we encounter someone who wants to drag us, or someone, else back into the past that Christ has forgiven we need to take a stand. If God forgives us, who is mortal man to not do the same?

PRAYER: Almighty God, Your Holy Spirit delivers faith that makes profound changes in the lives of people. We are all human, sinners by nature and sadly in need of a great heaping helping of Jesus. Today Lord, we lift up those who are in the prisons of the world. We do not pass judgement on their past, but we ask that Your Holy Spirit changes their futures. We ask Father that Your Spirit would be poured out in full measure. We ask that lives lost to sin would be won by Christ. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Who saved all with His sacrifice, Amen.