TheDiscipleMD
[Redemption-the purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)]
Things don’t always go like we want or plan them to in this life. One minute you can be ‘the king of the world’, and the next, down in the lowest depths of its regions. Such has been the case for Jimmer Fredette’s professional basketball career. A top ten NBA draft pick out of college he seemed to have the basketball world by the tail. But then, well…things went south. Three years have come and gone and his career was going nowhere and many even talked of his career being over at the young age of 25. Then came the unexpected. A release from his current team. But it wasn’t without a price. He paid for his freedom in real dollars. What did he purchase? Another chance!
Basketball is just a game of course and is of no eternal consequence. (If we are talking baseball that’s different!) But the redemption of our souls is not! All of us want a second chance in this life. All of us need a second chance! Most of us need innumerable chances. Yet, none of us has within us the power to pay the price for a second chance at returning to our Heavenly Home. Yet, someone has already paid that price. We know him as Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. Paul, referring to Christ wrote to the Corinthians that “…ye are bought with a price.” (1 Corinthians 7:2) The psalmist wrote: “And they remembered that God was their rock, and…their redeemer.” (Psalms 78:35)
Indeed the redemption we so desire was not purchased by monetary means, but by the blood of Christ who suffered and fulfilled the contract that carried our names. John the Revelator wrote:
“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood…” (Revelations 1:5) He is the bearer of our burdens and He has given us new life.
The book is still open as to the ‘redemption of Jimmer’ when it comes to his basketball career. Likewise the book of life is still open for each of us regarding our eternal salvation. All of us have a second chance in this life for redemption through the blood of Christ if we will believe in Him and follow his commands. Our eternal redemption is ours if we choose to follow the pathway that Christ laid down, repent of our sins and abandon them. May we take advantage of such an opportunity as the price has already been paid to give us another chance.