REDEMPTION

To be redeemed is to be the concept of having a debt paid. On a spiritual level we all carry the debt of sin and only the blood of Jesus Christ is precious enough to redeem our debt at the throne of God.

But there are many different types of redemption that can occur in life. For there is the in our live also the debt or deficiency created by our flaws. God and only God through the power of his holy spirit is capable of redeeming that debt.

I think the scriptures about with instances of the Lord redeeming a life that seemed worthless and only deserving of being discarded. The simple parable about the one out of ninety-nine lost sheep that is found is a good example of the reality that God does care about the least.

To see others through the Lord's eyes and know that no matter how repugnant a soul might be, God can redeem the person is to see hope instead of hopelessness. I didn't say he redeems everyone. Only that he has the power to do so.

Why does he touch some and not others? That is part of the sovereignty of God that we can't always understand.

But I have seen the times when too many people are judged by appearance alone. This happens way to often even in churches. The odd person, the one who isn't beautiful on the outside just gets rejected.

I think back to when my wife graduated from this college where we both attended. This was an institution that cultivated a special image of catering to the young as would be expected from a place with superficial values.

They had an invitation for graduating seniors to try out to give a speech for three different events, graduation, senior breakfast and the special service on the night before the graduation. My wife tried out for the speaking event and I helped her with the speech.

The only problem was that my wife as by then in her thirties and not the ideal of a young woman still in her twenties. Predictably they selected this one girl who was young, blonde and single to give the graduation speech even though everyone admitter her speech was trite, full of clichés and mainly a lot of fluff. It was needless to say a based solely upon the prejudice of opinion.

Today, my wife holds a very responsible staff position in another college. She his highly respected by her peers for her intelligence and skill. God proved that she was worth redeeming and I'm very proud of her success.

As for that other institution, well they have continued their practice of a lack of sight and redemption. It is sad that it happens, but we do rejoice that God has eyes too many of us will never have.