Paul: His Life and His Teachings The Blessing of Redemptive Sharing
watch
No.47 Paul: His Life and Teachings - The Blessing of Redemptive Sharing
listen
overview
Previously, we have been studying about the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ. Let us continue this mini-series of lesson by looking into the blessings of Christ’s redemptive work. Let us start with a section of Paul’s second known epistle to the Corinthians where he wrote: “I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:8,9 NAU). In context, the “earnestness of others” refers to the generosity of the Macedonians Christians. They became the standard that Paul used to measure the Corinthians’ love - as love is measured through generosity. The mention of the Macedonians indicates that the love of the Corinthians was as real as the Macedonians. But Paul refused their gift in 1 Corinthians, while accepting the gifts of the Macedonians, because he did not want it to prevent him from applying the discipline he needed to apply to the Corinthians. Things have changed then in the 2nd letter.
“Grace” in context is generosity. Notice how Jesus abandoned His wealth to enrich the Corinthians or for their sake. This is intense affection and devotion (love) under immense obligation. The life of Jesus is a sacrifice, from birth to the crucifixion. He lived a sacrificial life His whole life on earth, before the resurrection. It was not just part of his life, it was His whole life. Interestingly, this points to us that an enriched life is a crucified life. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians: "For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." (Gal. 2:19-22 NAU). Sacrificing is not something that anybody is looking forward to doing. However, a generous person or an enriched life is always looking for ways to pour out their enriched lives to others.
Jesus offered His life so that he could pour His life in us. The blessing of redemptive sharing then is us having a life filled with Jesus and living the life of Jesus. Further still, the ultimate goal of Christ redemptive work is so that we could be adopted as children of God! But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Gal.4:4,5). And because we are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore, we are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God (vv.6,7). This passage brings us back to the Garden, to Abraham, to everything that has redemptive and prophetic significance in the OT. Notice that this happened in the fullness of time - the ripe time that the Bible always talks about! a “ripe” time. At the end of the passage, we are told of the end result – that God wanted to achieve through Jesus is our sonship! It is for us to be adopted back into the family of God. That has always been His will.
The reason why Jesus came is to give those who will believe the right to become children of God (cf. Jn. 1:12). When man sinned, he was placed under the dominion of darkness. Redemption means that we were taken from the dominion of darkness (cf. Col. 1:13,14). It was not just declared that we were redeemed. We know that we were redeemed because there was a change in location – we were transferred from darkness to light. This is much like a prisoner being set free – like one is removed from jail into the land of freedom. The place of freedom is that which is outside of jail. Now, you can still choose to go out and be free but some don’t know how to live free. They simply could no longer take prison out of their system. This is where the renewal of the mind comes in. Otherwise, we will not make it outside of darkness. This redemption is a giving of new identity. Identification with Adam (before the Fall), and identification with Jesus.
All of the above sounds easy, but difficult to live by. This is so because there is no revelation to our inner man or our spirit as to what we have become. It is when we receive this revelation that we will realize who we are in Christ “now” that we are His children. As adopted children of God, we became co-heirs with Jesus Christ. That means, whatever Jesus has, we also have. This may take a while for us to fully comprehend and live by. The thing is, we need to know Christ for the more we know Him, the more we will realize how great it is that God has instore for us. Praise be to God!