24 Days to Reflect on God's Heart for Redemptionنموونە

Redemption from a prison house

If there was ever a person who needed redeeming in the history of humanity, it would be a man by the name of Saul. Saul was a first-century rabbi, teacher, expert in Jewish law, and a religious fanatic. He was a religious terrorist with authorization to hunt, persecute, arrest, and destroy a new religious sect focused on the Jesus of Nazareth as their leader.

Saul apprehended Christians and put them to death for their departure from the Jewish faith to which Saul pledged allegiance. On one of Saul’s journeys on the road to Damascus in modern Syria, he was blinded by a very bright light as recorded by Luke in Acts 9. Saul fell from his horse to the ground, blinded by the light, and heard a voice from heaven saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. The voice answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, now get up and go into the city and you will be told what to do.”

Saul went into Damascus and met with Ananias, who served him and helped him regain his strength. The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision, instructing him to assist Saul and help to restore his sight. Ananias said to Saul, “The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Scales immediately fell off Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. Saul got up and was immediately baptized, ate some food, and regained his strength. Soon after this experience, Saul, whose name was changed to Paul, began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

Over the span of the rest of his life, Paul would preach, make disciples for Jesus, and start churches throughout the Middle East and Southern Europe, and then write letters back to those churches to strengthen and encourage them.

One letter was written while Paul was in Rome in prison. He wrote a letter to the Christians who were part of a house church in Colossae, a city about 100 miles east of Ephesus. While Paul had not met the Christians in that church and had not visited Colossae, he sent Epaphras there to get the church started. During their pagan days, the Colossian Christians expressed their hostility to God by doing evil deeds. But after they placed their faith in Christ, they began living lives worthy of the name of Jesus. They had previously lived without God and without hope, but now they were kept in Christ and full of hope of a better life.

From a prison house to a church house, Paul writes about redemption.

Reflection question:

• Ultimately, redemption starts with the forgiveness of sin and the transformation of everything about us, and taking the bad and turning it into good for us. How has this happened in your life?