Rescued and Redeemed

Rescued and Redeemed

By Carolyn Dale Newell

…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct… but with the precious blood of Christ…

1 Peter 1:18-19 NKJV

She shivered on the auction block, alone and ashamed. How had it come to this? She had left her loving husband who was now raising three children, and they may not be his own. Why had she been unfaithful? Why had he been so good? Why did she turn to a life of prostitution? Her choices had led her to the slave market. She had no answers, just guilt.

She could not look at the faces of the men gathering around her. She tried to ignore their slurs.

Hidden in the midst of the shouting crowd stood the man who loved her. The bidding began. Almost immediately, she heard the familiar voice of her husband. He was bidding on her! Why would he want her now? He continued to bid higher and higher. It was the forgiving love of Hosea that rescued Gomer from a future of bondage.

Christian, it was God’s love that rescued us from hell. Gomer was Hosea’s wife, but he still had to purchase her in order to save her. God created us, but He had to send His Son to redeem us with His precious blood.

God’s love letter, the Bible is filled with stories of redeeming love. Stories like Hosea and Gomer, and Boaz and Ruth, and that amazing story of our redemption.

We can identify with Gomer, feeling unworthy of God’s love. Friend, no one is worthy of His love. An undeserving love. An unconditional love. A love like no other. God loved us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8).

Maybe you feel unloved today. Perhaps you feel shame and remorse. God loves you. We were rescued from sin’s slave market. Not with money. Not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Like Gomer, we were helpless and hopeless. Jesus made a way when we could not find our way. You can read all about it in His love letter to you.

Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me from a life of sin. Thank You for seeing past my faults and loving me anyway. Thank You for rescuing me from hell. Help me live a life pleasing to You. Amen.

DIG DEEPER

Read Hosea 1-3. God demonstrated His love for Israel, who played the harlot, through Hosea and Gomer.

HIKING THE TRAIL

John 3:16 is a familiar verse, but replace “the world” with your name. If you had been the only one, Christ would have still died for you. Like Hosea, God rescued and redeemed His children from sin’s slave market. That is something to be thankful about.

Copyright 2017 Carolyn Dale Newell.

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