God’s Redeeming Love

Redeeming love rescues us from a helpless, orphan-like estate and affords us a family to which we belong. God’s love redeems us from our sinful estate He adpots us and calls us son and daughters. As a child who is an orphan is adopted, they have been redeemed by their adopting-family. That family-like relationship bears meaning and results in our hearts loving, thereby obeying, because we love Him, as a Father, and delight to share in His holy-nature (Romans 8; Hebrews 12).

As an orphan is adopted, that is a joyous, life-renewing experience! Even though this child who was an orphan has been adopted, though, simultaneously they are carrying with them the trauma of being an orphan - but it’s their adoptive-status actually defines them. 1st John helps us learn how to grow into that identity. Below is our framework for God’s redeeming love, which we covered last Sunday. Review these passage and rejoice with me over how our heavenly Father loves His sons and daughters:

‘For God so loved the world…’

• God offers His love through Jesus to the entire world (John 3:16; 1st John 2:2)

His love is forgiving and fatherly

• Repentant sinners receive forgiveness for sin through Christ and become children of God (Romans 8:6-8; 8:16)

Knowing Him, we cannot help but to love Him back.

• This family-like relationship with God bears meaning in our lives through causing us to delight to share in His holy-nature (Hebrews 12:5-7)