Redemption means the saving work of Christ. He brings us out of our bondage (to sin) through the payment of a ransom.
The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was violent and messy. If you think about the details, it can be a heart-wrenching reminder of the reality of sin in our lives, and what it took to redeem us.
Our tendency is to separate ourselves from the whole process by believing that God canceled our debt. We treat it as if it is a metaphor or legend. A moral story we tell to children. Not an actual event that took place on our behalf. We would rather believe He just wiped the slate clean, said he forgives us and everything is fine.
That is not true, you were bought at a price. The debt you owed was paid in full. It wasn’t canceled, it wasn’t forgotten. It was paid in full through the brutal sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
That’s what’s so amazing about the sacrifice Christ makes on our behalf. That’s what makes it such an incredible act of mercy and grace. He didn’t cancel our debt, he paid it. That’s what the redemptive work of Christ means.
Today, believe the truth: you were bought at a price.