“knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18–19)
“and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46–47)
The Second Article (Part 2)
Have you ever received a gift that was so generous you wondered, “How can I ever repay this?”
Our first instinct is often to do something in return.
We don’t like feeling indebted.
That instinct can shape the way we think about God, too.
Many people imagine that Christianity is about Jesus giving us a second chance, and now it’s our job to prove ourselves worthy of Him. We try harder, do better, and hope we’ve done enough.
But that’s not what the Second Article, or the Bible, teaches.
Luther’s explanation begins with one of the most comforting words in the catechism:
“He has redeemed me…”
Not He has helped me redeem myself or He has made redemption possible if I do my part.
He has redeemed me.
The word redeem comes from the marketplace. It means to buy back or set someone free by paying a price. In the ancient world, a slave could be redeemed if someone paid the cost of his freedom.
That is the picture Peter gives us.
We were not trapped in slavery to an earthly master, but to sin, death, and the devil. And our freedom could not be purchased with silver or gold.
The price was far greater: The precious blood of Christ.
This is the heart of the Gospel.
Jesus did not simply come to teach us how to live.
He came to rescue us because we could not rescue ourselves.
Notice how personal Luther makes it. Not simply,
“Christ redeemed the world.”
That is gloriously true.
But also,
“Christ has redeemed me.”
The Gospel is never less than personal.
Jesus knows your sins. He knows your failures, your regrets, your hidden shame, and every promise you’ve broken.
He carried those very sins to the cross.
That means your forgiveness does not depend on how well you have lived this week. It does not rise and fall with your feelings or your performance.
It rests on Christ’s finished work.
And because He has redeemed you, you belong to Him. Not as a slave living in fear, but as a beloved child living in freedom.
The Christian life is not about earning God’s love.
It is about living in the love Christ has already won for you.
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for redeeming me, not with silver or gold, but with Your holy, precious blood and Your innocent suffering and death. Help me to rest in the certainty that my salvation is Your work, not mine. Fill my heart with gratitude, and lead me to live each day as one who belongs to You.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
