DAY 4: THE MAN CHRIST JESUS I (JOURNEY INTO REDEMPTION)

 PHRONESIS DEVOTIONAL

30 DAYS DEVOTIONAL WITH PREACHER SAM

September 4, 2023.

Topic: THE MAN CHRIST JESUS I (JOURNEY INTO REDEMPTION)

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:21-23, 45-49

Verse for Meditation: 1 Timothy 2:5 NLT

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.

The primary purpose of Christ’s first coming is to redeem the fallen man. What then is redemption? It means to rescue upon payment of a ransom. And ransom historically is a sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender. Though these days it is the money paid for freeing of a hostage.

Also redemption is an act of recovering ownership of something by paying a sum or an act to save or release from debt. It can also mean an act of restoring honour of oneself.

If you’ve been following our Monthly Spiritual Capsules on our Telegram group page, we’ve explained this vividly. Now back to Genesis account, let’s find out what man really lost that Christ had to come to redeem. What did man lose during the fall?

I thought man lost the image of God because I saw that Adam had a son, Seth, in his own image and likeness and not God’s (Gen. 5:3). But then I saw few chapters away that the image was not lost (Gen. 9:6). But the image of God gave man a superior position of exercising dominion over the works of creation. This dominion was lost to the devil when man committed treason; that’s why Adam and Eve were ashamed when they knew that they were naked (Gen. 3:7). Now don’t forget that they were not ashamed being naked before the fall (Gen. 2:25). Before the fall, being naked refers to a state of openness and sincerity. But after the fall, being naked refers to being stripped of authority. And Christ redeemed our honour again!

Colossians 2:15 MSG

He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe if their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.

Also literally, Adam and Eve saw that they were naked that’s why they had to sew fig leaves together for their coverings (Gen. 3:7). So what was covering them? I will say it was the glory (2 Cor. 5:2-4). And Christ redeemed that too!

Romans 3:23-24 NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 And are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

In Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, he wrote, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.” (Gal. 3:13). The curse of the law is men’s futile effort.

In Genesis 3, God never place any curse on the man or the woman. He only cursed the serpent and the ground.

Before God addressed the woman and the man, He preached the first gospel and gave the first Messianic prophecy (Gen. 3:15). Revealing to them that it will be this Christ that would redeem them from the curse of the law; which is their futile effort.

What God said to the man and the woman was not a curse but He was telling them of the consequence of their sin.

To the woman, the result of sin brought about pain in child-bearing. And God redefined the order of authority in the home.

To the man, the result of sin brought about the ground being cursed. So man would have to toil and sweat before he could eat, and eventually have to die. That’s somehow a futile effort! But Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law; He is our rest!

PRAYER:

FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID FOR ME IN CHRIST. AMEN.

DECLARATION:

I AM NO LONGER UNDER THE CURSE OF THE LAW, BECAUSE I AM REDEEEMED!

Bible Reading Plan: John 4:1-38; Romans 4; Proverbs 4