As Christians, we don't always read the Word of God as the redeemed of the Lord. You might ask, "What's the difference?" If we look at God's Word as the redeemed, instead of the lost, the Word makes all the difference. We've always looked at ourselves as the sinner instead of the forgiven.
Most of the sermons we hear and most of the songs we sing, are about the Man from Nazareth or the Man of the cross. We seldom, if ever, hear sermons about the ministry of Jesus as High Priest or any of the present day ministries He is fulfilling. As those who've been redeemed, we should be renewing our minds about Who God has made us to be in Christ Jesus.
It sounds very religious and humble to identify ourselves as "and old sinner saved by grace." In reality, it's dishonoring the finished work of the cross. We dare say that God has saved us through grace by faith in Jesus, but still talk as though it didn't work. We stumble and fumble in prayer because we feel unworthy. We fail to put boldness in the power of His Name because we're unsure of ourselves.
We declare that "Jesus' Name if the Name above all names" and that "All power in heaven, earth and under the earth is now subject to His Name," but we still act like it's not true. We proclaim to be the redeemed of the Lord and act like we're still in the same bondage. Psalm 107:2 (Amplified) says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary."
We react to the adversary according to the way we see ourselves in God's Word. If we still see ourselves as the enemy would have us see ourselves, then we think, act and approach the Father in this light. 1John 5:18 (Amplified) says that, "We know (absolutely) that anyone born of God does not (deliberately, knowingly) practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him (Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil) and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch (him)."
This scripture is one of the main keys in standing our ground against the lie of the devil. If we understand who we are now (not who we were), then we can see that the Holy Spirit is there to protect the believer and preserve him against the enemy. The divine presence of Christ in us, is the seal of God that preserves us. Once we realize who we are now, instead of who we were, we can understand this power of redemption.
We learned about the Law of the Kinsman Redeemer in a previous lesson. Jesus spoke about this from Isaiah 61:1-2 (Amplified) saying, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified Me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted.; He has sent Me to bind up and heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the (physical and spiritual) captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes of those who are bound, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (the year of His favor) and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn."
When Jesus quoted from this passage in Luke 4:18, He proclaimed the year of God's favor or Jubilee to the people. Those who believe in Jesus or Christian people, we are already redeemed. Our Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus, has already done everything needful in order to restore everything that was lost. This also includes (from Genesis 1:26-31) the total dominance and authority of all the earth and everything in it. Psalm 8:1-9 (Amplified) says, "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your Name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on (or above) the heavens..Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of your foes, That You might silence the enemy and the avenger." [Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." This testimony is our strength that silences the enemy.]
Psalm 8:3-9 (Amplified) go on, "When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of (earth born) man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God (or heavenly beings) and You have crowned him with glory and honor, You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet; all sheep and oxen, yes and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your Name in all the earth."
When we really understand that we are the redeemed of the Lord through Jesus, then we can stand in a place against the enemy that proclaims our authority once again. Our Heavenly Father granted us the dominion and authority from the beginning. When Adam delivered over man's dominion and authority to satan, everything the Father intended for man was lost according to Luke 4:5-7 (Amplified) which says, "Then the devil took Him up to the high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time (in the twinkling of an eye)." Verse 6 says, "And he said to Him, to you I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity and grace) For it has been turned over to me, and I will give it to whomever I will." Verse 7 says, "Therefore if you will do homage to and worship me (just once) it shall be all yours."
This redemption is a very important part of "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" from Psalm 107:2 confession we make daily in our world walk. Most of us know (or at least should know) that the redeeming Blood of Jesus had more to do than most people will acknowledge in this realm. We try putting off redemption as being only something in the future. The redeeming power of the Blood of Jesus is what purchased our liberty for here and in the hereafter.
When Jesus redeemed us, He paid off our debt to the one who had become our "god by default." Adam delegated and delivered all that the Father had given him over to satan. When satan made the temptation in the wilderness to Jesus in Luke 4:6, he was truthfully saying he had dominion and authority over the earth. Adam turned over all the authority, dominion and the inheritance God had given him, into the hands of satan. Satan had become man's god and master through the fall of Adam.
Adam traded life for death, plenty for lack, separation from God and everything God had placed in his hands into the hands of God's enemy, satan. When Jesus died on the cross, descended into the pit, paid the price man owed and rose from the dead, He paid all our price.
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