Back to Basics

Colossians 1:19-20 NIV For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Growing up, you probably heard of the three Rs. The "Three Rs" of education—reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic—traditionally formed the foundation of basic education from the early 1800s. There are also “Three Rs” that form the foundation of our Christian faith—redemption, reconciliation, and restoration—each of which is available only through the finished work of Christ. Satan has long distracted Christians and the Church with ancillary issues. It is time to get back to basics.

What is redemption? It is the recovery of ownership by paying a price and is the central theme of scripture. Once sin and death entered the world through mankind’s rebellion against God’s plan, the greatest act of love and redemption was set in motion. Unlike religions’ fruitless attempts to obtain redemption and righteousness through human effort, true redemption is solely dependent on God’s provision. God’s plan does not depend one iota on mankind to rescue themselves, but God’s provision of redemption is a gift, fully paid, 100 percent, by the blood of His only son, Jesus Christ. We can never recover good standing with God despite our deepest desire or our most sincere efforts. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Since God has bought and paid in full the debt for our freedom, we are now able to be fully reconciled in relationship with our Creator. The term “reconcile” is an accounting term, meaning to prove alignment between financial reports and the supporting financial documents, ensuring accuracy and validity. 2 Corinthians 5:18 states, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” To be reconciled to God means to be brought back into full alignment and agreement with God. Simply put, it is surrendering our will and actions to be aligned with God’s will, fully surrendering our wants and desires to God’s better plan. Receiving God’s gift of redemption is knowing you can never achieve a relationship with God apart from the gift of His mercy and grace. Reconciliation is taking the next step of knowing that I must surrender my will and my desires to him. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:23-24). It is fully accepting the lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of my life and a requirement to be His disciple.

Restoration is the ongoing process that brings us into a deep, personal, ongoing relationship with our Redeemer. Restoration is to bring us back to our original condition. Since the sin of Adam and Eve, God has been implementing His plan to restore ongoing intimacy with mankind, to again “walk with us in the cool of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). 1 Peter 5:10 states, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you, making you strong, firm, and steadfast.” In one day, Job lost all his children, possessions, and wealth. He didn’t understand why he had to suffer, but through it all, he never doubted that full surrender and trust were necessary. Then Job 42:10 reads, “the LORD restored his fortunes, giving him twice as much as before!” 

Trust in Him and His ways with all your heart! Receive God’s gift of redemption, lay down your life and plans, surrendering to Jesus as Lord. Then the door will open for God’s full restoration to begin!

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Gary and Sandy Anthony

Colossians 1:13-14 NASB For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Romans 3:23-24 NIV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Psalms 111:9 NASB The Lord God has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name.

Ephesians 1:7 NIV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.

Galatians 2:20 NIV I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Psalms 130:5-7 NIV I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Psalms 51:12 NIV Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 85:4 TPT So bring us back to loving you, God our Savior. Restore our hearts so that we’ll never again feel your anger rise against us.

Jeremiah 30:17 NIV I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.

Hosea 14:4 NIV I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

Lamentations 5:21 NIV Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old.

Psalms 70:1 TPT Please, Lord! Come quickly and rescue me! God, show me your favor and restore me.

2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.