Discover Your Spiritual Identity!
The Revelation of the Names and Titles God Has Given His People
“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (Ps. 107:2, NKJV).
To “redeem” means to loose away or set free from bondage. It is a biblical term especially associated with the liberation of debtors, slaves or prisoners. To “redeem” can also mean to buy back that which has been lost, stolen or forfeited. Watch for these key words as you continue reading.
In the beginning, Adam lost his oneness with God and passed on that fallen state to all his offspring. The enemy has since stolen many things from our hearts and lives — like virtue, righteousness, peace, perfect health and everlasting life. Some of us have been our own worst enemies and have even “sold” ourselves for nothing (for foolish things that had no lasting value — Isa. 52:3). From birth, we have all been slaves to a lower nature and, as a result, prisoners of carnality in a world separated from its Creator.
Thank God that from the onset of this calamity, He had a plan of redemption in mind. Strangely, though, it did not manifest right away but unfolded gradually through the centuries.
The First Mention of Redemption
The first mention of redemption is found in Genesis, the book of beginnings. As Jacob prayed over his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, he declared:
“The angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; let them be called by my name, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” (Gen. 48:16).
The angel Jacob referred to is “the Angel of the Lord.” This is not an ordinary angel; rather, it is a title assigned to the Messiah when He manifested Himself to His people in various ways under the Old Covenant. (See Gen. 16:7; 22:11; 32:22-32, Hos. 12:3-5, Ex. 3:2; 23:23, Jdg. 6:11-24 for appearances of the pre-incarnate Christ.) In Jacob’s declaration above, a spiritual precedent is being set —that when the Redeemer comes into the lives of His chosen ones, His intention is to deliver them not just from some evil, but from all evil — from every wicked, dark, base or demonic thing that could possibly be encountered in this world, even the bonds of death itself.
The Messiah Canceled the Curse
Many years later, when the law was revealed to Moses and the children of Israel, it resulted in both blessings and curses. For those who obeyed, it resulted in great blessings, but for those who disobeyed, terrible consequences were forecast. (Over 100 curses are listed in Deut. 28:15-68.) One disturbing verse dreadfully foretold:
“Cursed is he who does not confirm all the words of this law by doing them.” (Deut. 27:26).
There were 613 commandments in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and according to this verse, if a person fell short of keeping just one, he or she came under the curse of the law. So, all who participated in the Old Covenant were under a yoke of bondage, because no one could live a perfect life (Gal. 5:1). However, like the dawning of a new day, the New Covenant arose out of the shadows with the promise:
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13).
What a miracle! Through His death and resurrection, Jesus loosed all those who would ever trust in Him from all their sins and failures — and the judgment that should have resulted from their sins. He delivered us from every curse of the law, including sickness, poverty and battles of the mind. He did not accomplish this miracle through some religious ritual, but through the price He paid on the cross:
“For you know that you were not redeemed from your vain way of life inherited from your fathers with perishable things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
The Final Act of Redemption
Even if the darkness of death stalks us, we can echo with confidence the bold words of the patriarch Job: “I know my redeemer lives!” (Job 19:25). He will do a complete work in us to the very end. There is a yearning in every true believer for the completion of this redemption process. We long to be restored to us all that Adam lost in the beginning and even taken to even greater glory. That’s why we “groan within ourselves while eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:23).
See, there is a threefold process to redemption: He already has redeemed our spirits when we were born again. He is in the process of daily redeeming our souls, but in the future, He promises to fully redeem our physical bodies. Of His chosen ones, He pledges:
“I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from Death. O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting?” (Hos. 13:14).
We can be assured of this final outcome, for we have been “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit . . . until the redemption of the purchased possession” — powerfully preserved by the Most High “for the day of redemption” (the day of the resurrection) (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30).
No wonder our main title Scripture encourages God’s redeemed to “say so” (Ps. 107:2, NKJV). Because the only way we can fully experience these and all of our other redemption rights is to seize them by faith through the power of the spoken word. Let’s do that often, starting right now!
Explore this wonderful subject more deeply by listening to three former episodes of Mike Shreve’s weekly podcast called Discover Your Spiritual Identity or the TV program, posted on our YouTube channel (www.YouTube.com/mikeshreveministries).{eoa}
A product of the Jesus Movement Era, Mike Shreve has traveled evangelistically in the United States and overseas since 1970 with an emphasis on healing and the prophetic. His primary biblical teaching for over 30 years has been the spiritual identity of believers. This powerful insight is featured on his weekly podcast on cpnshows.com and his TV program — both titled Discover Your Spiritual Identity. It is also the theme of his Charisma House book titled WHO AM I? Dynamic Declarations of Who You Are in Christ. The first three categories on his YouTube website expand on this amazing revelation: YouTube.com/mikeshreveministries.
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