Football & Redemption

It used to be a Sunday afternoon ritual--backyard football. My friends and I would get together after church to eat, watch some football, and then head outside for a game in someone's yard. We would play until it got too dark to see the ball or until we were all so tired we could hardly move, whichever came first.

Recently I had the opportunity to renew this Sunday afternoon tradition. Not flag football or two-hand touch, but real, live, tackle football. It had been years since I played and I could tell that I was no longer in playing shape. (Ok, so it’s important to point out here that I have never been in “real playing shape.” After all, I wasn’t on my high school team, I was in the band. But that’s another story.) I had a lot of fun and thought I did really well considering I was playing against guys that were ten years younger than me. (I never thought I’d be able to say anyone was ten years younger…) I finished the day feeling nasty, sweaty, and sore, but happy to have two touchdowns under my belt.

Taking a shower never felt so good. It was as if I forgot what it was like to be clean. It’s funny how you don’t really appreciate ‘clean’ until you’ve been ‘unclean’ for a while. I think we are like that spiritually as well. After we have been made clean by the blood of the Jesus, we sometimes take the freedom of our redemption for granted.

I’m not advocating that we sin in order to appreciate forgiveness. Not at all. The Bible warns us against that in Romans 6. But sometimes we do take grace for granted and we fall headlong in to sin. This doesn’t make us somehow ‘unsaved.’ It just means we need to get cleaned up again. In John 13 Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. Peter suggested that if Jesus washed his feet, he wash his whole body as well. Jesus’ responded that Peter was already clean because he had had a bath, only his feet were dirty. That’s how it is with us after we receive Christ’s redemption. We are made clean (saved) by His blood, but sometimes our feet get dirty. The only thing we need to be completely clean is to have our feet washed. The good news is this: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV).

Don't take your redemption for granted. Live freely in the grace given you through Jesus Christ. Do your best not to live in the old way of life that you used to be a slave to, instead, live the abundant life. If you mess up, ask for forgiveness. Remember that God no longer condemns you. Remember that we once were enemies of God and slaves to sin and death. We were blemished, but now are white as snow. God no longer counts our sins against us or condemns us, but views us dearly loved, little children. Those who have been set free are free indeed.