PUSH BUTTONS
My Redeemer
You’re worthy to be praised
You’re worthy to be honoured
My Redeemer
You’re worthy to be praised
This Christian classic was a staple in my childhood as I sang it often, especially during family devotions. Recently, I’ve taken the time to prayerfully ponder the lyrics and have gleaned some insights with the help of the Holy Spirit.
What stands out is that the basis of the praise in the song is established on the premise that the one being praised is a “Redeemer.” The author of the song and all who sing it begin to confer adulations of praise based on His act of redemption. However, there are a few questions we must ask and answer if we want to fully capture the essence of the song, and these are;
- Why was there a need for a Redeemer?
- What were we redeemed from?
- Who is the Redeemer?
- Now that we’ve been redeemed, what next?
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. — Romans 5:12, 14 (NKJV)
The fall of Adam resulted in the whole of humanity being subject to Adam’s fate, which is death, and a state of separation from our Creator.
Consequently, everything that was meant to aid man in fulfilling God’s purpose degraded, including creation itself (Genesis 3:17.) As a result of the fall, man became unable to attain the God-kind of life, and the ultimate consequence was physical death, which means the cessation of physical existence in the earthly realm. This was not God’s original plan for humanity, but when Adam gave in to the devil’s deception, he voluntarily placed himself under the devil’s influence. However, God, in His infinite love and mercy, would not allow humanity to remain in this state forever. Therefore, He created a way out, which led to the need for a Redeemer.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. — Colossians 1:13-14 NKJV.
When Adam disobeyed God, he brought darkness upon mankind and shielded them from God’s intended glory. The Redeemer, however, came to set man free from this darkness by leading them into the light. In doing so, He delivered man from all the consequences of darkness that had plagued him while he was still groping in darkness. Through the Redeemer’s sacrifice, man was able to experience the freedom and light that comes with walking in the ways of God.
As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel. — Isaiah 47:4 NKJV.
The word translated “Lord” in the above scripture is YHWH (this is the proper name of the God of Israel), and this means the one who facilitated man’s redemption is the very same God who was disobeyed by man in the first place. Yet, throughout the history of mankind this God was fine-tuning His plan for man’s redemption, and this culminated with the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is in Himself God made manifest in the flesh (John 1: 1, 14).
The redemption was perfected when Jesus paid the full penalty for Adam’s disobedience, and by extension, He paid the ultimate price for all of mankind that chose to appropriate His sacrifice to themselves, thereby giving man a new beginning that is untainted by darkness, sin, or rejection from God. Hallelujah!
Now on the basis of the redemption we have experienced, we rejoice, giving praise to God for paying the ultimate price on our behalf so he could have a chance to call us brethren (Hebrews 2: 11) and fellowship with us. Asides from praising God, one of the actions that begin to show the depth of our gratitude to God for redemption is sharing the good news of what He has done, thereby causing as many as possible to become partakers of the freedom He’s offering.
So when next you sing that beautiful Christian classic praise song, it’ll give you a new sense of gratitude to God whilst also evoking a sense of responsibility in you to ensure as many people as possible have the Redeemer’s song on their lips.
Have a Glorious Week
Nonso Charles ORJI
@nonso_orji
Push Buttons is a weekly devotional of The Powerpoint Tribe.
