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b'One element in storytelling that I enjoy is called a \\u201credemption arc.\\u201d It\\u2019s\\nwhere we get to see a character who was evil, hurtful, or just made a lot\\nof mistakes\\u2026 turned to good and brought into community. This theme in\\nstories has strong ties to Christianity and to God\\u2019s own story of\\nredemption.\\n.\\nIn the Bible, Jesus is often called the Redeemer. But how does Jesus redeem\\nus? Ever since humans first went their own way against God, we all became\\nsinful, doing wrong against God and against one another. Our sin separated\\nus from God, but He wanted us to be near Him again. That\\u2019s why He took our\\nsins upon Himself on the cross. When Jesus died and rose again, He was the\\nOne who paid for our sins and brought us back into the folds of God\\u2019s\\ngrace. In books and movies, characters often redeem themselves, but for\\nChristians, our redemption is a gift from Jesus, bought at the price of His\\nown blood and suffering (Ephesians 1:7; 2:8).\\n.\\nOne way the Bible explains it is that we were slaves to sin, owned by our\\nsin. But we were bought at the price of Jesus\\u2019s death on the cross, and now\\nwe are free! We get to be with our resurrected Lord and become part of\\nGod\\u2019s family, the church. Jesus has brought us back into His light, so we\\ndon\\u2019t have to hide in the shadows anymore (Colossians 1:13-14). Now, we can\\nlive free from the guilt and shame of our own sins, because we have been\\nredeemed. \\u2022 Naomi Zylstra\\n.\\n\\u2022 Can you think of a book or movie character who had a redemption arc? How\\ndid they change over the course of the story?\\n.\\n\\u2022 Have you ever done something you regret, and then wanted to somehow make\\nup for it? While God does call us to turn away from wrongdoing and work to\\nmake things right, we can never earn God\\u2019s forgiveness or our place in His\\nfamily. We are only redeemed by Jesus\\u2019s death and resurrection, not by any\\nof our own efforts. In light of these truths, what might it look like for\\nus to follow God out of love and gratitude, not obligation or fear?\\n.\\n\\u201cI know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the\\nearth.\\u201d Job 19:25 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nRom.3.23-Rom.3.24|Rom.6.17-Rom.6.18|1Cor.6.19-1Cor.6.20|Job.19.25'