God Redeems All He Allows

“God redeems all He allows…He is holy, holy, holy.”

[I read this quote today in a post from Denison Forum’s post about “Witnessing God’s Redemption in Cuba” (2/6/2013).]

This post got the wheels in my brain turning, it certainly gave me great conviction and hope. In Hebrew, a word is repeated for emphasis. So to repeat that God is “holy” three times, is like a superlative, He is the most holy of holy’s. This is the only attribute used to describe God in the Bible that is repeated three times (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8). So since God is the Most Holy, He cannot and will not make mistakes. God’s plan, including the timing and execution, is without fault. So every moment of pain, confusion, loneliness, excitement, victory, etc., is purposefully planned and perfectly orchestrated. He uses all of these moments for the glory of His Name. He redeems all He allows. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9). A beautiful example of this is Christ’s death on the cross. Who could have been there and seen the Savior killed, and not question or doubt that this was somehow a mistake. But God used the murder of His innocent Son to bring sinners into His presence, something us sinners could have never earned on our own. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God adopted His once enemy as now His pure and redeemed child. There is beauty and purpose in every aspect of God’s plan whether we are able or choose to see it or not.

Since we are redeemed through Christ’s innocent blood shed on the cross, we are now the ransomed children of the Most Holy. “Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19).  As His children, we are called to reflect His image as we bear His name. I once heard John Piper say: “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him”. So as we are saved by Him, we are called to live a life that brings His name all glory and honor. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9). We are chosen and ransomed. We are loved by Him who is holy, holy, holy. He redeems all He allows.