Redeemed Wretch

Redeemed Wretch Helping anxious Christians find peace and rest in Jesus Christ. Extra Nos �

03/13/2026

Don’t Wait: The Importance of Forgiveness and Reconciliation

03/11/2026

I’m still pretty new in this journey toward Lutheran theology, and one of the things that’s really hit me is how it handles mystery.

For years, I felt pressure to have an answer for everything in the Bible. Every tension needed to be explained, every paradox had to fit neatly into a system. And honestly… I liked that. It felt safe. But over time, I started to feel like I was trying to shrink God down to something I could fully understand.

Then I read “The secret things belong to the Lord, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Deut. 29:29). That verse stopped me. Maybe my job isn’t to figure God out, but to trust what He’s revealed.

Lutheran theology has given me permission to let God be God — to let the text stand, even when it leaves me with mystery. And strangely enough, that’s been freeing.

I don’t have it all figured out. I’m just learning to rest in the God who does.

👉 This is part of a series I’m doing on why I’m slowly becoming Lutheran.

03/11/2026

Most people think “abiding in Christ” means holding on tighter, obeying harder, or proving themselves. But that flips the gospel upside down.

Abiding isn’t about your grip on Christ. It’s about His grip on you. In Baptism you were united to His death and resurrection (Romans 6). That union is the foundation.

Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” The branch doesn’t keep itself alive, the vine does. Christ abides in you through His Word and His Supper (John 15:7, John 6:56). That’s where His life flows into you.

Your obedience matters, but it’s not what connects you. Good works are the fruit, not the root. Faith receives, love flows.

Abiding in Christ isn’t about striving harder. It’s about resting in the union He has already given you.

03/10/2026

Stop trusting in your works, your obedience, your feelings. Rest in the finished work of Christ.

03/09/2026

He is our gentle and lowly Savior

03/09/2026

We talk a lot about loving our enemies… but what about Judas?

The one who betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
The one who handed Him over for thirty pieces of silver.
The man whose very name we use as shorthand for “traitor.”

And yet—Jesus washed his feet (John 13).
He broke bread at the table with him.
He even called him “friend” in the very moment of betrayal (Matt. 26:50).

Judas isn’t the exception to Christ’s command to love our enemies—he’s the embodiment of it. If even Judas was loved by Jesus to the end, then who is left that we’re allowed to hate?

The gospel doesn’t just tell us what love is.
It shows us that love in the face of betrayal, rejection, and enmity.
And it calls us to walk in that same love.

03/08/2026

For most of church history, the Lord’s Supper was front and center. The high point of the service wasn’t the preacher’s personality, but Christ giving Himself to His people in Word and Sacrament.

Over time, especially in evangelical and Reformed traditions, the pulpit moved to the middle. The focus shifted from Christ’s gifts to the pastor’s sermon, and slowly, Sunday became about the charisma of a man instead of the presence of Christ.

I don’t say that to throw stones. I’m grateful for what I learned in those settings. But I’ve realized how much we’ve lost by moving the spotlight.

In Lutheran theology, the center of worship is Christ, not me, not the preacher, not the music. Christ giving Himself for you. And honestly, that’s what weary Christians like me need most.

👉 This is part of my series on why I’m slowly becoming Lutheran.

03/08/2026

Take it from someone who has tried to muscle through life on his own, it never worked. My faith is weak more often than I’d like to admit. I stumble, I doubt, I wrestle with temptation. And yet, the comfort isn’t found in the strength of my grip on Christ, but in the strength of His grip on me.

That prayer reminded me that faith isn’t about pretending to be unshakable. It’s about trusting the One who doesn’t waver when I do. Even when my faith flickers, His blood still covers me. Even when I fail, He remains faithful.

Faith is not me holding tight enough to Jesus. Faith is Jesus holding tight to me. And that’s enough.

Address

Detroit, MI

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Redeemed Wretch posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category