Millions of people are watching the movie Les Misérables and recounting it as a story of redemption. In the story, we see the character Jean Valjean released from prison and cleaning himself up thanks to the mercy of a bishop. But there is a hint of uncertainty of the outcome as he considers meeting God at the end his life: will his good works be enough to outweigh the wrongs he has committed?
Many of the people writing about the movie as a parable of redemption seem to believe that the redemption is complete at the end of the movie. The bishop showed mercy to Valjean and gives him a chance to live a better life. Some believe this story mirrors our own story of redemption, that through a life of good works and effort, we make up for our wrongs and present ourselves to God to be judged. In uncertainty and fear, we look back on our failures and praying they are outweighed by good works.
But this is not the story of redemption for Christians. Your redemption was completed 2,000 years ago on the cross by Jesus Christ (Col. 1:12–14). While we are called to live a life worthy of our redemption, it is the fruit of a redemption that is already complete and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Phil. 1:27). Our redemption is fully assured because of the work of Jesus, not our own. This should be a source of tremendous peace and assurance.
1. Your redemption is complete now
If you are a Christian your redemption was fully accomplished through the work of Jesus Christ. On the cross he paid the penalty for all your sin and through him alone we have peace with God (Col. 1:20). Your redemption is finished the moment you receive faith. You are assured of eternal life with him, adopted into the family of God and redeemed before you ever perform a single good work (Eph. 2:8–10).
2. Your redemption is not earned by our good works
Our redemption is assured through the work of Jesus and not through obedience. None of us has perfectly kept God’s law—Jesus is the only one who lived a perfect life and was without sin (Heb. 4:15). On the cross, he took our sin on himself and gave us his righteousness (1 Cor. 5:21). We will stand before God one day and give an account for our lives, but as Christians the outcome and our eternal destiny is assured through the life of Jesus, not our own. As Christians we will stand before God fully righteous because we are in Christ, in him we have been redeemed. The righteousness of Jesus will be counted as our own and God will fold us into his love because of Christ, in spite of the life we lived not because of it (Phil. 3:9).
3. Your redemption should bring peace
Security of our redemption through the work of Christ should be a source of tremendous comfort and peace all the way to our last breath. There is nothing you can do to lose God’s love because you did nothing to earn it in the first place. Your redemption is secure for eternity if you are in Christ (Rom. 8:38–39). Christ’s death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection are our pathway to eternal peace with our Creator—we have nothing to fear, nothing to hide, nothing to justify.
In the last moments of his life, Valjean is not portrayed as a man at peace but a man wrestling with whether or not he did enough. Those around him reassure him with his own good works, that he sacrificed much, and that he loved well, and in those moments it seems to Valjean that his actions are not enough.
He’s right of course: his life does fall short—all our lives do—and there is no comfort to be had in our own works. But there is assurance for every Christian in knowing that our redemption is complete in and through Jesus.
