All Christians who understand the incalculable worth of their redemption from sin praise God that he spared no expense for their salvation.

Isaiah 48:17

The critics of government spending are at their loudest when taxpayers’ money is wasted. The loudest cry goes up when large amounts of money are spent—sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars—on projects that were mis-designed from the start and never reached their full potential or were scrapped altogether.

For instance, a gigantic, modernistic airport outside a Colorado city stood idle after it was built—usage projections were wildly off the mark. A massive dam built in Tennessee was never used and later demolished—scores of millions of dollars wasted. No one minds purchasing things that are practical and a good value. But “overpriced and underused” doesn't make sense to anyone.

The reason it doesn't make sense to us is because it doesn't make sense to God. He is on record in the universe as having made the most expensive purchase in history when he bought his human creation out of the marketplace of sin. That’s why “Redeemer” is one of God’s names. To redeem something meant to purchase it, to pay a price for it. And the price God paid for sinners was the life of his one and only Son, Jesus Christ. All Christians who understand the incalculable worth of their redemption from sin praise God that he spared no expense for their salvation. But there is something connected to God’s being our Redeemer that we miss: He wants to guide us into the purpose behind his purchase.

Would it have been reasonable for God to redeem us from sin for no purpose? No—and this is made clear in the Bible. For instance, Paul says in Ephesian 2:10 that we were saved “to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Even Jesus recognized his point and purpose in coming to earth (John 17:4). If God had a purpose in our redemption, we can rest assured that he will guide us into it.

When we wonder if God will show us the way, we need only remember the price he paid for us. As our Redeemer, he will not leave us confused or without direction. He will guide us into the purpose for his purchase.

God’s Promise to You: “Purpose is part of redemption; I will guide you into that purpose.”