The Redemption
Redemption is an economic term. It comes from the market place where something or someone is bought for a price. The Bible teaches us that we are all slaves of sin from conception (Ps 51:5; Rom 6:6). Jesus Christ purchased the church of God with His own blood off the slave market of sin (Acts 20:28). We were bought for a price (1 Cor 6:20).
The precious blood of Jesus is the acceptable currency of redemption (1 Pet 1:19). Jesus demonstrated His love for His bride, His church by releasing us from our sins by His blood (Rev 1:5). In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrong doings according to the riches of His grace (Eph 1:7). Truly, He has accomplished redemption for his people (Lk 1:68).
For His people, redemption is in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24). Our Lord has become to us…redemption (1 Cor 1:30). He is the Redeemer of His redeemed people, who have all their sins forgiven (Col 1:14). In fact, He has cancelled our entire debt of sin (Col 2:14). Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).
The place of redemption was the cross of Calvary where Jesus shed His blood for the remission of sins (Heb 9:22). His was the blood of the eternal covenant poured out for many (Ps 111:9; Mt 26:28; Heb 9:15). In fact, Jesus gave His life a ransom for many (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45), that is, for all His beloved throughout history and from around the world — a testimony given at the proper time (1 Tim 2:6) — an abundant redemption (Ps 130:7).
It was at the fullness of time that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:23), in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Is 7:14), thus, born of a woman, born under the Law (Gal 4:4). Fully man, Jesus was like us yet without sin (Heb 4:15). His incarnation was necessary for our redemption (Jn 1:14) because sinners, whom He came to save (Lk 19:10), need an acceptable substitute sacrifice.
Jesus, the Son of God, who became the Son of Man serves as our great high priest (Heb 4:14), who offered Himself as the Lamb of God, who takes away sin (Jn 1:29). His mission was to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). He did this by receiving the sins of His people by imputation on the cross, where He bore our sins in His body (1 Pet 2:24). He who knew no sin became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21).
Justice was achieved when the righteous judgment of God was executed by the pouring out of God’s wrath on Jesus at the cross. In this, He became a propitiation for our sins (Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10), that is, for His people from all over the world — not just the Jews. God’s chosen people, the elect, are from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev 5:9; 7:9). These are the redeemed of the Lord, given to God the Son by God the Father (Jn 6:37; 17:2, 6, 24; 2 Tim 1:9), so that redemption might be accomplished through regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and later, the bodily resurrection from the dead on the day of redemption (Is 63:4; Eph 4:30).
Eternal salvation, as revealed through the preaching of the eternal Gospel, has many notable points in time. Election of God’s chosen ones occurred before creation, when the Father predestined the elect to adoption as sons (Eph 1:4–5). The Son of God redeemed those previously given to Him, on that dark day at Golgotha. The Holy Spirit has found each of God’s elect, redeemed people at the appointed time, causing them to be born again of God (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3).
God’s motive for redeeming some people demonstrates both love and justice. Both of these were aptly displayed in the death of Christ on the cruel Roman cross. Although God was not obligated to save even one of Adam’s fallen race — He saved us, as the one and only Savior of sinners (Acts 4:12; Titus 3:5). The difference between those who are saved and those who are not saved is the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11). This is manifest by one person having faith in Jesus Christ; and the other person having no faith in Him.
Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price to redeem His beloved church, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), and He sent the Spirit as a token of His love (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5). The pledge of one’s full redemption, body and soul, is the Person and work of the Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:23). It is the Spirit who has brought the Word to each elect soul (Jn 6:63). He has taught us the truth about our blessings and benefits (Jn 14:26; Eph 1:3), upon our being transferred into Christ our Redeemer (Col 1:13).
We, as God’s own possession, have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We have the forgiveness of sins, having been sprinkled by His precious blood via the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The penalty for our sins has been paid-in-full. The guilt and shame have been washed away by the knowledge of the truth — Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3). Hence, we have peace with God (Rom 5:1).
Knowing that we have received so great a salvation (Heb 2:3), the life we now live is by faith in the Son of God (Gal 2:20). We live for Christ Jesus because He died for us (2 Cor 5:15). Walking by the Spirit of Christ (Eph 5:16, 25), as slaves of Christ (Eph 6:6), our ambition is to please Him (2 Cor 5:9). This is the life of God in the soul of man, Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col 1:27).
Trusting in the Lord with all our hearts (Prv 3:5–6), we hear of our redemption and it makes us glad. With a cleansed conscience, we boldly go before God’s holy throne of grace in our time of need (Heb 4:16). There, grace abounds all day, everyday because of the one time, once for all His people (Heb 7:27; 9:12; 10:10), redemption that carries with it an eternal effect. Truly, His love for His redeemed people is from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
December 3, 2023
Colossians 1:14
