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Redeemed
1 Corinthians 1:30
But of
him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
God
has given us many things in Christ. He is made unto us
wisdom. We have the righteousness of God in him. We are
sanctified - set apart as holy by and for God. And in Christ
Jesus
we are redeemed.
The Greek word for redemption is apolutrosis. Apolutrosis means to
pay the full price to release or loose that which is being held. It is
to be bought with a price. It is
atonement. Because of the sin of Adam, mankind was held captive
to sin. A price was required to redeem man from this
captivity. The word "atonement"
means to be "at one with"
God. We were separated from God by the sin of Adam. A price
was required to atone for sin and redeem man so that he could once
more be at one with God.
Leviticus
17:11
For the
life of the flesh is in the
blood: and I have given it to you upon the
altar to make an atonement
for your souls: for it is the
blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
In God's Word,
blood is used to
represent life. The Word declares that the life or soul of the
flesh is in the blood. Therefore, blood is involved in
redemption
to make an atonement for the soul. It is not the physical blood
but
the life that it represents that is the price required for
atonement.
However, from Adam to Jesus Christ no man or animal was born with life
that had not been corrupted by sin of Adam. Therefore, the blood
of goats and calves was used upon the altar to make atonement with a
view toward the future payment of sinless blood which was the legal
requirement to redeem man.
1 Peter 1:18-19
Forasmuch as
ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as
silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by
tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
The price required to redeem us was not
silver or gold. Jesus Christ was the only man since Adam's
original creation that had blood free from the corruption that came as
a result of Adam's sin. He had this perfect blood because God was
his father. God created this uncorrupted life in Mary's
womb. The word "precious"
describes something that is both rare and valuable. Blood is not
rare; but Christ's blood was rare. It was "one of a kind."
It was valuable as it was life created by God Himself.
Galatians
3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is
every one that hangeth on a tree:
We are no longer held by the punishment due
those who have broken
the law. Sin and Sickness no longer have any hold on the believer
because we have been redeemed.
Hebrews
9:11-12
But
Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not
of this building;
Neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
The blood of goats and calves were given as
sacrifices with a view toward the perfect sacrifice that was to
come. Those sacrifices were not sufficient to pay the price for
man's redemption. But Jesus Christ gave his precious perfect
blood once for all time. Because of the price he paid for us we
have obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION. There is no more payment
required. We have been redeemed!
Romans 3:24-25
Being
justified freely by his grace
through the redemption
that is in Christ
Jesus:
Whom God hath
set forth to be
a propitiation [payment] through faith in his blood, to declare
his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Colossians 1:14
In whom we
have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Ephesians 1:7
In whom we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Jesus
Christ obtained eternal redemption for us. We
confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe that God raised him
from the dead and we receive redemption. We
receive by believing that he gave his life as a payment for ours.
We accept his substitution for us and we are identified with
him. Our sins are remitted. We are justified
freely and made
righteous before God. The price has
been paid by Jesus Christ. We receive freely BY GOD'S
GRACE. It
costs us nothing
because it cost God the life of His son.
Galatians
4:4-6
But when
the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a
woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
We have been redeemed and are at one with
God. We have received God's gift of sonship. We have
been given eternal life. We have been given holy spirit. We
are God's sons and daughters because Christ paid the price to redeem
us.
There is an beautiful oriental custom which is
used in God's Word as a figure to illustrate what would be available
when Christ accomplished our redemption:
Isaiah
55:1
Ho, every
one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money;
come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
In the Bible lands
market, the merchant who sells
water, wine, and milk publicly announces the price in the market much
like one who sell hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn at a ball game.
When
someone has a birthday he wants to make others happy. He buys the
water, wine, and milk from the one selling. The seller then calls out
in the market: "Come! Buy without
price!" Those that have a need can
then get the water, wine, or milk they need without money because it
has already been paid for by the person having the birthday. Jesus
Christ paid the price to redeem us. We can freely have all that God
made available thanks to Jesus Christ who paid the price.
Michael
& Christine Cortright's Fellowship Homepage
URL
http://www.cortright.org/redeem.htm
© Copyright February 2006 Michael
Cortright