In A Word - Redeemed

"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so." - Psalm 107.2

"For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth." - Job 19:25

What do you believe about "redemption"?
What does it mean to be "redeemed"? Redeemed from what?
Did you know there was a price tag for your redemption?

It's a sad truth, but most believers have no idea how to define redemption - even though they call the Lord their Redeemer. Most believers have heard the two verses above, but don't grasp the beautiful concept of redemption for themselves.

If someone asked you why God is your Redeemer - could you describe this concept to them?

Redemption - A Legal Term

Redemption is the English translation of the Hebrew word geullah. This is the legal term used to describe a person buying back something that was lost or taken away. Specifically, this was almost always something that was lost due to debt....something that was collateral for an unpaid loan.

In these days, whenever someone accrued a debt that was too large to pay, their creditor had the right to imprison the debtor and even sell them as a slave. During their time as a slave, the debtor was forced to work until their debt was paid off. The more debt they had, the longer they were forced to work. Once their debt was worked off, they were said to have redeemed themselves.

Sadly, some debtors owed such a substantial amount, they were never able to work their way free again. In fact, there were times when creditors were allowed to seize entire families and sell them all as slaves to pay off an outstanding debt.

Sometimes a family member (or a friend) would find out about their relative's slavery and want to help them out. To do this, they would find out about the debt that was owed and pay it in full. With no more debt to pay back, the person that was forced into slavery was legally set free. Their relative had redeemed them.

You're already seeing the spiritual side of this concept, aren't you?

Sold Into Sin

God created mankind to serve Him. But when Adam sinned, he incurred a debt that would doom us all into slavery. Jesus said this in John 8:34, "Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."

Paul agrees with this in Romans 7:14, claiming that we were all "sold under sin."

Every human being on this planet was born into slavery....due to the debt that Adam brought on us. Unfortunately, it's a debt that we'll never be able to work our way out of. Although this started out as a family debt that we were sold under...it became a personal debt as soon as we first decided to sin.

We have all been sold as slaves to sin, and to death.

The problem is - as I said before - we can never pay off our own debt. We can't redeem ourselves because the price tag is way beyond our reach! The payment of our debt is the life of a sinless person. I can't pay my own debt because of my sin...nor can I pay to redeem anyone else. We were hopeless, destined to an eternity in Hell - our "debtor's prison."

"And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due him." - Matthew 18:34-35

But God had all of this planned out in advance!
"For with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." - Psalm 130:7-8

God's plan was always to redeem us from our sin. But where could He find a sinless person to pay off our debt?

The answer is simple - He took it upon Himself! Hebrews 9:12 says this, "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption."

God came in the flesh to give His own life to buy us back to Himself - this is the doctrine of redemption.

Redeemed Three Ways

We've been redeemed from the penalty of sin.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." - Ephesians 1:7

We are no longer required to pay for our own sin! Jesus paid the price in full...we've been redeemed from the debt we were required to pay.

We've been redeemed from the power of sin.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all me, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." - Titus 2:11-14

"And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." - Romans 6:18

When Jesus redeemed us, He broke the power that sin had over us. Now we are free from our old sinful nature!

We will be redeemed from the presence of sin.

"...look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." - Luke 21:28

"...eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body." - Romans 8:23

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." - Ephesians 4:30

One day, our bodies will be redeemed. This will happen when we're caught up to be with the Lord in the air! The Bible says that "when we see Him, we will be like Him." (1 John 3:2) On that day, every trace of our old nature will be annihilated, and we will be in the presence of our Redeemer forever!