Redeemed

Redeemed!
“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.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

How many times have you heard someone exclaim, “well Ma alwers said. I know I read such and such in the bible. Oral transmission of Gods word down through the age of unlearned scholars have left us with some pretty far out and elusive inheritances in God’s Holy Word. Put forth Gods word with truth and meaning and few there be who will not listen critically. Refuting God’s word via quoting nursery rhymes, though done in all good intentions and with conviction, is very wrong. How glibly we use the terms redeemed, redemption, and ransom without a clear understanding of what they really mean. It is very important that we exactly comprehend and share exactly what Jesus meant when He uses these terms. Let me pose this question: what did Christ’s act of redemption mean to you?

Outside of God’s Word or taken out of context within the Word, These all important concepts cannot convey The Lord’s will for us concerning our relationship with Him in these areas of Christian living. Nor can you take up on one and leave the others behind. The Greek used the most perfect language or words and their derivations perfectly denote various aspects of total engulfment in truth. Take a look: “redeemed” comes from lutroo, which means to set free, buy back, or ransom. Christ’s innocent blood, sacrificed for us, bought us back. It was the “blood bond” needed to release us from God’s mandated sentence of death way back in Eden. According to my Bible, there can be no remission of sin absent the shedding of blood. “By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).

Being redeemed from the curse of sin by our Lord is indeed deliverance from sin, the clutches of Satan, and fear. Adam’s sin made slaves of us all.; prisoner to concepts of darkness. Jesus taught, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34). Thankfully, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13). The Greek word here is exagorazo, meaning to buy up, to ransom from the market place (i.e., agora), which could be called “the slave market of sin.” He ransomed us, He redeemed us from the horrors of slavery to sin by His death on the cross which produced proven Grace sufficient for all who will come and receive the water of life.

The final word is apolutrosis, “to ransom in full.” Christ paid the full death penalty! “It is finished” he said in John 19:30; he handed Satan bail bond sufficient to cover all sin. In Him alone “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Being appreciative of His plan, reading it and re-reading it is insufficient worship practices. Application is required. We all need redemption. “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). Know God, know peace. Amen 01-08-2019