Terminology - Redemption

Wow!  The week seemed to fly by.  Why it seem like yesterday we here at the Old Dead Guys were feeling very magnanimous and gave you a twofer.  It’s apparent the lightheadedness made us miss the weekend and most of this week as well.  So as not to miss the week entirely we feel it best to return to our modus operandi until the dizziness subsides.

Today’s word – Redemption – or redeem (uh oh that’s close to being two, I feel the blood starting to drain to my feet)………… sorry I nearly passed out there.

So Webster states of Redemption –

Deliverance from bondage, or distress.  In theology, the purchase of God's favor by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law by the atonement of Christ. 

I am not sure what can be added to Webster’s presentation except to hopefully offer clarity.  We have to be careful here and not bring an improper understanding since most of us will often think redemption of something we previously owned as in a pawn ticket, or own like lottery ticket, or S&H Green Stamps, (ouch that’s dating myself).  This brings the image as if we were the possession of another i.e. bound to Satan so that Christ had to buy us back.  Or even that we were once His but lost (through the sin of Adam) whereby Satan has legal ownership of us and Christ must pay a ransom.

 

Nope that’s Coplandism or Hinnism (really just put and ism behind the name-it-and-claim-it quack of your choice; this type of teaching seems to permeate this type).  Again, NO our redemption was an appeasement of the wrath of God which rescued and delivered us from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law, by Christ’s obedience and suffering in our place.  This He did by doing and suffering that which was accepted by GOD in lieu of our lack of obedience.

So that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, causing us to become the righteousness of God in Him.  For Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.  For in Him we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us (paraphrase of 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13; Eph 1:7 ESV).

SDG