Beth-El Baptist Church

11/11/2007

Greg Tomlinson


What does redemption mean to me?


Redemption is not a commonly used word today outside of Christian circles. As a result of its lack of common use, many unbelievers and new believers have no idea what it means to be redeemed. An associated issueis to understand what or who the Christian is redeemed from.


  1. What is the basic understanding of the word “redeem”?

Exodus 6:1-7; 13:12-15; 21:7-9; 34:19-20

Leviticus 19:20-22; 25:23-32; 25:47-55; 27:9-15, 28-34

Numbers 3:44-48; 18:15-19 Nehemiah 5:4-11

Psalm 74:2-3 Proverbs 23:11

Ruth 4:3-10

Deuteronomy 15:12-15


The primary idea of redemption is that something was owned by an individual, sold to another and then it was purchased back by the original owner. A more specific understanding of redemption can be found in the redemption of an unclean animal. Since the animal was considered by the Sinai Law as unclean, it could not be offered to God as an offering but it must be redeemed via a substitute that would be acceptable. It could be in the form of money or a lamb offering or the unredeemable animal would have to be destroyed. This concept of redemption is extremely important to understand for it is in this meaning that the Christian is to truly understand what redemption to him means. For it is God that redeems people to Himself.


  1. What do you mean by saying that it is God that redeems people to himself?

2 Samuel 4:8-11; 7:22-24 1 Kings 1:28-29

Nehemiah 1:8-11 Job 5:17-22

Psalm 49:5-9; 69:17-20; 72:12-15; 103:1-5; 106:8-12; 107:1-7

Isaiah 35:8-10; 41:14; 43:1-3, 14-15; 44:22-24; 48:17; 52:3; 63:7-9

Jeremiah 31:11; 50:34 Lamentations 3:55-64

Hosea 13:14

Luke 1:67-79 Galatians 4:3-7


Since to redeem means to buy back or to purchase back, God paid the price for our sins and our iniquities. He paid the full price for we were unclean and defiled and yet it is God that paid that price so that we might become a child of God.


  1. How were we redeemed?

Luke 24:19-27 Galatians 3:13-14

1 Peter 1:18-21 Revelation 5:6-9

Ephesians 1:5-9 Colossians 1:12-15

Hebrews 7:26-28; 9:11-17


All children of God, by faith, were redeemed to God, by God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who offered up his own life and his own self on behalf of his own people.


  1. What effect should being redeemed have on me?

Deuteronomy 24:17-22 Isaiah 29:18-24

Titus 2:13-15 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Galatians 5:22-23 Acts 20:27-30

2 Timothy 4:1-4 Ephesians 5:1-5


Having been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, we ought to serve Him as He would have us to serve. This means that we ought to love others even as he loved us and give ourselves in sacrifice to others. The love that we have for others, even the most despicable characters we can think ought to be treated with the same love and compassion that Jesus Christ and God the Father showed to us by paying the price for our deserved eternal damnation and giving to us Himself and His righteousness.


Summary:


Being redeemed means that the Christian is no longer bound to remain in the sins of this present world but has been freed to live a life of honor to God. The life that we are to live is to be lived out in the power and the presence of God.