You have been redeemed and forgiven of all your sins - Colossians 1:14

The context of redemption

Old Testament times

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word pädäh, meaning "to deliver" or "to sever" is translated as redemption. Throughout the history of the Israelites God reminded them that they belonged to Him because He had redeemed them and had provided them with the land of Canaan.

The Old Testament concept of kinsman redeemer provides a vivid foreshadowing of Christ’s redemptive work (Deut. 25:5-10; Ruth 3:1, 9-13; 4:1-11, 14).

• The kinsman redeemer had to be a close relative in order to redeem.
• The kinsman redeemer had to be free of debt in order to perform the work of redemption.
• The kinsman redeemer had to have the necessary price in order to redeem.
• The kinsman redeemer had to do his redemptive work in a totally voluntary fashion.  He could not be coerced to do it.

New Testament times

The New Testament records the fulfilment of the Old Testament types and prophecies of redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus. Three words are translated redemption

(1) agorazo, "to purchase in the market." The underlying thought is of a slave-market.

(2) exagorazo, "to buy out of the market." The redeemed are never again to be exposed to sale;

(3) lutroo, "to loose," "to release on receipt of ransom "

Roman Slaves It has been estimated that there were somewhere between 4 and 10 million slaves in the Roman Empire during the 1st century. (approx 10% of the population) Perhaps up to about 500,000 were bought and sold every year.

Christ our redeemer

• Christ took on our human nature (became related to us) in order to redeem us (Heb. 2:14-18)
  
• Christ was sinless, He was free to redeem. He had no sinful liability in the sight of God’s holy Law (1 Pet. 3:18).
  
  
• The price that Jesus paid was the infinite price of His own blood (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
  
  
• Jesus voluntarily laid His life down for us. No one took His life from Him (John 10:17-18; Phil. 2:5-8).

The certainty of redemption

The work of Jesus

Our certainty is based on an event in history – the death and resurrection of Jesus

• For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:18-19)
  
• For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)

The word of God

Our certainty is based on the truth we read in Scripture

• For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
  
  
• It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. (Galatians 5:1)

The witness of the Spirit

Our certainty is based on our experience of the Holy Spirit in our Christian life.

• For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. (Romans 8:15-16)
  
  
• Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13b-14a)

The consequence of redemption

Freedom from slavery to sin

• But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22)
  
  
• But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 10:17-18)

Freedom from the curse of the law

• Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. (Galatians 3:13)
  
  
• When the fullness 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. (Galatians 4:4, 5)

Freedom from empty religion

• So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. (Galatians 4:3)
  
  
• For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers (1 Pete 1:18)

Freedom from the devil

• Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14)
  
• He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. (1John 3:8)

Freedom from the coming judgement

·        Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! (Romans 5:9)

·        They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10)

Freedom from death

• For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
  
  
• Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)