Understanding Redemption Through Christ’s Sacrifice
By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
The essay discusses the concept of redemption through Jesus Christ, emphasizing that many underestimate the seriousness of sin by comparing themselves to others rather than to Jesus. True redemption, signified by Christ’s sacrifice, frees individuals from the power of sin and bondage, enabling them to live in holiness under God’s grace.
At some point, our unsaved conscience lied to us that we are a good person. “I’m a good person”, we think. “I don’t need your Jesus” we say.
We sing songs such as “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It” with gusto and feeling. We know the word’s meaning. We understand the context of Christ’s sacrifice to redeem us from our slavery to sin. But how many of us have deeply pondered what redemption means? How many of us have ever pawned an item at a pawn shop, been given a pawn ticket, and later gone back to redeem the item? We ‘redeem’ Kohl’s bucks, Macy’s Star Rewards program has different tiers and offers points that can be redeemed for discounts.
Redeeming items, bucks, discounts, and rewards is different than redeeming people. In our country of America we do not have legitimate indentured servitude or slavery from which a person can redeem or pay for the enslaved person to release them out of their situation.
Redeem.
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, (Luke 1:68)
The Greek word is lutroo, meaning the payment of the full ransom-price to free a slave– particularly the redemption of an individual.
It means to buy back something. It is a transaction.
“The ransom-money (price) to free a slave. 3083 (lýtron) is used in the NT of the ultimate “liberty-price” – the blood of Christ which purchases (ransoms) believers, freeing them from all slavery (bondage) to sin. Lýtron) occurs twice in the NT (Mt 10:28; Mk 10:45), both times referring to this purchase (ransom-price) which Christ paid.” (Strong’s Greek).
We often underestimate the sinfulness of sin. Before salvation (and even sometimes after) we tend to think that “I’m good enough” to get to heaven. “I’m not THAT horrible.” “I’m not as bad as that guy over there.” We minimize how appalling sin is by comparing ourselves to others, instead of rightfully comparing ourselves to Jesus, who is perfectly holy. Any veneer we display to the world or try to fool ourselves with is just that, a veneer.
But we are appalling. One sin, one tiny sin, is enough to enrage a thrice Holy God who is offended by sin.
Thomas Watson in “The Saints’ Spiritual Delight” wrote,
You may not be outwardly bad, and yet you are inwardly good. You may be as far from grace as you are from vice. Though none can say your eye is black, yet your soul may be dyed black. Though your hands are not working iniquity, your heads may be plotting it. Though you do not hang out your bush, yet you may secretly vend your commodity. A tree may be full of vermin, and yet the fair leaves may cover them so they are not seen — so too, the fair leaves of civility may hide you from the eye of man, but God sees the vermin of pride, unbelief, and covetousness in your heart. “You are those,” says Christ, “who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts,” Luke 16:15. A man may not be morally evil, and yet not be spiritually good. He may be free from gross enormity, and yet full of secret enmity against God — like the snake which, though it has a fine colour, yet it has its fangs. –end Watson quote
God is not fooled by our displays and pretenses. Jesus said the Pharisees were like whitewashed tombs. He knew they were painted pretty on the outside but corrupt in decay in the inside. He knows this about you and me, too.
What a magnificent act He performed for us when He came to earth! Moved with love and compassion, He lived among us sinners for 3 decades. He tirelessly taught spiritual lessons to willing and unwilling hearers. He lived every moment of his physical life, His thought life, and His prayer life under submission to God. He did miracle after miracle. Most amazingly, He allowed Himself to be captured, chained, beaten, mocked, scourged, and crucified, to the point of death. He was buried, but rose again on the Third Day! Now the redemption is complete. He traded His body, His blood, as the sacrifice for sin, and as a double gift, endowed His repentant children to be viewed by God with HIS righteousness.
Before salvation, we were thoroughly corrupt, completely enslaved to the evil one. We might not have felt it, but we were. We could not see it in ourselves, but it is true. There is nothing we could do on our own, as enslaved people, to free ourselves. We cannot use ourselves to free ourselves. It had to come from outside us, which meant outside humanity.
Jesus’ act of redeeming us from that bondage freed us to live our life in increasing holiness (with the help of the Holy Spirit) and liberated us from the power of sin. Redemption requires a transaction, someone is paying someone else the opportunity to buy someone or something back. Jesus was THE redeemer, paid with His blood, paid to God, who was satisfied with His Son’s act. We are paid in full, released from the power of sin.
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
