"Redemption"

"Redemption"


What is the biblical doctrine of redemption?

To redeem is to buy back something.

In the Old Testament God often reminded the Israelites that He had "redeemed," them from 400 years of slavery in Egypt.  He delivered them from hopeless bondage to the world's greatest superpower at the time.

So they in turned owed God their allegience as a people.

In the New Testament the Greek word apolutrosis is often translated as "redeemed," and means "to loosen" or to set free by paying a price.  When you go to the store you must first "set free" an item by paying for it before you walk out with it.  Jesus paid the price for us!

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In the ancient Roman world slaves could purchase their freedom in time, and many did.  Or someone else could pay for that person's freedom. 

The price for our slavery to sin was Christ's death on the cross for us.  We had, and have, no ability to pay it ourselves.  It is all on Christ!  That is what is meant by God's grace.

Here is how Paul summarized it in Romans 3:25-27 (NLT):

25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.