Redemption
by Terry Wane Benton
To the common man, "redemption" is seldom used in his daily vocabulary. To someone captivated and addicted or held in slavery, it means someone is going to pay the price to get them out from under their miserable burden and give them a new start. To them, it is a word that excites them and gives them great hope.
The bondage of the Israelites in Egypt helps us to understand redemption.
“Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I [am] the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments" (Exodus 6:6 NKJV).
There is a parallel we need to realize. Our lives have been shackled with sin. Satan has been our taskmaster. We are unable to free ourselves by our own power. God wants to redeem us!
Only when we realize that we are slaves of sin (Romans 6), and feel the burden of condemnation and hopeless despair before the Greatest Judge of all, will we delight in the redemption He offers us in Christ. We have to first feel the conviction of our sin in the presence of absolute purity and holiness (Isaiah 6) before we will yearn desperately for redemption. The Spirit would convict the world of sin (John 16:10-16) before bringing the solution to our attention. If your white shirt or dress has a huge stain but you don’t realize it, you will not sense a great need to get it cleaned or traded in for a spotless one. Awareness of our true condition before the Great and Holy God and Judge must come before we desire and seek His redemption.
But assuming you are convicted of sin and feel the weight of being lost forever, consider these verses about the good news regarding redemption.
"O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD [there is] mercy, And with Him [is] abundant redemption" (Psalm 130:7 NKJV).
"Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24 NKJV).
"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God -- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30 NKJV).
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7 NKJV).
"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14 NKJV).
Jesus gave His life on the cross to buy you off the slave market of sin and condemnation, and if you fail to know it and appreciate it, you will miss heaven. Your soul needs redemption that is offered to you, but the time to receive it and benefit eternally in the judgment is now. Be wise, and don’t blow your chance to be redeemed! Death ends all opportunities to receive redemption (Hebrews 9:27).
