Question 1

What is the biblical concept of redemption?

Accepted Answer

Leviticus 25:24-27“With every purchase of land you must grant the seller the right to buy it back. If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell some family land, then a close relative should buy it back for him. If there is no close relative to buy the land, but the person who sold it gets enough money to buy it back, he then has the right to redeem it from the one who bought it. The price of the land will be discounted according to the number of years until the next Year of Jubilee. In this way the original owner can then return to the land.”The concept of redemption is found throughout Scripture. In this passage in Israel’s civil laws, we see that it can involve clearing a debt or regaining possession of something in exchange for payment. This basic meaning of redemption underlies the theological concept of God paying off the debt caused by our sin.Exodus 6:6-8“Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”Here, God promises Israel that he will redeem them from Egypt. Again, we see the idea of gaining possession and that God’s redemption involves rescue and freedom.Job 19:25“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.”In this passage, we see that redemption is personal. In the middle of his suffering and struggle, Job could declare his confidence in God, whom he calls “my Redeemer.”

Question 2

What does “redemption” mean for me personally?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 111:9He [the Lord] has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!1 Corinthians 6:20God bought you with a high price.This psalm declares that God’s people belong to him because he redeemed them by paying “a full ransom.” Paul echoes this thought to the Corinthians. God redeemed us from sin by sending his Son to earth to die on the cross in our place, taking the punishment we deserve and, in that act, paying our ransom. When we trust in Christ as our Savior, we belong to him forever.Galatians 3:13Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”By dying on the cross in our place, Jesus took the punishment that we deserved. He paid the price to redeem us.Ephesians 1:7He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.God’s redemption means that we are forgiven of all our sins—past, present, and future.Ephesians 1:14The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.As purchased, redeemed, we have a guaranteed inheritance—eternal life with God.Romans 6:20-23When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.1 Peter 1:18-19You know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.Without God’s redemption, we were guilty, cursed, dead in our sins, and slaves to sin. But now we are free, saved from eternal doom and empty, meaningless lives.

Question 3

What role should redemption play in my relationships?

Accepted Answer

Colossians 3:12-15Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.Because we have been forgiven, we should forgive others and work to live in perfect harmony with others.1 John 3:16We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.Because Jesus paid our ransom by giving up his life for us, we should be willing to give up our lives for others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. This means putting their needs above our own and working for their good, even if it involves personal sacrifice.

Question 4

How should redemption change the way I live?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 107:2Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.The fact that we have been redeemed should cause us to tell others about what God has done for us—the gospel story.1 Corinthians 7:23God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.Remembering the price paid for our salvation should keep us from returning to our sinful ways and becoming enslaved by the world (see 1 John 2:16).Isaiah 43:1-2Now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”Because we have been redeemed and belong to God, we can live with confidence, knowing that he is with us in every situation.Ephesians 5:2Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.Remembering what Christ did for us on the cross should motivate us to live a love-filled life.1 Corinthians 6:19-20Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.When we fully understand redemption—that we now belong to God and have his Spirit living in us—we will honor God with our bodies, taking care of them and avoiding sexual sin.Titus 2:14He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.Because we are free from sin, we should live like God’s very own children and be totally committed to doing what is right, positive, and helpful.

Question 5

In what ways does God’s redeeming love inspire hope?

Accepted Answer

John 19:28-30Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.2 Corinthians 8:9You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.To be redeemed is to be bought back (like a slave being bought and freed from slavery) or to be excused of all debts and released from all financial obligations. Sin is a debt we owe to God. We do not have, and never could have, the resources to repay God for the harm our sin has caused him. Spiritually speaking, we are like people in abject poverty facing a personal debt of trillions and trillions of dollars. Jesus’ words from the cross are our only hope, and they fulfill our ultimate dream—that our account is paid in full! The word “finished” is the same as the phrase we would put on an invoice today: “paid in full.” Jesus has not only left us debt-free but also spiritually rich with the fullness of his grace and mercy so that we can live in his presence in heaven forever.

Redemption