Redemption means to save. It also means to gain or regain possession of something (in this case, someone) in exchange for a payment. For a long long time, mankind was held down by the shackles of sin and was under the possession of the devil. But praise be to God who never leaves us hopeless. Through Jesus Christ, we were redeemed. Jesus is our redeemer. Jesus paid the price in full for our salvation. (Tit. 2:13-14)
He redeemed us because of His love for us. He gave Himself up as a ransom and propitiation for our sins so that we may enjoy eternal rest. He redeemed us because He cherishes us too much to let us perish in a place created for the devil. He redeemed us because of how dearly he cares for us. Without His redemption, we would have been eternal victims of the devil’s wickedness. (1 Jn. 2:2; Heb. 9:15; Jn. 3:16; Tit. 2:11-14)
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Col. 1:13-14
What did Jesus redeem us from?
The curse of the law. The law was given to guide against sin but the inability to fulfill it became a problem to mankind. Its mode of operation was break one, break all. Therefore it was impossible for anyone to actually meet up. The penalty for breaking the law was a curse. But through redemption by Jesus Christ, we are free from such law. We have moved from the law to grace…and with grace comes ease of fulfilling the law. (Gal. 3:13; Gal 4:5)
Jesus redeemed us from shame. Many people cite examples of how Boaz was a redeemer to Ruth but what they don’t realize most times is that he was also a redeemer to Naomi. (Jesus can meet you at your particular need while meeting that of another, He’s that great).
Naomi had gone out of the land of Israel full and blossoming and everything was rosy with her. But she came back so empty that she felt her name was a sort of mockery to her situation (Ruth. 1:19-21). She felt so ashamed. She had to scavenge for grains of food from fields (Ruth 2:2). But things started to look up when she (well, her daughter-in-law) met with Boaz. In the end, her shame was replaced with glory. All the sorrow she initially felt was replaced with joy. People who may have pitied her and shook their heads at her now rejoiced with her (Ruth 4:13-17). That is what Jesus can do for you too. He can redeem you from that persisting shame. He replaces the shame of every believer with glory. The apostles and martyrs are testimonies.
He redeemed us from death and sin. We were formerly slaves to sin. Even when we didn’t want to sin, we found ourselves just giving in. It was like we couldn’t control our own actions. Sin was our slave master. But Jesus bought us with his precious blood. He became our own master and made us more than servants (John 8:34; 1 Cor. 7:22-23). He called us friends (Jn. 15:15). We are in a friendly relationship with this new master. He demands nothing from us except our faith and obedience. In fact, this master helps us do what he commands. He doesn’t boss us around, he gives us freedom to do what’s right and still blesses us when we do. Sin’s penalty is death but the free gift of God through Christ is eternal life (Rom. 6:23). Jesus redeemed us from sin and death and brought us under the leadership of the one who is called resurrection and life. (Eph. 1:7)
Finally, Jesus redeemed us from the hands of the devil. Anyone living a life of sin not only has sin as his master but the devil also. And we know well that the devil is a wicked master. Jesus came, paid a heavy price, and gave free access to all that believe. Jesus did not want us to be pawns of the devil any longer. He did not want us to play a part in his rebellion so He paid the price to redeem all that will believe. (Ps. 107:2)
This means that we are under His ownership. We do not belong to ourselves but to God. He purchased us and we became His property the day we acknowledged His sacrifice. Therefore, we have the opportunity of reporting any problem…no matter how “insignificant” to our owner. He didn’t delegate the work of saving us to anyone, he did it Himself. This shows just how much He cares. You can never overburden Him with your challenges. Secondly, we must remember that we are under His leadership and that means obeying His every word. We can no longer do whatever we feel like because we belong to someone now and He has the final say. Nevertheless, we can be assured that all that God asks us to do is for our own benefit. (Eccl. 12:1 AMP; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 5:9).
The only way to be redeemed by Jesus Christ is to believe. Yes, the transaction has been completed and it was for everyone but this “everyone” refers to those who dare to believe. You must play your own part in redemption by believing in the redeemer. Your redemption through Christ starts with you acknowledging that He is your redeemer (Rom 10:9-10). This is what Ruth and Naomi did. They acknowledged Boaz as their redeemer and trusted him till the very end.
If you would like to make the bold but saving decision of acknowledging Jesus as your redeemer please say this prayer:
“Dear Jesus, I thank you for loving me so much that you paid the price for my salvation. Today I acknowledge you as my redeemer and I make you the Lord of my life forever. Amen.”
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