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Grounded-In-Biblical-Truth |
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Paul the apostle has declared glad tidings concerning Jesus Christ in Ephesians 1:7: "In Him we have redemption." What is this "redemption"? A redemption is a release of someone through the payment of a ransom. This redemption implies two things.
1) It is an emancipation from sin and all its consequences. It releases one from the penalty of death for sin (Ezekiel 18:4), from the enslaving power of sin (John 8:34), and from Satan who has ensnared us to sin (2 Timothy 2:26).
2) It is a restoration to true liberty (John 8:36; Galatians 5:1). Paul therefore couples redemption in Christ with "the forgiveness of sins." This redemption is also "according to the good pleasure of [God's] will." God is under no obligation to redeem any one. He would have been eternally just if He had procured redemption for no one. But it is His good and gracious pleasure to redeem many.
Why is this redemption "in Christ"?
1) Only Christ is qualified to pay the ransom. He who would redeem from sin must himself be free from sin, having never violated the law of God. Therefore, no mere mortal can redeem himself nor any one else, because we all are sinners (Romans 3:10,23). Jesus Christ, being the Son of God, is sinlessly perfect (1 Peter 2:22).
2) Only Christ has the payment which will ransom. Since the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23), ransom from sin requires the payment of an innocent life. Earthly wealth and riches are insufficient (Psalm 49:6-8): "Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him -- for the redemption of their souls is costly ...." But the redeemed "were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18f). Who are the "we" who have this redemption? Those who posit the doctrine of universal redemption assert Christ died for the whole human race and thereby paid the price of redemption for every one. According to their view, Christ's redemption is of itself worthless, because great hosts of the redeemed will never be delivered from sin. And according to their view, God is so unjust as to send great hosts of the redeemed to hell. Their doctrine is manifestly heresy. Paul has identified the redeemed in a two-fold manner in the verses immediately preceding and following our text.
1) The redeemed are all those souls who were predestined and chosen to salvation by God the Father before the foundation of the world (vv.4-6): "just as He chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption ....".
2) The redeemed are all those souls who will believe the gospel of Jesus Christ (v.13): "In [Christ] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation." Paul has therefore identified them also as "the saints ... and faithful in Christ Jesus" (v.1). And he has declared the connection between their election by God and their belief in the gospel by saying "God from the beginning chose you to salvation through ... belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel" (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Therefore, everyone who believes the gospel is assured of being redeemed from sin. And every recipient of redemption gives thanks to God for having been chosen and predestined to receive it.
Are you among those who can say "In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins"?
Your servant for Jesus' sake.
Address all questions to pastor
Daniel E. Parks (2 Corinthians 4:5) e-mail RedeemerBC@aol.com
Pastor, Redeemer Baptist Church
2801 Cleveland Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40206 / 502.899-9205
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