Redemption: Released…No Longer in Bondage

AI was not used to generate this post.

This is blog #4 in “The Gospel” series that covers what Jesus Christ accomplished completely for us through His death and resurrection. We are looking at specific words describing what God did to cure our fatal sin disease. This blog will cover Word of the Cross #3: REDEMPTION.

Listen to this blog as a podcast:

Reviewing what we’ve covered already

Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross for us, everyone who puts their faith in Him has a completely revitalized relationship with God. It is much more than having your sins forgiven and going to heaven when you die. What has happened to you is described by 6 terms sometimes called the “words of the cross” representing what Jesus Christ accomplished completely for you and for me through His death on the cross. Once and for all. A done deal in God’s eyes. God took the ugliness of the cross and made it beautiful for us.

Each of these 6 words answers a different question about our relationship with God. When you put them all together, you will never be the same once you see all that Jesus Christ has done for you. You need to know these 6 words because they are in your Bible. If you stumble over them, you are going to miss the riches of understanding your salvation. When you read them, you need to know what they mean because they are so important to your experiencing a life of freedom and joy in Christ. They are gifts of the cross for you.

So far, we’ve covered 2 of the words. Word of the Cross #1 is Propitiation. That word means that God’s holy wrath against sin is fully satisfied by Jesus’ death on the cross. God is no longer angry at your sin. Word of the Cross #2 is Reconciliation. Your relationship with God is restored…no longer broken.

Word of the Cross #3 is Redemption. It means that you are “purchased out of bondage to sin and released into freedom to serve God.”

Bondage. No one likes being in bondage. Whether it is to a person, a contract, a debt, or something controlling your life, bondage stinks. It stifles. It discourages. It makes you a slave of whatever is holding you “in chains.” Every person who is in bondage longs to be released from those chains. To be released.

Did you know that every human being born on this planet is born into bondage? I don’t care where you live or how much money and status you have. You were born into bondage. Bondage to what?

Colossians 1:13 says you were in bondage to “the kingdom of darkness.”

Jesus Himself said, “everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34)

We were born in bondage to sin. Romans 6 describes how the slave master “sin” calls the shots. Obedience comes too easily. It’s a trap. But, you are released from that trap the moment you trust in Jesus Christ. The Bible calls this “redemption.” We sing songs about being redeemed. But, do we really understand what that means?

What is redemption?

The concept of redemption refers to recovering ownership by paying a stipulated sum. Or, it can mean to set something or someone free from bondage by paying a ransom, such as for a kidnapped person or releasing a slave to become free. Either way, a price is paid.

Redemption in the New Testament is based on an understanding of the pain of slavery, which was a common practice in the Roman Empire at the time. Nearly 50% of the people were slaves—1 out of every 2 men, women, and children! The readers of the New Testament were very familiar with the hopelessness of being owned by a slave master. The only two ways out of the miserable cycle were either death or being bought by someone who would set you free. Jesus did that for you.

Jesus Christ set you free.

In Mark 10:45, Jesus declared that He came to give His life as a ransom for many—to pay the purchase price out of our slavery to sin. The purchase price was His own blood.

We are redeemed from the slavery of sin and from the empty way of life handed down to us by those who came before us. But, more than that, we have been released into freedom to serve God with our bodies and souls in obedience to Him. The Bible calls this whole process “redemption.”

God chooses to redeem us. It is an extension of His love and His purpose for us. Colossians 1:13 and 14 say that He rescues us from the dominion of darkness into which we were born and bring us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.

God rescues us from a life of wickedness. Titus 2:14 says that He does this to purify us as a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good, and to serve Him as His representative to others.

The life of slavery to sin leads to someone offering their bodies to impurity and ever-increasing wickedness, which leads to a life of unrighteousness and shame. The end result is misery and death.

The life of freedom leads to someone offering their bodies and minds to God and His righteousness leading to holiness, lavished grace, and eternal life. Their life is characterized by hearts that willingly obey God and experience freedom from bondage to sin.

God also rescues us from this earthly body with sin still assaulting us, and He releases us at death when He gives us a new, perfect body, fashioned for life in heaven with God. We get that from 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.

Released…no longer in bondage

Redemption means you become the possession of a loving, merciful God and can live in the security of your freedom from bondage to sin. Why is that? It’s because a greater power than sin moves in—the Holy Spirit. The Spirit living inside you sets you free from the power of that old slave master to become what God intended you to be.

But, you have to claim that freedom. Are you caught in a continual pattern of sin and feel like you can’t escape? Whenever you get signals from your body or mind saying, “I want to do what I want to do,” recognize that voice is the old slave master sin calling your name, trying to get you to listen. That old slave master is present in us until the day we leave this mortal body. And, he doesn’t reform or go to sleep during the intervening time. In fact, he yells pretty loudly sometimes. And, doggone it, don’t we listen?! But, you don’t have to listen!

The moment you trusted in Christ as your Savior, you were set free from being a slave to sin in your life. Christ’s blood set you free. And, God’s Holy Spirit lives in you and makes it possible for you to say “no” to any sinful thoughts and behaviors. God’s Spirit inside you gives you the freedom to serve God with your body, mind, tongue, eyes and hands. You are no longer a slave to sin. It has lost its grip on you. Turn to God’s power within you to resist that old slave master calling on you.

Dear Christian, you can know and live with confidence that you have the freedom to live a life that pleases God in every way because you are now released…no longer in bondage to sin.

The third verse of the song In Christ Alone, illustrates redemption this way:

There in the ground His body lay; light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day; up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine – bought with the precious blood of Christ. (In Christ Alone, Keith Getty & Stuart Townend)

You are now His, bought with the precious blood of Christ. Redeemed—sin’s curse has lost its grip on you. You are now released…no longer in bondage to sin. How does that make you feel? Embrace it. Dance! Shout! Sing!

The great hymn writer of the 19^th century, Fannie Crosby, did just that. Here are her words.

“Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.” (Fannie Crosby)

Redemption is a gift of the cross you receive by faith in Christ. As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12, you are dearly loved!

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with His finished work on the cross. Then, live in the freedom of your new life in Him.

Go to the next “word of the cross”: Forgiveness.

Image credit: open source (timthumb.php.jpeg)