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| Volume 24 Number 7 July 2022 |
Page 15 |
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| Volume 24 Number 7 July 2022 |
Page 15 |
Editor's NoteVolois Solace Hooper
Redemption, simply put, is deliverance by payment of a price. In the New Testament, redemption refers to salvation by Christ’s sacrifice from sin, death and the wrath of God. In the Old Testament, it refers to kinsman deliverance, rescue or ransom, and it was applied to property, animals, persons and the nation of Israel as a whole. Almost always, it was freedom from obligation, bondage, danger and distress from liability to any evil; this was attained by a price, a bribe, labour, satisfaction, a sum of money paid to attain freedom, favor of reconciliation or other means. Men may redeem property, animals and individuals (slaves, prisoners, indentured relatives) who are legally obligated to God or in bondage for other reasons. God alone, however, is able to redeem from the slavery of sin and the power of death.
The New Testament emphasizes the tremendous cost of redemption – the precious blood of Christ. Believers are encouraged to remember the price of their redemption as a motivation to enhance their personal holiness. The Bible also emphasizes the result of redemption – freedom from sin and freedom to serve God through Jesus Christ. Redemption always speaks of the purchase back by the payment of a ransom or a price paid for something that had been lost. For our redemption, the debt is not only canceled but fully paid as a satisfaction to divine justice. It means believers have been bought with the price of blood and have been redeemed from sin, Satan and the misery of sinful self. The result of redemption is a sending away or a banishment of our debt.
Redemption is the English translation of the Greek word agorazo (Revelation 5:9), meaning “to purchase in the marketplace.” In ancient times, it often referred to the act of buying a slave. It carried the meaning of freeing someone from chains, prison or slavery. Another Greek word relating to this term is exagorazo (Galatians 3:13), which means “to redeem by payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to buy off.” Redemption always involves going from something to something else. For us, it is Christ freeing us from the bondage of sin to freedom of a new life in Him. The third Greek word connected with redemption is lutroo (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18), which means “to obtain release by the payment of a price, to liberate, to deliver from evil of every kind.” The cost of redemption – only available in Christianity – is Christ’s precious blood, by which one obtains release from sin and death.
Redemption results in and is equivalent to salvation. Jesus Christ summarized the process or human response required to obtain redemption or salvation. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16 NKJV). Redemption is the central point in the Christian’s journey – essentially the divider in one’s life between hopelessly lost in sin and forgiven.
I Turned Away from Him
Angela Chapman
I turned away from Him
Backslid from the Holy One
Went back to my lifestyle of sin
I now talk, think and behave like the world
I easily blend in
By the world’s charms I am thrilled
I take pride in my achievements and possessions
After all who wouldn’t?
Accumulate material goods without question
Life is all about everything I see
My heart takes delight in physical pleasure
My motto is: just let me be
The preacher and the elders come to my home
They are in concern for my soul
I wish they would leave me alone
“Fall from grace?”
I cruelly scoff
Even at the look of sorrow on the preacher’s face
“Impossible!
God will let me in the pearly gates
The idea of apostasy, inconceivable!”
They all claim I’ve trampled the Son of God underfoot
Despised His holy blood
But I shut out their input
Then I show them the door
Practically push them out
Their pleas for repentance I ignore
But hey! It’s all good
God’s grace covers me
As it very well should
And I have plenty of time to repent
My life is full of numerous days
On my conscience God’s Word can’t even make a dent
I head off to work
Money now my goal
On my face there is a smirk
When bam! I am hit head on
By a drunk driver weaving in and out of traffic
Now my fragile life is almost gone
My lungs fill with blood
A coherent thought won’t come
The paramedics have done all they could
Wait! I’m not ready to die!
Give me one more day!
Oh, why did the drunk driver hit me? Why?
I wake up in the hadean realm
Flames licking my body
By remorse I am overwhelmed
Now Judgment Day is here
My heart is now pounding
I have everything to fear
I stand before Jesus Christ
The Holy One I betrayed
To Him I wasn’t very nice
Tears stream from His eyes
He must now send me to my fate
I fell for the once saved always saved lie
I’m now in Hell forever
No second chances here
Yes, in deceiving souls the devil is very clever
Into Heaven I did not go
Didn’t walk through the pearly gates
And all because I turned away from Him