The Bible is a book of redemption. Although it is a book of history, science, anthropology and cosmogony, it is much more than that. It is the truth of salvation and liberation of lost humanity.
The idea of the word ‘redemption’ is twofold. When we use Noah Webster’s Dictionary of 1828, we can define ‘redemption’ as: liberate, rescue. From that definition we can believe that the word ‘redemption’ refers to the price paid for that ransom, a ransom. If we are in Christ Jesus, we are redeemed not only from the penalty of sin, but we also have power over sin through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our Lord paid the penalty for our sin on the cross of Calvary; And we are redeemed to a new freedom from sin, a new relationship with God, a new nature, a new life! When you read the entire Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament, the message is the same. The Bible reveals the redemptive atonement of Christ Jesus the Lord. His blood is the sacrifice, it is the ransom for which we are bought. (1 Corinthians 6:20) The Lord Jesus took our sin upon himself in order to satisfy the demand of the law. His sacrifice is fully accepted as full payment for the debt that a sinner owes to God. But it doesn’t stop there. The death of Jesus (shedding of his own blood) is accepted by God as our total and complete liberation for humanity. So now we see that we are not only redeemed – “set free, rescued” from sin through Christ Jesus our Lord, but we are free to have power over sin only through Jesus and His shed blood.
The redemptive work of our Lord is threefold:
o Forgiveness: this has been given to us through the redemptive price of Christ’s death.
o Justification: we are ‘justified’ before God through the deliverance of our Lord. Therefore, this deliverance establishes us in a restored position of favor with God.
o Power over sin – The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus promises us a final release from the power of sin at the coming of our Lord. But He promises that while we are still tied to the earth, we can have true freedom from sin through His power and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, this redemption of Jesus Christ our Lord is the scarlet thread.