Redemption, January 2005

From the Pastor’s Desk

Redemption

Lesson 12

9 Jan 2005

I have good news!! In today's lesson, we are only going to examine one sentence. So, we should be able to beat the other churches to the good restaurants.

We've had a long hiatus from our subject of "REDEMPTION". So let's take a little time, refresh our minds with some of the facts we've covered and expand some of those areas.

It was almost 1:00 am when the phone rang. Dr. Leo Winters, the highly acclaimed Chicago surgeon, was abruptly awakened. There had been an accident and his skilled hands were needed for immediate surgery. The quickest route happened to be through a rather tough area, but time was a critical factor, so it was worth the risk.

At one of the stoplights his door was yanked open by a man with a gray hat and a dirty flannel shirt. "I got to have your car!" the man screamed, pulling him from his seat. Winters tried to explain the gravity of the situation but the man would not listen.

When the doctor was finally able to get a taxi to the hospital over an hour had elapsed and it was too late. The patient had passed away 30 minutes earlier. The nurse told him that the father of the victim had gone to the chapel wondering why the doctor never came.

Dr. Winters 
hurried 
to the chapel and when he entered he saw the father.  
He was 
wearing 
a gray hat and a dirty flannel shirt.

Tragically, the father had pushed from his life the one who could have brought redemption for his son, from physical death.

We are in need of the Great Physician to bring redemption to our lives. The redemption that the Great Physician brings, is not just a rescue mission from dying physical, or even preventing us from going to an eternal hell.

After all, we are already dead in trespasses and sins. Therefore, we are in need of being rescued from our Spiritual state of death, and redeemed to the state of Spiritual life.

Redemption means, in its simplest form = To buy back. Certainly redemption is the process of God buying back the human race and the earth that was placed under human control.

However, there is much more involved in Biblical redemption than JUST paying a ransom price. We see that fact both in the definitions of the term redeem and the use of the term in the Bible.

Redeem = (English) To recover ownership of, by paying a specified sum; To fulfill (such as a pledge); To restore the honor, worth, or reputation; To ransom; To liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability

An illustration of recovering ownership by paying a specified sum can be seen in the sad story of Lou Johnson. Lou Johnson hit the winning home run in the 1965 World Series, thereby becoming the hero for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, Lou gave himself to drugs and alcohol, and that lifestyle stripped him of all he had and was. Lou tried for 30 years to recover the championship ring he lost to drug dealers in 1971. Drug and alcohol abuse cost him everything associated with that magical season, including his ring, uniform, glove, and the bat he used to hit the winning home run in the deciding game.

When the Dodgers president learned that Johnson's World Series ring was about to be auctioned on the Internet, he immediately wrote a check for $3,457.00(?) and bought the ring before any bids were posted, and gave it to Johnson.

The Dodgers president did for Johnson what the former Dodger outfielder had been unable to do for himself. He recovered ownership of the ring for Johnson, by paying a specified sum, at a great cost to himself, BUT without any personal benefits. However, the Dodgers president could not redeem Johnson from the debasing effect of his lifestyle.

God, on the other hand, has done for us what we are
unable 
to do for ourselves.  
He redeems us 
and makes us the 
recipient 
of His amazing grace.

God's redemption does FAR more than simply return the ownership of our life. God's redemption restores our life, not to just the way it was, BUT replaces our temporal life with an eternal divine life. There is SO much more involved in God's redemption, and that is what we want to explore in this series.

Redeem = (Hebrew) To redeem (according to the oriental law of kinship), i.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc.); To ransom; To release; Preserve

Redeem = (Greek) To buy up, i.e. ransom; To rescue from loss (improve opportunity). Included in the make-up of the Greek word is the term-to go to the market or town square to purchase or redeem

Later in this study, we will look, in more detail, at the use of the word redeem in both the Old and New Testaments.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him, 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Paul, the Holy Spirit's human expert on the subject of redemption, presents in this passage, as well as others, a summary of our redemption. It would take dozens upon dozens of lessons just to adequately follow, through the Scriptures, each and every aspect referred to in this summary.

To receive the "package" called redemption, the human must "first" trust in Christ (verse 12). Like almost any aspect of God's dealing with mankind, redemption is a process, involving the beginning and the ending of the process and a great deal in between.

To receive the "package" called redemption requires simple faith, apart from any other action on our part. This act of faith, on the part of the human, is referred to by many descriptive titles such as: Believe, Accept, Receive, etc.

There are certain aspects of the process of redemption that are non-optional. They will be carried out. Some "personal" benefits available in the package require certain actions on the part of the one who has received redemption.

These required actions are acts of obedience, and of themselves have no Spiritual merit, NOR do those actions deserve or produce the benefit. All benefits in the package of redemption are totally produced by God, through Christ, by means of the Holy Spirit using and applying the Word of God to the life of the Believer.

Obedience by a Believer 
cannot 
produce holiness, 
but 
outside 
of obedience there can be  
NO  
holiness.

Obedience, in reality, is saying "I can't do it" on my own, "I am totally and fully trusting You" to bring holiness to my life. There is required obedience in all aspects of redemption, except for the final fulfillment of the package.

There is required obedience on the part of the human to receive this redemption package, in the first place. Remember!!! This obedience DOES NOT produce redemption in the life, it simply removes the barriers preventing redemption.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Notice it is; "as many as received Him" and "to those who believe". Receive and believe are non-meritorious acts on the part of the one performing such action. Receive and believe are acts of obedience, but they are not Spiritual in nature, NOR do they generate Spiritual life of themselves.

When the required obedience is entered into on the part of the human, THEN, according to John 1:12-13 , "to them He (God) gave the right" to be children and they "were born" of God. Gave and to be born are actions of God, apart from any Spiritual value or merit on the part of the one receiving the benefit of those actions.

The dispensing of salvation or redemption, is totally at the "will of God". We know that God will never be untrue to Himself or His will. We also know that it is the "will of God" that we "receive" and "believe". Also, it is not the will of God that ANY should perish.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

There seems to be a problem here! If it is not God's will that any perish Spiritually, yet we know the many will and do perish, isn't this a contradiction of facts?? Many are limited to only a few Biblical facts that can be used to draw Spiritual conclusions. Sad to say, MANY theologies are also built on just such limited knowledge of the Scriptures.

I can assure you that if you follow these lessons, as we compare Scripture with Scripture and harmonize them, this fact will not seem to be a contradiction, but a beautiful revelation of God's grace.

God DOES NOT impose this New Birth on any human, apart from their acts of obedience. However, once redemption is accepted through obedience, then certain things will take place in that life during time and eternity.

Look at a few Scriptures on this subject

1 John 5:10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

These and many, many, MANY more passages of Scripture speak of these required actions of obedience by any who would receive and reap the benefits of the package of redemption.

This subject of redemption is not just an action of God, like the creation of the worlds, BUT redemption is literally God Himself. In redemption, we receive God's life and become a Child of God.

Therefore, we must be VERY careful about our conclusions drawn from human rational concerning the process. Any understanding of redemption requires an understanding of God, His person and His actions.

We can only know of God, His person and His actions by a careful comparison of all recorded information about God. The ONLY place we can find such a record is in the Bible--all the Bible carefully divided and compared. If we try to superimpose human rational on God and His works, we will at the least miss the blessing of the message, and at worst we will become apostate.

Look back at our starting passage of…

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him, 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Notice Eph 1:9 , this redemption is called "the mystery of His will". It is not a "mystery" in that it is hidden from us, therefore we cannot know or understand it. Instead, it is a "mystery" because it can only be found in the Word of God. However, God has made it known to us, in His Word through the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

You will notice that even in English, these 8 verses make up one long sentence, with MANY very important doctrines mentioned, but not developed in this sentence. We must reach out and harmonize many other passages for the full picture.

These 8 verses start (vs 7) with the mention of redemption and end (vs 14) with mention of redemption. Everything mentioned in between those two points has to do with redemption in some aspect of the "package". Let me point to just a few of the aspects mentioned here.

This sentence starts with beginning point of redemption, the forgiveness of our sins through the Blood of Christ. This aspect of redemption is quite often referred to as Salvation, Born Again, etc.

This sentence ends with the final aspect of redemption, and that final aspect is guaranteed to all who have received Christ as Savior, through the act of obedience. This final aspect of redemption is mentioned in vs 14. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

There are many passages of Scripture that speak of this "redemption of the purchased possession". We need all of those references compared and harmonized to fully understand this final stage of redemption. A classic passage, on the subject, is found in Rom 8 and Paul, as he often does, gives us a condensed summary of the redemptive program from creation to the New Heaven and earth.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

This is a reference to the initial phase of our redemption, or our salvation.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, ifindeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Paul points out that our actions after salvation will affect the "quality" of our eternal "living", not our Eternal Life. Those actions, after salvation, have no affect on whether we have or keep our salvation. However, those actions do have an affect on our glorification in eternity.

"if" 
we suffer with him in this life,  
"THAT"
we may  
ALSO  
be glorified together.
This is the purpose of the suffering.

Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Not only are we "waiting" for this final aspect of redemption, creation is also eagerly "waiting" for that same event. That process of creation's "waiting" started in the Garden with the sin of Adam and Eve, AND the pronouncement of the curse by God.

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

What are creation and the sons of God "waiting" for? Both are "waiting" for the ADOPTION, which is yet future and is the redemption of our bodies.

The  
ADOPTION  
of the Believer 
takes place during the 
last phase 
of the redemption package.

We receive the Spirit of Adoption at the point of Salvation, the first phase of the redemption package. The adoption, itself, is the final phase of the redemptive "package". Once again, in this passage, we have the entire scope of redemption, all condensed in capsule form. Many more wonderful and deep Spiritual truths are touched on here, but we will leave them for later.

For now, let's turn our attention back to our original passage.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him, 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

In this 8 verse sentence, the Holy Spirit through Paul establishes the subject of the sentence as redemption, by starting the sentence with redemption and closing it with redemption. The Holy Spirit through Paul, projects our thinking to the ending events of this redemption package in verse 10 "that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him"

Obviously, if He is going to gather together "in one all thing in Christ", then, at the present time, not all things are in or under Christ. That's another one of those "deep" things that will have to wait until we have compared and harmonized many passages of Scripture.

For now, it is enough to see that this "gathering" is part of the overall plan of redemption. We've just started, but I'm sure you can already see that the "package" of redemption has a LOT of things wrapped up in it.

In verse 11 we come to another part of the "package" that makes the hair stand up on the back of the necks of many theologians, and some normal Christians, too. "in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory."

Yes! The proper study of redemption will involve the study of predestination and other "related" subjects.

First, we MUST not get "hung-up" on the word and fail to see that it is simply a word in a context. In this context, it is a word within a single sentence. Immediately, we see two qualifying factors placed on the word predestined.

(1) According to the purpose of God

AND

(2) God's purpose is bound by God's will

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

We have already seen in 2 Pet 3 that it is NOT God's will that any perish, BUT that all come to repentance. The Holy Spirit through Paul say about the same thing in…

1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

So IF we had no other scriptures than these, but we do, we would know that predestination is NOT God choosing some to be saved and some to go to hell. The term predestined is only used in two chapters in the Bible, and a similar word preappointed is used once in Acts 17 . We will take a quick look at these references, just to set you mind at ease, so that you won't get the false idea that you might predestined to Hell, without any hope of salvation and Eternal Life with God.

Acts 17:26 "And He (God) has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,

Some would say, "See! God has already determined the eternal state of every person, and they have no choice in the matter." The problem in this case is, as in most false doctrine, that the context is ignored and the passage is not compared and harmonized with all other Scripture.

FIRST-The passage dose not say that God determine their eternal state. It is the time and boundaries of their habitation here on earth that have been determined. Again, some would contend, "If the time of their birth and the place where they live is determined by God, THEN that would mean some would hear the Gospel, because they live in a time and place where the Gospel is preached, and others would not hear because the gospel could not reach them."

Once again, either ignorantly or deliberately the context has been ignored. Romans chapter one speaks about those who have never heard the Gospel of Salvation, yet they are without excuse, because they have the truth in creation but have ignored and distorted that truth.

Fortunately, we don't have to turn all the way to Romans (the next book) to see that God is not talking about preappointing some to salvation and some to Hell. ALL we have to do is look a the very NEXT verse in this passage for our answer.

Acts 17:27 "so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

This passage indicates just the opposite of predisposing a person to Heaven or Hell. These predetermined boundaries are set SO THAT we will SEEK the Lord.

Let's take a quick look at the two other chapters where predestination is spoken of, and some say proves that some are appointed to Heaven and some to Hell.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

There is NO reference to being predestined to salvation or Hell in this passage, either. It is the Believer who is predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.

This fact of being LIKE Christ is one aspect of redemption. The goal for the Believer is to be conformed to the image of Christ during this life. However, the ultimate conformation to the image of Christ will take place in the final phase of redemption.

 If 
a person accepts Christ as Savior, 
they are predestined 
to be like Christ.

1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

At the close of this Age, after the Judgment Seat of Christ, Believers will be like Christ in holiness. In the meantime, IF we truly have this hope IN Him (Christ), we will purify ourselves. In so doing, that person moves step by step in the process of holiness, as Christ is holy.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him, 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

Then we come to the passage that is the subject of this lesson, and we have already seen that this mention of predestination is according to God's will and purpose. We saw that it is NOT the will of God that any should perish, but that all come to repentance. This subject will be explored more fully as the study progresses, but it is evident that it is a part of the "package" of redemption.

The first emphasis of our study will be on the first aspect of redemption. The human race sold themselves to Satan in the Garden of Eden, through Adam and Eve, and every human since then has also personally sold themselves anew to sin and Satan. It was through the Blood of Christ that our redemption price was paid.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself

Hebrews 9:12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Even if you know and understand all the vast details of God's redemption, BUT have not, through obedience, received Christ as your personal Savior, that knowledge will be of NO value to you when move over the threshold from time into eternity. If you have not been redeemed through the Blood of Christ, you are still in your sins, and are condemned to a Christless eternity in the Lake of Fire.

In 1927, in West Africa, a blood specimen was taken from a native man named Asibi, who was sick with yellow fever. A vaccine was made from that original strain of virus obtained from this man.

In fact, all the vaccine manufactured since 1927 by the Rockefeller Foundation and health agencies is derived from the original strain of virus obtained from this one man. Carried down to the present day from one laboratory to another, through repeated cultures and by enormous multiplication, it has offered immunity to yellow fever to millions of people in many countries.

Through the creative imagination of science, the blood of this one man in West Africa has been made available to serve a health need of the whole human race.

In another, more important way, the blood of another Man, Jesus Christ, has been made to serve the Spiritual need of the whole human race.

"IN  CHRIST  WE  HAVE 
REDEMPTION 
THROUGH  HIS  BLOOD…"

Have you 
accepted the redemption 
provided by 
the Blood of Christ???

Print	From the Pastor’s Desk
Redemption		Lesson 12
Activities Manchaca Bible Fellowship	9 Jan 2005	Bible Lessons Operation Outreach
I have good news!! In today's lesson, we are only going to examine one sentence. So, we should be able to beat the other churches to the good restaurants. We've had a long hiatus from our subject of "REDEMPTION". So let's take a little time, refresh our minds with some of the facts we've covered and expand some of those areas. It was almost 1:00 am when the phone rang. Dr. Leo Winters, the highly acclaimed Chicago surgeon, was abruptly awakened. There had been an accident and his skilled hands were needed for immediate surgery. The quickest route happened to be through a rather tough area, but time was a critical factor, so it was worth the risk. At one of the stoplights his door was yanked open by a man with a gray hat and a dirty flannel shirt. "I got to have your car!" the man screamed, pulling him from his seat. Winters tried to explain the gravity of the situation but the man would not listen. When the doctor was finally able to get a taxi to the hospital over an hour had elapsed and it was too late. The patient had passed away 30 minutes earlier. The nurse told him that the father of the victim had gone to the chapel wondering why the doctor never came. Dr. Winters hurried to the chapel and when he entered he saw the father. He was wearing a gray hat and a dirty flannel shirt. Tragically, the father had pushed from his life the one who could have brought redemption for his son, from physical death. We are in need of the Great Physician to bring redemption to our lives. The redemption that the Great Physician brings, is not just a rescue mission from dying physical, or even preventing us from going to an eternal hell. After all, we are already dead in trespasses and sins. Therefore, we are in need of being rescued from our Spiritual state of death, and redeemed to the state of Spiritual life. Redemption means, in its simplest form = To buy back. Certainly redemption is the process of God buying back the human race and the earth that was placed under human control. However, there is much more involved in Biblical redemption than JUST paying a ransom price. We see that fact both in the definitions of the term redeem and the use of the term in the Bible. Redeem = (English) To recover ownership of, by paying a specified sum; To fulfill (such as a pledge); To restore the honor, worth, or reputation; To ransom; To liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability An illustration of recovering ownership by paying a specified sum can be seen in the sad story of Lou Johnson. Lou Johnson hit the winning home run in the 1965 World Series, thereby becoming the hero for the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, Lou gave himself to drugs and alcohol, and that lifestyle stripped him of all he had and was. Lou tried for 30 years to recover the championship ring he lost to drug dealers in 1971. Drug and alcohol abuse cost him everything associated with that magical season, including his ring, uniform, glove, and the bat he used to hit the winning home run in the deciding game. When the Dodgers president learned that Johnson's World Series ring was about to be auctioned on the Internet, he immediately wrote a check for $3,457.00(?) and bought the ring before any bids were posted, and gave it to Johnson. The Dodgers president did for Johnson what the former Dodger outfielder had been unable to do for himself. He recovered ownership of the ring for Johnson, by paying a specified sum, at a great cost to himself, BUT without any personal benefits. However, the Dodgers president could not redeem Johnson from the debasing effect of his lifestyle. God, on the other hand, has done for us what we are unable to do for ourselves. He redeems us and makes us the recipient of His amazing grace. God's redemption does FAR more than simply return the ownership of our life. God's redemption restores our life, not to just the way it was, BUT replaces our temporal life with an eternal divine life. There is SO much more involved in God's redemption, and that is what we want to explore in this series. Redeem = (Hebrew) To redeem (according to the oriental law of kinship), i.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc.); To ransom; To release; Preserve Redeem = (Greek) To buy up, i.e. ransom; To rescue from loss (improve opportunity). Included in the make-up of the Greek word is the term-to go to the market or town square to purchase or redeem Later in this study, we will look, in more detail, at the use of the word redeem in both the Old and New Testaments. Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him, 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Paul, the Holy Spirit's human expert on the subject of redemption, presents in this passage, as well as others, a summary of our redemption. It would take dozens upon dozens of lessons just to adequately follow, through the Scriptures, each and every aspect referred to in this summary. To receive the "package" called redemption, the human must "first" trust in Christ (verse 12). Like almost any aspect of God's dealing with mankind, redemption is a process, involving the beginning and the ending of the process and a great deal in between. To receive the "package" called redemption requires simple faith, apart from any other action on our part. This act of faith, on the part of the human, is referred to by many descriptive titles such as: Believe, Accept, Receive, etc. There are certain aspects of the process of redemption that are non-optional. They will be carried out. Some "personal" benefits available in the package require certain actions on the part of the one who has received redemption. These required actions are acts of obedience, and of themselves have no Spiritual merit, NOR do those actions deserve or produce the benefit. All benefits in the package of redemption are totally produced by God, through Christ, by means of the Holy Spirit using and applying the Word of God to the life of the Believer. Obedience by a Believer cannot produce holiness, but outside of obedience there can be NO holiness. Obedience, in reality, is saying "I can't do it" on my own, "I am totally and fully trusting You" to bring holiness to my life. There is required obedience in all aspects of redemption, except for the final fulfillment of the package. There is required obedience on the part of the human to receive this redemption package, in the first place. Remember!!! This obedience DOES NOT produce redemption in the life, it simply removes the barriers preventing redemption. John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Notice it is; "as many as received Him" and "to those who believe". Receive and believe are non-meritorious acts on the part of the one performing such action. Receive and believe are acts of obedience, but they are not Spiritual in nature, NOR do they generate Spiritual life of themselves. When the required obedience is entered into on the part of the human, THEN, according to John 1:12-13 , "to them He (God) gave the right" to be children and they "were born" of God. Gave and to be born are actions of God, apart from any Spiritual value or merit on the part of the one receiving the benefit of those actions. The dispensing of salvation or redemption, is totally at the "will of God". We know that God will never be untrue to Himself or His will. We also know that it is the "will of God" that we "receive" and "believe". Also, it is not the will of God that ANY should perish. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. There seems to be a problem here! If it is not God's will that any perish Spiritually, yet we know the many will and do perish, isn't this a contradiction of facts?? Many are limited to only a few Biblical facts that can be used to draw Spiritual conclusions. Sad to say, MANY theologies are also built on just such limited knowledge of the Scriptures. I can assure you that if you follow these lessons, as we compare Scripture with Scripture and harmonize them, this fact will not seem to be a contradiction, but a beautiful revelation of God's grace. God DOES NOT impose this New Birth on any human, apart from their acts of obedience. However, once redemption is accepted through obedience, then certain things will take place in that life during time and eternity. Look at a few Scriptures on this subject 1 John 5:10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. These and many, many, MANY more passages of Scripture speak of these required actions of obedience by any who would receive and reap the benefits of the package of redemption. This subject of redemption is not just an action of God, like the creation of the worlds, BUT redemption is literally God Himself. In redemption, we receive God's life and become a Child of God. Therefore, we must be VERY careful about our conclusions drawn from human rational concerning the process. Any understanding of redemption requires an understanding of God, His person and His actions. We can only know of God, His person and His actions by a careful comparison of all recorded information about God. The ONLY place we can find such a record is in the Bible--all the Bible carefully divided and compared. If we try to superimpose human rational on God and His works, we will at the least miss the blessing of the message, and at worst we will become apostate. Look back at our starting passage of… Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him, 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Notice Eph 1:9 , this redemption is called "the mystery of His will". It is not a "mystery" in that it is hidden from us, therefore we cannot know or understand it. Instead, it is a "mystery" because it can only be found in the Word of God. However, God has made it known to us, in His Word through the teaching of the Holy Spirit. You will notice that even in English, these 8 verses make up one long sentence, with MANY very important doctrines mentioned, but not developed in this sentence. We must reach out and harmonize many other passages for the full picture. These 8 verses start (vs 7) with the mention of redemption and end (vs 14) with mention of redemption. Everything mentioned in between those two points has to do with redemption in some aspect of the "package". Let me point to just a few of the aspects mentioned here. This sentence starts with beginning point of redemption, the forgiveness of our sins through the Blood of Christ. This aspect of redemption is quite often referred to as Salvation, Born Again, etc. This sentence ends with the final aspect of redemption, and that final aspect is guaranteed to all who have received Christ as Savior, through the act of obedience. This final aspect of redemption is mentioned in vs 14. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. There are many passages of Scripture that speak of this "redemption of the purchased possession". We need all of those references compared and harmonized to fully understand this final stage of redemption. A classic passage, on the subject, is found in Rom 8 and Paul, as he often does, gives us a condensed summary of the redemptive program from creation to the New Heaven and earth. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." This is a reference to the initial phase of our redemption, or our salvation. Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, ifindeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Paul points out that our actions after salvation will affect the "quality" of our eternal "living", not our Eternal Life. Those actions, after salvation, have no affect on whether we have or keep our salvation. However, those actions do have an affect on our glorification in eternity. "if" we suffer with him in this life, "THAT" we may ALSO be glorified together. This is the purpose of the suffering. Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only are we "waiting" for this final aspect of redemption, creation is also eagerly "waiting" for that same event. That process of creation's "waiting" started in the Garden with the sin of Adam and Eve, AND the pronouncement of the curse by God. Romans 8:23 And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. What are creation and the sons of God "waiting" for? Both are "waiting" for the ADOPTION, which is yet future and is the redemption of our bodies. The ADOPTION of the Believer takes place during the last phase of the redemption package. We receive the Spirit of Adoption at the point of Salvation, the first phase of the redemption package. The adoption, itself, is the final phase of the redemptive "package". Once again, in this passage, we have the entire scope of redemption, all condensed in capsule form. Many more wonderful and deep Spiritual truths are touched on here, but we will leave them for later. For now, let's turn our attention back to our original passage. Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him, 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. In this 8 verse sentence, the Holy Spirit through Paul establishes the subject of the sentence as redemption, by starting the sentence with redemption and closing it with redemption. The Holy Spirit through Paul, projects our thinking to the ending events of this redemption package in verse 10 "that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him" Obviously, if He is going to gather together "in one all thing in Christ", then, at the present time, not all things are in or under Christ. That's another one of those "deep" things that will have to wait until we have compared and harmonized many passages of Scripture. For now, it is enough to see that this "gathering" is part of the overall plan of redemption. We've just started, but I'm sure you can already see that the "package" of redemption has a LOT of things wrapped up in it. In verse 11 we come to another part of the "package" that makes the hair stand up on the back of the necks of many theologians, and some normal Christians, too. "in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory." Yes! The proper study of redemption will involve the study of predestination and other "related" subjects. First, we MUST not get "hung-up" on the word and fail to see that it is simply a word in a context. In this context, it is a word within a single sentence. Immediately, we see two qualifying factors placed on the word predestined. (1) According to the purpose of God AND (2) God's purpose is bound by God's will 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. We have already seen in 2 Pet 3 that it is NOT God's will that any perish, BUT that all come to repentance. The Holy Spirit through Paul say about the same thing in… 1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. So IF we had no other scriptures than these, but we do, we would know that predestination is NOT God choosing some to be saved and some to go to hell. The term predestined is only used in two chapters in the Bible, and a similar word preappointed is used once in Acts 17 . We will take a quick look at these references, just to set you mind at ease, so that you won't get the false idea that you might predestined to Hell, without any hope of salvation and Eternal Life with God. Acts 17:26 "And He (God) has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, Some would say, "See! God has already determined the eternal state of every person, and they have no choice in the matter." The problem in this case is, as in most false doctrine, that the context is ignored and the passage is not compared and harmonized with all other Scripture. FIRST-The passage dose not say that God determine their eternal state. It is the time and boundaries of their habitation here on earth that have been determined. Again, some would contend, "If the time of their birth and the place where they live is determined by God, THEN that would mean some would hear the Gospel, because they live in a time and place where the Gospel is preached, and others would not hear because the gospel could not reach them." Once again, either ignorantly or deliberately the context has been ignored. Romans chapter one speaks about those who have never heard the Gospel of Salvation, yet they are without excuse, because they have the truth in creation but have ignored and distorted that truth. Fortunately, we don't have to turn all the way to Romans (the next book) to see that God is not talking about preappointing some to salvation and some to Hell. ALL we have to do is look a the very NEXT verse in this passage for our answer. Acts 17:27 "so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; This passage indicates just the opposite of predisposing a person to Heaven or Hell. These predetermined boundaries are set SO THAT we will SEEK the Lord. Let's take a quick look at the two other chapters where predestination is spoken of, and some say proves that some are appointed to Heaven and some to Hell. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. There is NO reference to being predestined to salvation or Hell in this passage, either. It is the Believer who is predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. This fact of being LIKE Christ is one aspect of redemption. The goal for the Believer is to be conformed to the image of Christ during this life. However, the ultimate conformation to the image of Christ will take place in the final phase of redemption. If a person accepts Christ as Savior, they are predestined to be like Christ. 1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. At the close of this Age, after the Judgment Seat of Christ, Believers will be like Christ in holiness. In the meantime, IF we truly have this hope IN Him (Christ), we will purify ourselves. In so doing, that person moves step by step in the process of holiness, as Christ is holy. Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him, 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. Then we come to the passage that is the subject of this lesson, and we have already seen that this mention of predestination is according to God's will and purpose. We saw that it is NOT the will of God that any should perish, but that all come to repentance. This subject will be explored more fully as the study progresses, but it is evident that it is a part of the "package" of redemption. The first emphasis of our study will be on the first aspect of redemption. The human race sold themselves to Satan in the Garden of Eden, through Adam and Eve, and every human since then has also personally sold themselves anew to sin and Satan. It was through the Blood of Christ that our redemption price was paid. Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself Hebrews 9:12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Even if you know and understand all the vast details of God's redemption, BUT have not, through obedience, received Christ as your personal Savior, that knowledge will be of NO value to you when move over the threshold from time into eternity. If you have not been redeemed through the Blood of Christ, you are still in your sins, and are condemned to a Christless eternity in the Lake of Fire. In 1927, in West Africa, a blood specimen was taken from a native man named Asibi, who was sick with yellow fever. A vaccine was made from that original strain of virus obtained from this man. In fact, all the vaccine manufactured since 1927 by the Rockefeller Foundation and health agencies is derived from the original strain of virus obtained from this one man. Carried down to the present day from one laboratory to another, through repeated cultures and by enormous multiplication, it has offered immunity to yellow fever to millions of people in many countries. Through the creative imagination of science, the blood of this one man in West Africa has been made available to serve a health need of the whole human race. In another, more important way, the blood of another Man, Jesus Christ, has been made to serve the Spiritual need of the whole human race. "IN CHRIST WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD…" Have you accepted the redemption provided by the Blood of Christ???
© Clyde White, Austin TX, 2005