I’ve Been Redeemed
Redeem – to purchase, buy back.
Leviticus 25:47-49 ‘Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger’s family,
48 after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him;
49 or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him; or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him; or if he is able he may redeem himself.
I remember as a kid in the 60’s, that stores and gas stations used to give out Blue Chip stamps (back east it was S&H Green stamps). You got so many stamps for each dollar you spent, and you would paste them into books (at our house it was the kids’ job to do the licking and sticking. We’d lick and lick until our lickers were out of wet. Then I learned I could use a sponge). Then when you had a bunch of books filled, you took them down to the Redemption Center. There they had catalogs with all kinds of stuff that you could exchange the stamps for.
Redemption implies a change of masters.
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
What are we redeemed from?
We sing the song, “I’ve been redeemed”, and “Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so!”. Redeemed from what? “From sin!” Yes, we’ve been redeemed from sin. Hallelujah!
Anything else?
Galatians 3:10-13 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”
11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
Let’s investigate this using the questions of a journalist: Who, What, Where, When, How, and Why:
We’ve already answered the question, What is redemption? Now we want to answer, What are we redeemed from?
We are redeemed from the curse of the Law. The curse of the Law can be found in Dueteronomy 28:15-68, especially vs. 15, 20-21, 28-29, 47-48, 58-61, 66-67. Deuteronomy means “repetition of the Law”. The nation of Israel was divided into two groups; one group went to the top of Mount Gerazim to pronounce the Blessings on the people if they kept the Law, and the other half to the top of Mount Ebal to pronounce the Curse on the people if they disobeyed the Law (Deuteronomy 27:11-26). The blessing and the curse is recorded in Deut 28. It’s interesting that there a lot more verses in the curses than there are in the blessings.
Summary of the curse: Poverty, sickness, and death.
What is a curse?
The dictionary says that a curse is an expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, or calamity befall a person or group.
It is words spoken to invite or pronounce damnation over someone. To “damn” means to doom to destruction. It is the opposite of bless, which is the Greek word eulogia from which we get euology; literally meaning to speak well of.
Who was involved?
Christ redeemed us from the curse. Christ was the Redeemer, the One who paid the price. To whom was the price paid? To the Father God, sitting as the Judge of the earth.
Who then are the redeemed, the “us”? Christians? Yes, but actually every human being. The price was paid to satisfy the claims of justice for every human being, but only Christians have availed themselves of it.
Let’s use an analogy: you have a rich uncle who lives on the opposite coast, and for Christmas he bought you and your spouse an Alaskan cruise package. He calls and tells you that he’s already paid for it, and you can go down to a local travel agency to book when you want to go, and then pick up the tickets.
But, it is recumbent on you to make those arrangements, pick up the tickets, and get your hiney down to the docks with your luggage at the proper time, in order to enjoy the benefits.
Many Christians only enjoy part of their redemption package. They may believe in salvation and that they have been redeemed from the effects of sin, but they don’t know and believe they’ve also been redeemed from sickness and poverty.
Like the story of an immigrant who saved and saved to buy a ticket on a ship to America, but he didn’t have much extra. So he brought cheese and crackers with him, and every day he would pass by the great dining rooms where people were feasting, and go to his cabin and eat his daily ration of cheese and crackers.
At the end of the trip as he was disembarking, the steward was there saying goodbye to the passengers. When the immigrant came up, he said to him, “Mr. Kriyevska, I never saw you in the dining rooms. Was everything all right?” “Oh, I only had enough to buy the ticket and some cheese and crackers I brought with me.” “My dear fellow, you didn’t know? The food was included in the price of the ticket! You could have eaten anything you wanted!”
He made it to the destination, but could have enjoyed himself a whole lot more on the way there!
How are we redeemed?
Christ became a curse for us – in our place, as a substitute.
- (Rom 6:8-11) He died so that we could have life
- (Isa 53:4,5,10) He was made sick so we could be made well
- (2 Cor 8:9) He became poor so we could become rich
Whenever you see scripture verses of the form, “Christ did such and such, in order that we might be so and so or have such and such”, that is redemptive language. Jesus Christ did what we were powerless to do, on our behalf, and we reap the results – we receive the benefits.
Christ bore the curse so that we wouldn’t have to – it is never God’s will for you to bear something that you have been redeemed from.
Notice it does not say we are redeemed from the Law, but from the curse of the Law. The Law had a blessing also (Duet 28:1-14), which is the opposite of the curse.
Why are we redeemed?
For what purpose did Christ redeem us from the curse?
Galatians 3:14 ….that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Two things – that we might receive the blessing of Abraham, and the promise of the Spirit. The blessing of the Law is basically the blessing of Abraham written for that generation. We get the blessing with none of the curse.
1 Peter 3:9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
We get in on the covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants.
Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We will look more at the blessing of Abraham later.
The Promise of the Spirit… or the Promised Spirit.
The Infilling or Baptism in the Holy Spirit is included as one of the reasons why we were redeemed. As Jesus told the disciples after His resurrection to remain in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, that they may be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49), so we too can receive the same infilling of the Holy Spirit – and we don’t have to go to Jerusaluem!
When are we redeemed?
When was the price paid? 2000 years ago. That’s when you were redeemed. The price is already paid, we just have to “claim our ticket”.
You don’t have to pray to talk God into the notion of saving you, healing you, or meeting your needs. He’s already done the work. We just have to get ourselves in the position to receive.
Where were you redeemed?
In a side courtyard of the Roman Praetorium where Jesus was scourged, on a cross on a hill called Golgotha, in the depths of the pits of hell, and in the Holy of Holies in heaven where the blood of Jesus was presented before the throne of God.
Redeemed From Death
John 11:25-27 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
What is the Biblical definition of death? It never means the cessation of existence. (1 Timothy 5:6) But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. (Ephesians 2:1) You were dead in trespasses and sins….
God is life, so death would be the opposite – Satan. The works of God bring life, the works of Satan bring death. This death is manifest in four areas: spiritual, mental/emotional (soul), physical, and the second death (eternal).
Spiritual Death
Genesis 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
The literal translation of this verse says, “dying, you shall surely die”. Two deaths are spoken of. It was not just physical death, because when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit they didn’t just keel over dead right then – they lived for many many more years (although physical death did eventually catch up with them). But they did die spiritually as soon as they bit in to the fruit.
Ephesians 2:1-3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Spiritual death is a nature – a sin nature; being in accordance with the nature of Satan. Spiritual death is a separation from the source of life, God. Sin resulted in Adam and Eve hiding from the presence of God because they had sin consciousness.
The separation grew with each succeeding generation, until no one could look on the face of God and live. Sinners would be miserable in the presence of God (not to mention that God’s holiness would just burn them to a cinder). Revelation 6:15-17 the people wanted the rocks to fall on them to hide them from God’s presence.
Couldn’t God just forgive Adam and Eve? He did – but they still had the nature of spiritual death in them, that would need to be changed before they could abide in His presence.
Ezekiel 36:25-27 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
The realization of the promise of Ezekiel 36:26-27 is the new birth.
John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
“Mental” Death
I’m using this term loosely; “death” meaning the opposite of life, and how it was manifested in the soul realm, which is the mind, will, and emotions. God is a God of peace, so the opposite of the life of God in the soul realm would be fear.
Notice in Genesis 3 how spiritual death was manifested in Adam and Eve right after the fall. They became aware of their nakedness, and it became a thing of shame to them. Then in vs. 10 we see how they hid from God’s presence because they were afraid. They were afraid because they had guilt, and feared punishment.
Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Physical Death
The Christian ideally should not die before his or her time. Death by sickness, feebleness, etc. is a ripoff by Satan. The ideal way to go is at a time of your choosing, when your life’s work is done, at a ripe old age, still mentally and physically fit – just by giving up your spirit.
This is not death – this is just leaving the physical body. Death is when your life is stolen from you.
The main promise of being redeemed from physical death is not that you will never die physically, but that death will not be permanent. There will be a physical resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:50-57 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed–
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O Death, where is your sting?O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Second Death
1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
The last enemy to be destroyed/abolished is death. Abolished – completely done away with. This is not accomplished at the resurrection of the saints (rapture) because there will still be people dying on the earth.
The Bible lists four resurrections:
- Christ the first fruits
- Resurrection of believers, both past and present
- Those that become believers, and then are martyred during the Great Tribulation.
These first three resurrections of believers are lumped together and called the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:4-5 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
The Second Resurrection is of the spiritually dead, the unbelievers. This does not occur until after the Millennium.
Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
The Second Death – the Lake of Fire. This is an eternal death – eternal separation from God.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
The second death has no power over those who participated in the first resurrection. Born once – die twice. Born twice – die once (or maybe not at all!).
Revelation 22:1-3 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
