REDEMPTION
The doctrine of redemption is built on three words in the New Testament. The first is a simple word which means “to buy or purchase or pay a price for something.” It is used for instance with this ordinary, everyday meaning in the parable of the treasure hid in a field which motivated the man to buy (redeem) the field (Matt. 13:44). In relation to our salvation, the word means to pay the price which our Sins demanded so that we could be redeemed.
The second word is the same basic word indicated above, pre-fixed with a preposition, which has the force of intensifying the meaning. This can be easily expressed in English because the preposition means “out of” thus making the second word mean, “to purchase out of the market.” Thus the idea in this second word is that Christ’s death not only paid the price for our Sins, but also removed us from the marketplace of Sin in order to give us full assurance that we will never be returned to the bondage and penalties of Sin. (Colossians 1:14 & 2:14)
The third word for redemption is an entirely different one. Its basic meaning is “to loose” and thus it signifies that the purchased person is also released and set free in the fullest sense. The means of this release is through the substitution Christ made. The basis is the blood of God’s own son. The intent is to purify a people.
Thus the “Doctrine of Redemption” is; Because of the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ, believers in Him have been purchased and removed from the bondage and curse of the Law, and liberated. (Eph. 1:7, Heb. 9:12 – 15, Gal. 3:12 & 5:1.)
JUSTIFICATION OF CHRISTIANS
One of the other effects of Christ’s death is that we are acceptable before God. (Col. 2:13) We are Reconciled. (2 Cor. 5:19 thru 21) We are Forgiven (Romans 3:25) We are Delivered.(Col.1:13) We are acceptance in the Beloved. (Eph.1:6) We are assured future Glorification (Romans 8:30) We are Justified. (Romans 3:24)
To Justify, is to declare righteous. It is a judicial term indicating that a verdict of acquittal has been announced, excluding all possibility of condemnation. Indeed, in the Scriptures, Justification is invariably set over against condemnation. (Deut. 25:1 Romans 5:16; 8:33 and 34) The claims of God’s Law against the sinner have been fully satisfied. Justification is not because of any overlooking, suspended sentence, or alteration of God’ righteous demands, but because in Christ all of His demands have been fulfilled. Christ’s perfect life of obedience to the Law and His atoning death which paid its penalty are the bases for our Justification. (Romans 5:9) Justification could never be based on our good works, for God requires perfect obedience, which is impossible for Man. ( Romans 3:20, Gal.2:16-21,3:11, Titus 3:5-7)
The means of Justification is faith (Romans 3:22, 25, 28, 30). Faith is the means or channel through which God’s grace can impute the righteousness of Christ to the believing transgressor. (Romans 5:1&2.) When we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Messiah, and are baptized in His name, God drops all charges of Sin against us; thus we stand acquitted. (Acts 13:38-41) Then God justly announces that acquittal, and that pronouncement is Justification.
SANCTIFICATION THROUGH CHRIST
The word sanctify means to set apart (it has the same root as the words saint and holy). For Christians, sanctification has three aspects. First the believer has been set apart by his position in the family of God. This is usually called positional sanctification. It means being set apart as a member of the family of God. It is true of every believer regardless of his or her spiritual state. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and remember the carnal condition of these believers. That this positional sanctification is based on the death of Christ is clear from Hebrews 10:10, 1Cor.1:30, 2Thess. 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2.
Of coarse there is also an experiential aspect of sanctification. Because we have been set apart we are to be increasingly set apart in our daily lives (1 Peter 1:16). In the positional sense no one is more sanctified than another, but in the experiential aspect it is quite correct to speak of one believer as being more sanctified than another. All the exhortations of the New Testament concerning spiritual growth are pertinent to this progressive and experiential factor of sanctification.
There is also a sense in which we will not be fully glorified until our position and practice are brought into perfect accord, and this will occur only when we see Christ and “and shall be like Him. (1 John 3:1 thru 3) This is our ultimate or future sanctification which awaits our complete Glorification with resurrected bodies.
So what is the purpose of Forgiveness, Propitiation, Justification, Redemption, Sanctification, Reconciliation, and Adoption. To know this, to understand this, is the apex of Christian enlightenment. Because to know this is to have an insight to God’s plan. Certainly all this was done to save us, but more than that; All these things were done so we could be reconciled to our God. (2 Cor. 5:14-21 Col. 1:22) So that once again He could accept us as His children, purified and blameless before Him. (Titus 2:11-15, 1 Cor. 1:8, Eph. 1:4)
RECONCILIATION WITH GOD
This is the process by which God and His people are brought together again. The Bible teaches that they were alienated from one another because of God’s holiness and human sinfulness. Although God the Father loves the sinner, (Romans 5:8), it is impossible for Him not to judge Sin, (Hebrews 10:27). Therefore, in Biblical reconciliation, both parties are affected. Through the sacrifice of Christ, people’s Sins are atoned for and God’s wrath is appeased. Thus, a relationship of hostility and alienation is changed into one of peace and fellowship, (Ephesians 2:13-19).
The initiative in reconciliation was taken by God, while we were still sinners and enemies, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8&10, Col. 1:21). Reconciliation is God’s own plan. God Himself “…has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.” Paul regarded the Gospel as “…the word of reconciliation”, (2Cor. 5:18&19).
ADOPTED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD
Adoption is a particularly wonderful benefit of the New Covenant. Every time you read “son” in relation to a believer in John’s writings, for instance, you should translate it “child”, for John does not write of the sonship of the believer. (Even though he acknowledges that we are “children of God, 1st John 3:1) But on the other hand Paul reveals that we are adopted as sons. It is true that we are “The Children of God” by the new birth, but it is also true that we are adopted into God’s family at the same time. Romans 8:14-23, 9:4&8, 2nd Corinthians 6:18, Galatians 3:26, 4:5-7 Ephesians 1:5, 2:19, Philippians 2:15. In the act of adoption a child is taken by a man from a family not his own, introduced into a new family, and regarded as a true son with all the privileges and responsibilities that belong to this new relationship. The imagery in the idea of a child of God is one of birth, growth, and development into maturity; the idea in sonship is that of full fledged privileges in the new family of God. Adoption bestows a new status on the one who receives Christ. The results of adoption are deliverance from slavery of Sin and the Law, and from the flesh (Gal. 4:1 thru 5 Romans 8:14 thru 17), and it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to enjoy the privileges of our position. Forgiveness, Propitiation, Justification, Redemption, Sanctification, Reconciliation, and Adoption are the Seven Biblical elements of the Doctrine of Salvation. And as such are of extreme importance but, many religions, even most religions do not recognize the Seven elements of the doctrine of Salvation. They either ignore or modify these doctrines so that they do not contradict their own man made doctrines. And in doing so preach a false doctrine.
Now there is an eighth element. I don’t want you to think I forgot it. Glorification…but that is a topic that I will address later because this is long enough.
up from the earth, and Hebrews 11:5 adds “so that he should not see death.”
