MEANING OF ‘REDEEM,’ ‘REDEEMER’ IN THE GOSPEL

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

MEANING OF ‘REDEEM,’ ‘REDEEMER’ IN THE GOSPEL

Whenever you sing the hymn, “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,” be sure you understand what “redeemed” means and its appointed function in the gospel. Satan has his counterfeit for it!

Both words are “generally a rendering of the Hebrew ga’al, ‘to ransom,’ ‘to buy back,’ ‘to recover,’ and of the Greek lootroo, ‘to free by paying a ransom,’ ‘to redeem,’ ‘to set free,’ ‘to rescue.’ The term ‘redeem’ is used in the sense of :
(1) the buying back or ransoming of property or slaves;
(2) the release from physical bondage or captivity;
(3) the redemption from SIN and SPIRITUAL BONDAGE or CAPTIVITY.

“A Hebrew landowner forced, for financial reasons to sell (actually lease, see Jubilee) his land might redeem it at any time (Lev. 25:25). Under certain circumstances produce that could be ordinarily tithe could be redeemed for cash, that is bought back for personal use (ch. 27:31).

“BOAZ was willing to redeem the property that had belonged to NAOMI’S husband (Ruth 4:1-10).

“God redeemed ISRAEL from Egyptian bondage (Exo. 6:6; 2 Sam. 7:23; 1 Chron. 17:21, etc.) and promised to redeem them from BABYLONIAN captivity (Micah 4:10).

“God redeems HIS PEOPLE FROM SIN (Ps. 130:8; Titus 2:14) and the CURSE (Gal. 3:13) and will redeem them from the GRAVE (Hos. 13:14; cf. 1 Cor. 15: 51-54; 1 Thess. 4: 16,17, etc.).

“Our redemption is made possible through sacrifice of Christ (Gal. 3:15; 4:4, 5; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19: Rev. 5;9, etc.).”

Read these verses carefully and it will be clear that having been “redeemed by the blood of the Lamb” that one is already eternally saved! God “redeemed” Israel from Egyptian bondage but only faithful “remnant” were obedient and faithful to their end. Jesus said, “he that endures to the end the same shall be saved.”

Bless all, NMF