THERE are not very many texts in the New Testament which speak of redemption. Perhaps we had better look first at Romans in. 24, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” We have already seen that His LIFE, HIMSELF, His BLOOD, are spoken of as the price paid for our redemption―our buying out—and in the chapter from which we quote a verse we have God giving in the most solemn way the awful state in which the sinner is by nature. Only one ransom price could buy the sinner out of this condition― “Under sin” (vs. 9). “All under sin” is the terrible word about Jew or Gentile, all under it, and none with any power whatever to get above it. A ransom such as could buy out the sinner from the bondage was necessary, and thanks be to God, it has been provided for us, and has been rendered to God. Because of this, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, God freely justifies us who believe. The ransom price paid on behalf of sinners magnifies His glory. It is of full and sufficient value in His eyes, whatever unbelieving man may see its worth to be. Through it, and not through any less value does God justify us. Utterly bound in sins were we―nothing could loose us from them, but the blood of Jesus, and He has “loosed us from our sins by His blood” (Rev. 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5), R.5), and that because He loves us.
The redemption through which God justifies us is in Christ Jesus; it is in no other person, and nowhere else.
Never let us lose sight of the great and solemn reality that God hates sin because it is sin; in Him is no darkness at all, and all sin is opposed to His holy nature. Hence as we speak of redemption, we must not simply think of what we feel we need, but we must seek to consider, poor indeed as such considerations will be, God’s just wrath against sin. As we think of this, what blessed words of calm to our souls are these, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
This consideration leads us to similar texts, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7); Col. 1:1414In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14).) The redemption is through His blood, not through His spotless life, His holy works, His wondrous prayers, no, nor through His resurrection, but through His blood. The price paid was His blood, His dying for us, nothing less. Keep very closely to this THROUGH. “Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38)), says God to us, and through His blood the redemption for forgiveness is ours.
We are bought out of our bondage to sin and to Satan, and are forgiven every transgression and sin we have committed. A transgression is the overstepping a straight line, and such are our sins done against the plain word of God; but others of our sins may be simply our wicked ways done in ignorance of God― none the less calling down upon us His judgment. Thanks be to His name, the blood of Christ His Son has answered for them all.
Now let us look at the word in― “in whom we have redemption,” in the person of our risen Redeemer. Through His death on the cross; in Him in the glory. This is the most gracious word. He has accomplished the work of redemption once for all, and in Himself the redemption is secured forever. He in glory lives the witness of the eternal value of His work. The redemption is not in our hands, but in Christ, who lives in heaven, to die no more.
It is said we have it: not we hope to have the redemption―the forgiveness someday―no, but we have it now. It is a present and continual have that is our portion; we are having the redemption. There is no break in this have; it is not said we had or shall have, but we have, or are having it. We have it now, and the next moment we have it, and so on—it is an everlasting have. Let us thank God for this.
Only one further text on this subject shall occupy us at this time; we shall find it in Hebrews 9:1212Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)― “Having obtained eternal redemption.” Christ our Redeemer has obtained―not a redemption for a short time, such as we shall see by and by was known amongst the Hebrews in their land—but an everlasting redemption. As we read the Epistle to the Hebrews we find the word “eternal” often occurring. Everything that Christ touches is seen, in the epistle to those whose temple and services were about to vanish away, in a lasting character. What the law given by Moses did was temporary―what Christ did is eternal. So we read of eternal redemption obtained by Him. How different is this from many prevailing thoughts! There are numbers now who, like the Jews of old, regard the efficacy of the sacrifice as limited to a certain time. The blood of goats and calves shed under the law might affect a redemption for a short time, but the blood of Christ the Lord must, by reason of His Person who shed it, have an everlasting efficacy and effect―an eternal redemption.
This, and nothing short of it, is ours― obtained by Christ, let us remember, not obtained by ourselves. The redemption He has obtained through His blood, and which we have through grace, is not one moment short of eternal.