Redemption

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This means “bought back and set free.” It is used in the New Testament in application to Israel and in application to Christians.
In connection with Israel historically, the nation was redeemed or set free from the bondage of Egypt by God’s power through Moses (Ex. 6:6; 15:136Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: (Exodus 6:6)
13Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. (Exodus 15:13), etc.). But Israel’s full and final redemption from their enemies is still future, when the Lord appears (Luke 21:2828And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)). Their redemption in this outward sense could have occurred when the Lord first came (Luke 1:68; 2:3868Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, (Luke 1:68)
38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:38)), but He was rejected by His people (Isa. 53:33He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3); John 1:1111He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1:11)). Consequently, the redemption of Israel nationally was postponed to a future time (Luke 24:2121But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. (Luke 24:21)). When the Lord appears, He will redeem a remnant of the Jews and of the ten tribes, and thus will set them free from every adverse and hostile power that has been against them (Isa. 52:99Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. (Isaiah 52:9); Hos. 13:1414I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. (Hosea 13:14)).
In connection with Christians, redemption is viewed in four ways:
1) The Redemption Of Our Souls
This is a once-for-all thing that occurs when we receive Christ as our Saviour. We are set free from the sentence of judgment that has been upon us (Rom. 3:2424Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:24); Gal. 3:13; 4:513Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3:13)
5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5); 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); Titus 2:13-1413Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:13‑14); Heb. 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); 1 Peter 1:1818Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (1 Peter 1:18)). Once we have been redeemed in this way, we never need to be redeemed again.
This aspect of redemption has in view the setting of the believer free so that he can do the will of God—in worship and in service. This is illustrated typically in the Lord's words to Pharaoh through Moses, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me" (Ex. 8:11And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. (Exodus 8:1)). As a rule, since the word redeem means to be "set free," redemption is always presented in Scripture as being "from" or "out of" some adverse thing that has held people in bondage (Ex. 15:1313Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. (Exodus 15:13); Psa. 25:2222Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. (Psalm 25:22); Psa. 49:1515But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. (Psalm 49:15); Psa. 130:88And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Psalm 130:8); Jer. 15:2121And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. (Jeremiah 15:21); Mic. 4:1010Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. (Micah 4:10); Rom. 8:2323And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23); Gal. 3:1313Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3:13); Titus 2:1414Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14)). (In the KJV, Revelation 5:99And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9) says, "Redeemed us to God..." but redeemed is not the correct word there; it should be translated, "Purchased [bought] us to God.")
2) The Redemption Of Our Time
This aspect of redemption is something that should go on throughout our lives as a matter of daily exercise. It has to do with setting free “time” (“seizing every good and favourable opportunity” – J. N. Darby Trans. footnote) and using it for the Lord. This aspect of redemption is mentioned twice in Scripture, each having to do with a different sphere of Christian activity and service.
We are to set free time and opportunities to be used in gospel outreach toward those outside the Christian community (Col. 4:55Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. (Colossians 4:5) – “them that are without”).
God has placed this very precious commodity of time in our hands. Some have been given more of it, and others less. It has been said that the greatest waste of time is to spend it on the gratification of selfish interests, but the greatest use of time is to spend it in the service of the Master.
3) The Redemption Of Our Bodies
This will occur at the Rapture when we will be glorified like Christ (Rom. 8:2323And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23); 1 Cor. 15:51-5751Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑57); Eph. 4:3030And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30); Phil. 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)). At that time, we will be set free from every hindrance that touches our physical bodies. This aspect of redemption includes the eradication of our fallen sin-natures.
4) The Redemption Of Our Inheritance
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Many confuse “bought” with “redeemed,” assuming that they are the same thing—but these terms are not synonymous in Scripture. Mr. Kelly said, “The word ‘bought’ does not mean ‘redeem;’ but so thoroughly have these two thoughts been confounded in the minds of Christians generally, that the difference was quite ignored by the two parties who stand opposed to one another as they have been for 1400 years....The remarkable fact is that both agree in taking these two words as equivalent; so that there has been no thought of discriminating; there is a habitual confusion of the two ideas in ‘purchase’ and ‘redemption’” (Bible Witness and Review, vol. 2, p. 433). The truth is that redeemed includes being bought, but it goes beyond the thought of purchase to take in being set free. Bought has to do with a change of ownership; whereas redeemed has to do with a change of condition. Ephesians 1:1414Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14) proves that there is a difference between bought [purchase] and redeemed. It tells us that there is something—the "purchased possession" (which is the inheritance)—that has been purchased, but has not yet been redeemed. What could this mean, if both terms were synonymous? All men and things have been bought by Christ, and therefore, belong to Him (Matt. 13:4444Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (Matthew 13:44); Heb. 2:99But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)), but only those who own Christ’s purchase by faith are redeemed. Thus, lost men and women in this world have been bought (2 Peter 2:11But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)) but they are not redeemed.
The following illustration helps us to understand the difference between bought and redeemed. Suppose you see a caged dog captive to a cruel master. You often go by that pitiful sight and see the cruel man beating and mistreating his dog. To deliver the dog from such cruelty, you approach the master with an offer to buy the animal. The man is agreeable to it, and states his price, and you pay him the amount. You buy the dog and the cage and drive off. At this point, the dog has been purchased; he has a new master. There has been a change of ownership, but there has not been a change of condition—it is still captive in the cage. But when you get home and open the cage, and the dog gets out and runs around, then there is a change of condition—the dog is liberated or set free! This is the meaning of redemption; it implies not only being purchased, but also being set free. W. Scott said, “Redemption is a very different thing from purchase [bought]; the former refers to a change of state or condition, while the latter merely intimates a change of masters. You may purchase a slave, but that is not deliverance from the state of slavery” (Handbook of the Old Testament, p. 370). (See Bought.)