by D. S. Parrack (England)
Redemption is much less spoken of in the N.T. than in the old, the actual word ‘redeemer’ does not occur in it at all, at least not in the A.V. Where the subject does occur, it covers a much wider range of thought than we often consider. But our redemptive standing before God is shown as being positive and absolute. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.” How? “being made a curse for us,” Gal.3.13. That was a once-for-all completed work of redemption, it remains such and always will, because it is based not only on the task accomplished but on the Person who accomplished it. “(God's) dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins,” Col.1.14. Remember that the person who does the work is always greater than the work done. “He who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.” Heb.3.3.
The Scriptural idea behind the word redemption is not really, as often described, like the redeeming of a pledged item by the depositor, but rather of a ransom paid by someone from outside. So David can say, speaking prophetically for the Lord Jesus, “Then I restored that which I took not away,” Ps.69.4. He was not involved in the original transaction leading to the loss, that was due entirely to us. He came from outside to pay the ransom demand, something which even our nearest and dearest could not do. “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him,” Ps.49.7. The Jews of Nehemiah's time were only too conscious of their total inability in this respect. “Neither is it in our power to redeem (our daughters), for other men have our lands and vineyards,” Neh.5.5. We were as bankrupt spiritually as they were materially, but it was in such circumstances that the Lord Jesus intervened, see e.g. Rom.5.6-10.
But if the redemptive work has been accepted by God once-for-all, how can our present state be out of line with it? What other aspects of redemption should we be concerned about? Looking at a well known example of redemption in the O.T., we find Boaz declaring that as well as dealing with the inheritances of Elimelech, Chilion and Mahlon, “Moreover Ruth the Moabitess — have I purchased to be my wife,” see Ruth 4.9-10. Ruth then was not so much redeemed from something as being purchased to be somebody, Boaz's wife. As such she certainly came into a whole range of blessings and privileges, but she had also to accept ensuing responsibilities. This latter aspect the Corinthian believers seemed either not to realise or were unwilling to respond to. “What” asks Paul, “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price” (note that the word given here as “bought” is elsewhere translated as “redeemed,” e.g. Rev.5.9). What is the expected result, if and when we appreciate that we have been so totally bought, as to be “not your own”? “Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's,” see 1Cor.6.19-20.
That is the practical corollary of our eternal redemption, the evidenced acceptance that we no longer belong to ourselves, having been redeemed, ransomed, purchased, by the Lord Jesus that we might belong to Him. The apostle refers again to such ownership by saying, “Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the servants of men,” 1Cor.7.23. He was not advocating a slave revolt, an occurrence not altogether uncommon in his time. The stance to be taken is to be more like that of Peter before the council. “We ought to obey God rather than men,” Acts 5.29, i.e., when the commands of God and the diktats of men clash, it is God that we should obey. We do need to be quite sure though that it is a command of God to which we are giving preference, not just some view of our own which happens not to agree with legitimate authority. We must not use Peter's dictum as a self-justifying excuse for anarchy, especially so in the church. That would be confusion not godly order, see 1Cor.14.40.
A practical working out of having been redeemed, of our new ownership, see Rom.6.16-22, is what the Lord Jesus expects, and deserves, of His people. That it was an integral part of His redemption plan is made clear to Titus. Paul speaks of “The great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,” Tit.2.14. God's intention, put into operation by the Lord Jesus, is to have people purified and special to Himself, actively concerned about, and engaged in, good works. Such works are not a precondition of redemption but an expected result and evidence of it.
That this ongoing nature of redemption is of paramount importance, is seen by the references to it in the N.T., including its future climax, “to wit, the redemption of our body.” Of that time, not only is it true that “even we groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption,” Rom.8.23, but the Lord Jesus Himself waits expectantly too. We are reminded of “that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest (the pledge) of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory,” Eph.1.13-14. When the redeemed, the ransomed, Bride is displayed in all her beauty, see Rev.19.19.6-9, the costliness of the ransom paid will be all the more publicly evident.
That all those currently in the good of the redemptive work at Calvary will be included in this climax is certain and secure. Paul writes of “the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption,” Eph.4.30. Marked out as being specially His and kept so until the transaction is complete and the redeemed brought fully into his possession, see again Eph.1.13-14.
In the light of needing to see our state more conforming to our standing, there is, in the context of redemption, something to which we ourselves should give attention. Firstly, in our general conduct. “See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil,” Eph.5.15-16. We should be living our lives in the reality that time is short, don't let what is available to you be wasted. “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles — but the end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore sober and watch with prayer,” 1Pet.4.3-7. That is certainly one way of redeeming the time.
The Colossians too were encouraged to “walk in wisdom,” but for them the emphasis was with regard to “those that are without.” It is with them, their welfare, that the need for “redeeming the time” is pressed, see Col.4.5. For such there may indeed be very little time left, and it should not be wasted. Redeem it, buy it, at a cost to yourself but for the good of others. But let it be essentially for the Lord Jesus and by so doing make your own redemption more evidenced and meaningful. By so doing your present state will be more closely aligned to your eternal redemption, to the standing which that gives you in God's sight here and now.
—to be continued (D.V.)