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Sunday, September 29, 2024

Redemption and Salvation: Meaning in Christianity

Without the victory of the resurrection, the death of Jesus would have been in vain.  For death by itself is not any victory, irrespective of how well-meaning the sacrificial lamb, irrespective of how noble the cause.  Through His resurrection, Christ broke the ability of death once and forever. Salvation was not accomplished only due to cross.  It was accomplished by the victory of the empty tomb. – Katherine Walden

Redemption Defined

To be let loose from captivity or slavery. 

In Old Testament times, it was required that sacrifices be made to cover the penalty of sin.  This temporary redemption involved offering food and animal sacrifices as a substitution for the sin of the people within the tabernacle. The Jewish people were waiting for the promised Messiah who would offer one final blood sacrifice for all sins.  The animal sacrifices temporarily covered sins, however the Messiah would permanently remove sin.

O Israel, put your hope within the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.  He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. (Psalms 130:7) (NIV)

And in Jesus, the promise of the Messiah was fulfilled.  His substitution for our sins has redeemed us – set us free from sin. 

But we see Jesus, who was made a little bit lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, in order that by the grace of God he might taste death for everybody. (Hebrews 2:9) (NAS)

“The central theme of redemption in Scripture is that God has taken the initiative to act compassionately on behalf of those that are powerless to assist themselves. The New Testament makes clear that divine redemption includes God’s identification with humanity in its plight, and the securing of the liberation of humankind through the obedience, suffering, death, and resurrection of the incarnate Son.” (Excerpted from Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology)

Salvation Defined

Biblically, salvation refers back to the act of being saved from the everlasting consequences of sin. 

Did you understand that the name “Jesus” in Hebrew means “salvation?” 

… And you might be to present him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21) (NIV)

“It just isn’t the healthy who need a physician, however the sick. I actually have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) (NIV)

Jesus got here to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).  Through the redemption provided by His death and resurrection, Jesus gave each of us a strategy to be cleansed of our sins, offering us the possibility to spend eternity with Him in heaven.  All we’ve to do is take Him up on the offer.   

“I let you know the reality, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has everlasting life and won’t be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24) (NIV)

Salvation and redemption are tremendously necessary concepts in Christianity.  We are free from the penalty of sin because Jesus Christ paid the worth in our stead.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Malikov Aleksandr

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