INTRODUCTION: Sarah had been injured and needed an immediate blood transfusion. Only her brother, Bobby, had the matching blood type. The doctor asked if he would be willing to give his blood to help Sarah. Bobby pondered the request a long moment, then he answered affirmatively. 

In the emergency room, the nurse noticed tears trickling down Bobby's face. She said softly, "Bobby, don't worry; this will not hurt." "I know," he responded. "But when will I die?" Bobby believed by giving his blood to help Sarah, he would die. When the doctor had questioned him, Bobby had made what he believed to be a life-determining decision: his life for Sarah's. 

Unlike Bobby, who only had to give a pint of his blood for Sarah, we have someone who redeemed us with all his blood. Jesus gave his all to redeem us from the slavery of sin.
 
 

BODY
 
 

I. THE NEED FOR REDEMPTION.

A. What is redemption and how does it relate to our salvation? 

1. "To purchase a slave with a view toward giving him his freedom."

2. "To release by paying a ransom, to ransom in full" 

3. "To emancipate or liberate"

4. The ancients had a vivid understanding of this because they understood the nature of some slaves being redeemed from slavery. The slave would be purchased by a freeman for a purchase prices, and then set free. It would mean freedom based on the kindness and love of others, not by the slave=s works.

B. We need redemption because we have been put under bondage of sin to Satan.

1. All who have sinned are the slaves of sins.

a. John 8:34 - Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."

b. Romans 6:16 - "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?"

2. A prisoner of Satan

a. He has Deceived us

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."

b. He has Defeated us

2 Peter 2:19 - "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage."

c. We are Dead in sin 

Colossians 2:13 - "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,"

A. Redemption has been provided by our Lord.

1. Redemption has been made possible because of the vicarious death of Jesus.

2. 2 Corinthians 5:14 - "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;"

3. Romans 6:10 - "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God."

4. Colossians 1:22-23 "in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight; if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."

5. Hebrews 2:9 - "But 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, might taste death for everyone."

6. It is the work that God did in providing a way of salvation from our sins. It is the work that we could not do to save ourselves.

B. It is through the shedding of Jesus' blood that we have been redeemed from the penalty of sin.

1. The blood that was shed under the Old Covenant was symbolic of the great sacrifice that Jesus would make for the sins of all mankind.

a. Hebrews 9:22 - "And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission."

b. Hebrews 9:11-15

2. 1 Peter 1:18-19 "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

3. Colossians 1:20 - "and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."

C. It is through the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus that all mankind will be saved, no matter when they lived.

1. Hebrews 9:15 - "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance."

 

A. Christ's redemption has provided forgiveness of sins.

1. The Christian enjoys forgiveness of their sins.

2. Acts 26:18 - "to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."

3. Acts 2:38 - Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

4. 1 John 2:12 - "I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake."

B. That forgiveness of sins comes when we the access redemptive power of Jesus' death.

1. Romans 6:4-8

C. The great joy of knowing that all our sins are forgiven.

1. Acts 8:39 - "Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing."

2. Romans 5:11 - "And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."

A. God's scheme of redemption was a mystery.

1. It was not a mystery in the sense that we sometimes think, i.e. that it is something that is hard to understand. Mystery here is simply something that has been hidden, i.e. not revealed.

a. Romans 16:25-26 "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith;"

2. Paul is using mystery here to refer to the plan of God for the redemption of mankind that was not revealed to mankind until the time of Christ.

a. 1 Peter 1:9-12 "receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of your souls. 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; things which angels desire to look into."

3. Paul, under inspiration from the Holy Spirit, used the word mystery six times in Ephesians and seventeen times in his writings.

B. This mystery is how Christ would complete the scheme of redemption for mankind.

1. Verses 10-11 "that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth;"

2. Christ's coming would be on schedule according to God and His divine purpose. It was not a haphazard event. The fact is that the coming of Christ into the world was according to God=s eternal purpose.

3. Galatians 4:4 - "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,"

4. The "gathering together in one all things" is likely the coming together of both Jew and Gentile into one body, the church.

a. Ephesians 2:14 - "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,"

5. The scheme of redemption has purchased us. We now belong to Christ.

a. Titus 2:14 - "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

C. It is a mystery that can be understood.

1. Ephesians 3:3-4 "how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),"

 

And this was the letter he wrote: "Dear father, the bearer of this letter made my last moments easier, and helped me to die. Receive him and help him for Charlie's sake." 

The war ended, and the soldier in tattered garments sought out the father in Detroit. He refused to see him at first on account of his wretched appearance. "But," said the stranger, "I have a note for you in which you will be interested." He handed him the little soiled piece of paper, and when the great man's eyes fell upon the name of his son all was instantly changed. He drew his arms about the soldier, and drew him close to his heart, and put at his disposal everything that wealth could make possible for him to possess. It was the name that made the difference. And thus we stand on redemption ground, before God in the name of Jesus Christ, and he speaks for us as did Paul for the Roman slave Onesimus. 
 

Copyright 1999 by Grady Scott may be reproducted for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others.