“SOTERIOLOGY deals with the communication of the blessings of salvation to the sinner and his restoration to divine favor and to a life in intimate communion with God. It presupposes knowledge of God as the all-sufficient source of the life, the strength, and the happiness of mankind, and of man’s utter dependence on Him for the present and the future. Since it deals with restoration, redemption, and renewal, it can only be understood properly in the light of the original condition of man as created in the image of God, and of the subsequent disturbance of the proper relationship between man and his God by the entrance of sin into the world.” Dr. Louis Berkhof
“Redemption is directed to the need created by man’s bondage to sin. It speaks the language of purchase and ransom. Ransom is the securing of a release by the payment of a price. From what has the sinner been released? From the law and sin.” — Dr. Charles Horne.
Galatians 3:13 (ESV) – “Christ redeemed (agorazo; exagorazo us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”
The Greek word translated “redeemed” was often used to speak of buying a slave’s or debtor’s freedom. Christ’s death, because it was a death of substitution for sin, satisfied God’s justice and exhausted his wrath toward his elect, so that Christ actually purchased believers from slavery to sin and from the sentence of eternal death (4:5; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 1:18; cf. Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12).” – Dr. John MacArthur
Christ delivered sinners from the bondage of sin, of which the Mosaic Law was the instrument.
Hebrews 9:11–12 (ESV) – “11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
Redemption from sin embraces the several aspects from which sin maybe scripturally viewed. In examining Hebrews 9:11-12, we note particularly (1) redemption from guilt –justification and forgiveness of sin (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; (2) Redemption from the power of sin –deliverance from its enslaving defilement (Titus 2:14; I Peter 1:18); and (3) Redemption from the presence of sin – glorification (Rom. 8:23, 28-31).
“Because we as sinners are in bondage to sin and to Satan, we need someone to provide redemption and thereby ‘redeem’ us out of that bondage. When we speak of redemption, the idea of ‘ransom’ comes into view. A ransom is the price paid to redeem someone from bondage or captivity. Jesus said of Himself, ‘For even the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45).” – Dr. Wayne Grudem
As one author writes, “Where do you find your worth? The world tempts us to define ourselves by our wealth, our strength, our skills, our accomplishments. The gospel gives a different answer. It calls us not to look inside ourselves, but rather to lift our gaze to the cross. Though we have no worth in and of ourselves to cling to, we see something remarkable: wounds. Bloody wounds. Scars that speak of how much we are worth to God: He gave His Son for our redemption.”
My worth is not in what I own
Not in the strength of flesh and bone
But in the costly wounds of love
At the cross.
My worth is not in skill or name
In win or lose, in pride or shame
But in the blood of Christ that flowed
At the cross.
Refrain:
I rejoice in my Redeemer
Greatest Treasure,
Wellspring of my soul
I will trust in Him, no other.
My soul is satisfied in Him alone.
As summer flowers we fade and die
Fame, youth and beauty hurry by
But life eternal calls to us
At the cross.
I will not boast in wealth or might
Or human wisdom’s fleeting light
But I will boast in knowing Christ
At the cross.
Refrain
Two wonders here that I confess
My worth and my unworthiness
My value fixed – my ransom paid
At the cross.
Refrain
(WORDS AND MUSIC BY KEITH GETTY, KRISTYN GETTY AND GRAHAM KENDRICK)
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 