Title: The Cross and Redemption
cross and redemption
“He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
I. Text Commentary
II. meaning of the original language
A. 'Take it out'
The word ‘rescue’ in verse 13 is ‘elizato’ in Greek, and the meaning of this word is “to save, to rescue, to bring out,” and it is used extensively as a verb expressing our salvation.
B. 'Redemption'
In verse 14 of the text, ‘redemption’ means ‘forgiveness of sins’, but strictly speaking, ‘redemption’ and ‘remission of sins’ have different meanings. Here, 'redemption' is 'ten apolleutrosin' in Greek, and it is one of the nouns referring to redemption. To know this, we need to know the verb from which it is derived.
C. Words for 'redemption'
There are two main verbs that refer to redemption. One is 'aporeutro', a verb from which 'redemption' in the text is derived, 'apho' means 'because of, away from', and 'leutro' is 'a slave-like being paid a price by someone. It means to be free.” This word is mainly translated in the Bible as 'to redeem'. The word ‘rescue’ means to lift and rescue with one’s ability to have the power, but because ‘redemption’ clearly includes the meaning of living at a price, when referring to redemption, it is a different word from the word ‘save’. So, to be saved from death, wrath, evil powers, and trials is to deliver, and to be saved from sin is to use the word ‘redemption’ with the meaning of paying a price. Another word for redemption in the Bible is the word 'agorazo', which is translated as 'market, marketplace'. The verb from which this word is derived also has the meaning of 'to buy with a price'.
III. The concept of 'redemption'
There is a concept of redemption that can be understood through this, but it does not deliver us from sin, death, and power, but includes the meaning of having to pay something to buy us.
A. Not a mere ability
Some who deviate from orthodox theology say that the salvation of Christ is nothing more than God's great power delivered from sin and misery. But salvation is not a mere ability to deliver without cost.
B. Redemptive Salvation
Salvation is redemptive salvation with a redemptive concept. Redemptive salvation means that God saved us by His power from death, wrath, evil powers, and trials, but God delivered us from our sins, paying the price for our sins and buying us. This fact appears in Mark 10:45, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
C. PARTIES TO BINDING
So, if you bought us at a price, who are you buying us from? That is, who is the party to salvation? It was bought from God. We often mistakenly believe that God paid the devil to buy us, but when we sin, no one has harmed us but God, and ontologically, the devil and God are mutually negotiable. There cannot be an equal relationship. So God did not have to buy us who were sold to the devil, but because of His own righteous disposition, He paid the price for us by crucifying Christ instead of Him. That is why we only glorify God through the entire process of redemption.
IV. cross and redemption
Then, the cross and redemption are redemption from what? This is a redemption from two things.
A. From the Law
The first is redemption from the curse of the law. According to the law, we were originally the parties to be cursed by God, but through the death of Christ, we gained life and became God's most beloved children.
The second is redemption from the ordinances of the law. The ordinances are a number of sacrificial ceremonies that are necessary for us to come before God (Galatians 3:23). . But through Christ he paid and delivered us from the duty of this ordinance. As a result, this is the simplified worship service we are currently offering.
The third is redemption from the works of the law. Christ died on the cross so that Jesus Christ could fulfill the law (Romans 10:4). Therefore, now there is no need for anyone to seek salvation by works. The Bible says that our salvation is not by works, but by the grace of God.
B. From sin
The first is redemption from a guilty state. Before we were saved, we were the object of wrath and servants of the devil. But, by dying for us on the cross of Christ, he redeemed us from all our sins, transforming us into the beloved children of God.
The second is redemption from bondage. After we sinned, we were not only cast out of God's children as servants of the devil, but our hearts and souls were in bondage by sin. Even if they were reconciled to God through the sacrifice, they were only for a short time, and they were in a miserable situation where they could never be freed from their bondage to sin. There was no way we could break the chains of sin by our own strength, and we had no choice but to commit sins, and living in opposition to God was inevitable. But Christ's death broke the bondage of sin in our hearts and souls, so that the devil could not exercise absolute dominion over our hearts and souls, and even though there are still lingering sins, with the help of grace the bondage is lifted. He gave me the freedom not to live with it. Just as we were saved from the bondage of sin when we were saved, in the same way, after being saved, whenever we slip and feel the bondage of sin, we come to the throne of God's grace and depend on the merits of the cross of Christ and ask God for grace. He rescues us from bondage and turns us toward the Lord.
V. Conclusion. our proud cross