Christ Our Redeemer

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: Romans 6:1-11

I. What is redemption?

A. Sometimes used of deliverance

B. Deuteronomy 9:26 – “Therefore I prayed to the LORD, and said: ‘O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.” Isaiah 63:9b – (Of Israel) – “In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old.”

C. Used of purchasing freedom from slavery or paying a ransom

D. Nehemiah 5:8 – Israelites redeemed their brethren from the nations

E. A prevalent idea in the New Testament as slavery was very common in the Roman Empire.

F. The Roman Empire considered the slave a piece of goods, inferior to the regular citizen. A slave could buy his freedom or be granted freedom by a benevolent master. A freedman could never rise to the highest levels of Roman society so there was always a stigma associated with slavery.

II. What are we redeemed from?

A. Slavery of sin

B. We sell ourselves into slavery under sin, John 8:33-36. The wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23) Ephesians 1:7 – “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Romans 6:1-11 – We are freed from sin We could never buy our freedom from sin. Imagine being a slave that has no hope of freedom and we get an idea of the despair of one who is hopeless without God.

C. Slavery of the law

D. Galatians 3:13-14 – Freed from the Law of Moses If it were not for Jesus, we would not only be obligated to keep the Law but would quickly learn that we are condemned under the law for all have sinned. The Law could not bring life and so slavery under the Law would be despair.

E. Unrighteous deeds

F. Titus 2:11-14 – Redeemed from every lawless deed Proverbs 13:15 – “Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard.” So many people drown themselves in alcohol, sedate themselves with drugs, and indulge in all manner of physical pleasures to hide themselves from the meaningless of life without purpose or meaning. Christ has bought us from the folly of foolish living and a wasted life to a meaningful life full of purpose. God bought us to be His workers.

G. Death

H. John 10:10 – He came to give us abundant life Not only are we redeemed from a worthless life on earth, we are redeemed from eternal death by the death of Jesus.

III. How does Christ redeem us?

A. Slave analogy

B. Neither a slave nor a freedman could attain high status Not only did Jesus purchase our freedom, He adopted us as His children.

C. Only Jesus’ blood can redeem us

D. Hebrews 9:12-15 – He offered His blood to remove our sins Colossians 1:13-14 – Through His blood we enter God’s kingdom

E. 1 Peter 1:17-19

F. The blood of Jesus is more precious than the treasures that could purchase a slaves physical freedom. If we rebel against God, we count the precious blood as something common, Hebrews 10:26-29.

G. Our part and God’s part

H. We are not forced into freedom but must seek God’s grace. In Roman times, a slave would take the money he saved to the master to purchase his freedom. We do not have the means of purchasing our freedom from Satan but if we ask Jesus, He will pay the ransom for us. Romans 3:22-26 – Salvation freely offered to those who believe in Jesus Matthew 10:32 – Confess Jesus before men As earlier noted from Romans 6, when we are baptized into Christ we cease to be slaves of sin and become servants of righteousness.

IV. What does it mean for us?

A. We are bought with a price

B. 1 Peter 2:15-16 – Glorify God with our freedom Live worthy of the high cost paid to save us

C. Seek complete deliverance from evil

D. Jesus told His disciples to pray, “Deliver us from evil.” Why would freedmen ever seek to be slaves again? They would forfeit the cost of freedom, counting it as worthless. Let us not try to serve our old master but devote ourselves to God.

E. We should live full lives

F. Jesus gives us abundant life, let us live it. He did not purchase us for a miserable existence but to have the true joy and satisfaction of godly living.

G. Debt to the one who bought our freedom

H. We should always be thankful for His sacrifice. We should never forget that but by the grace of God are we free.

I. If not a Christian, we should seek freedom in Jesus.