Read Romans 3:21-26

“[We are] being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…*” (Romans 3:24)*

Redemption! It is a theme throughout the corpus of Scripture that should cause us to celebrate and become filled with gratitude. As we consider such a powerful doctrine, we must take great care to understand what the word redemption means in itself.

All too often the word has been defined as buying something back. Of course, in English that is exactly what this word has come to mean. But in the biblical language and the historical context, this word carried a slightly different definition. It actually had nothing to do with buying anything — though that could be implied. Simply defined, redemption meant to be set free.

The historical usage of this word outside of the New Testament always described prisoners of war, slaves or criminals were set free from their bondage. Now, if we dive just a little bit deeper into the meaning, we actually find that the word more literally meant to loosen off.

The Lord Jesus Christ once said to the once dead, but now alive, Lazarus —

“And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”” (John 11:44)

We were like Lazarus once, before we came to Christ. This was our estate — bound hand and foot in the bondage of graveclothes. We were completely ruled by our sinful nature and swept away in the current of the wicked one. We had no authority of our own to stop ourselves from sinning. We were oppressed by the shackles of hell. And there was no way out of ourselves.

But now Christ has commanded that we be loosed and set free. As soon as we put our faith in Christ, God said from the heavens: “Loose him and let him go! For I declare forevermore that he is right with me." The chains are broken and the prison doors have flung open. God has picked us up out of the miry clay and set our feet on the rock! We are free.

And this, dear Beloved, is what redemption is! We should always understand it to mean liberation. There is not a person that Christ cannot set free from the grips of sin, self, and Satan. There is not a person that Christ cannot liberate from hell, wrath, and death.

Christ is our great Redeemer! And as such, He is therefore our great Liberator!

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

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