Redemption

Redemption

“In Whom We Have Redemption Through His Blood”

Introduction

Redemption is a broad term used in the Bible to refer to act of God involving His special intervention for the salvation of mankind. The term is also associated with the act of Jesus Christ as he paid the price on the Cross to 'purchase' mankind in order to set them free from the slavery to sin. This is because of Jesus Christ's substitutionary atonement, He is known as the Redeemer. There are also other notions that are closely associated with fundamental concept of redemption, which are concerned with the essentiality of redemption, along with various aspects of the act, and to the effects of the ministry of God's grace that one can see in the life of those who believe in Christianity.

The term 'redeem' or 'redemption' appears 25 times in the narratives of New Testament. According to the scholars of theology, the terms have been used in those narratives for the purpose of translating seven different Greek words. Five of these words, according to the scholars, point towards the ransom paid to set free the captives, prisoners of war or the salves. It should be noted that in those cultures slavery had flourished for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. So the way that had been available for those slaves to set themselves free is either through the generous act of fellow citizen who would buy their freedom or earning the freedom for oneself. This paper aims at exploring the concept of redemption according to the teaching of New Testament (NT), while discussing how different aspects of redemption can be applicable to the concept of counseling in the twenty-first century church.

Discussion

The New Testament, unlike the Old, brings concepts clearer to Christians while not losing sight of its original meaning. As we know, the New Testament applies the testamentary concept effectively to Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of man. The purpose of Jesus on earth was to make a sacrifice of himself to release the man of sin. This seems to be in agreement with Merrill C. Tenney, when he says that “the heart of the biblical message of redemption is the deliverance of God's people from the dominion of sin through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his subsequent reconciliation with God and His Heavenly Kingdom.

Given the neo-testamentary placements, we cannot forget that this sacrifice of Christ for man is the greatest proof of man's inability to free himself, by merit or ability, of sin. Ironside, agrees with this position, and says that “it is not possible for any man, by his own means, redeem himself of the sad conditions in which he is due to sin, that is why we need a kinsman redeemer who is more than man, which is both divine and human.” In addressing the issue of Redemption in the New Testament we have to restore a sense of human failure before God on account of their sin. There are merits in man that do deserve the ...