Why the Cross - Redemption
In our last Teaching letter on "Why the Cross" we looked at the sacrifice of our LORD JESUS upon the Cross at Calvary. We saw that the curse that came upon Mankind via the sin of our Foreparents Adam and Eve was done away with. We saw that it no longer had any power over us who are IN CHRIST JESUS because JESUS removed that curse from us by becoming cursed HIMSELF, "Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: "
That slightly covered the area that we could call "before the Cross"; But what was achieved by that sacrifice for those who came after the Cross?
Every last good thing that we have IN CHRIST JESUS became ours that day that our LORD was hung on that tree known as the Cross of Calvary. Do you see the importance of that? No matter what we look at as a blessing from GOD, that could only become ours once the penalty for sin had been paid for. It could only come once the Sacrifice was completed and we know that it was completed because JESUS told us it was. "When", you might say? When He spoke those all-important words, "IT IS FINISHED".
So now we need to look at what was completed for us by HIS Sacrifice at Calvary.
There are many different things that we could look at coming via the Cross, things such as salvation, healing, prosperity and such. Look at what James, the Brother of JESUS says in James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. These good and perfect gifts all came to us at the time of the Cross and they came through one thing and that one thing is called "Redemption".
One might say "Surely redemption is just one of the things that was achieved at the Cross:" and you would be right, but what I am about to show you is that redemption was the box that contained all of the other blessings that we received via the Cross. When we receive an item delivered to us by a courier it usually comes to us delivered in a carton or some other means that the dispatcher at the originating source chose. Usually, we keep the items inside of the box but throw away the container that they came in.
It seems as if GOD chose to deliver all of the other blessings, all wrapped up in a box named Redemption. Therefore, let us not throw away the box that GOD sent us HIS blessings in because it is so important.
The word "REDEMPTION" in the Bible is the Greek word apolutrōsis, pronounced ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis; It's definition is that it means "(the act) RANSOM IN FULL, that is, (figuratively) RIDDANCE, or (specifically) Christian salvation: - deliverance, REDEMPTION.
When JESUS went to the Cross on our behalf, HE not only paid the price for the sin of Adam and Eve, HE also paid that price to release us from the same curse, HE paid OUR ransom price. HE got rid of OUR curse, and HE got rid (Riddance) of the barrier that prevented God from blessing His beloved Children.
It is important for us to remember, we who are in Christ Jesus are those beloved children created by our FATHER GOD. It is back to HIM that we are redeemed.
As we can see from the definition above, the Strongs Concordance has linked the paying of our ransom to, (1) being rid of the results of the fall of mankind as seen in Genesis chapter three, (2) salvation and deliverance. All of these are now linked to Redemption.
I have used the analogy before of redemption being like a pawn broker and I think it is worth using it again now. For those who live in countries that do not have pawn brokers, please let me explain what I mean. A pawn broker is a person who accepts an item belonging to you and who gives you money in return for that item. A pawn broker has two distinctly different roles.
The first role is that they can buy any item from you as a direct sale and that entitles them to own that item completely. They can do as they like with that item once they have paid you the price for it, they can resell that item or they can use it for their own purposes. The important thing is that in a direct sale, the item that you hand over will no longer be yours once the price is paid.
The second purpose of a Pawnbroker is one of a moneylender. They can lend you money in return for an item that you leave in their possession as collateral for the payment of that loan.
That means that you as the borrower take any item that belongs to you to a pawn broker and they will lend you money up to an agreed value in return for that item. However, that broker must now give you a slip of paper describing (1) the item that was offered, (2) what the condition of that item is at the time of being offered to the broker, (3) the agreed amount paid out on that item, (4) the amount of money to be paid to the broker in order for the item to be returned and finally, (5) a time limit in which the item can be bought back from them by you.
That slip of paper that they give you, is called "A REDEMPTION SLIP".
As the original owner of the item that was pawned, you can take that redemption slip back to that pawn broker and pay them the redemption amount of money (which is usually the amount borrowed plus an interest amount on top of that) and receive back your item. That redemption must also take place within the time specified by the pawn broker on that slip of paper. As a result the item that was under the care of the pawn broker is now returned to you, the rightful owner.
JESUS has redeemed us by paying the price due for the release of GOD's children. That price was His death. He died so that we could be redeemed back to the original One whose we once were. But now, because the price has been paid, we are redeemed back to the one who first created us, we are now once again the precious children of our FATHER GOD.
As a husband and a father, I know that if any one of my loved ones were taken from me whether through violent or deceptive means, I would do anything and everything to get them back with me. This is my love, how much greater then is GOD's love for those who are taken from Him, by the deceptive satan and his servant, sin.
There are many, many great and wonderful things that came out of the victory of the Cross and one of these is of course, healing.
When we read in 1 Peter 2:21 to 25 we see this great truth.
1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1 Peter 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; BUT ARE NOW RETURNED UNTO THE SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF YOUR SOULS.
As we can plainly see from this truth, we are now returned back to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, we are now returned back to our Father God. It is truly amazing that this truth is found in the same verse of that other great truth of our healing, for it is the one and the same truth. Healing and restoration are all part of the same thing.
We saw earlier (page 2) that the payment of our ransom - salvation and deliverance are all parts of the same package that is called redemption. So it is with our healing. This is born out as truth when we look at the word used here in 1 Peter 2:24 to describe our healing.
It is the Greek word iaomai, pronounced as ee-ah'-om-ahee. The definition of it is a primary verb; meaning "to cure" (literally or figuratively): - heal, or to MAKE WHOLE.
What the Apostle Peter was saying here was that when we are healed, we are made whole. JESUS did not just pay the price for one or two parts of you to be healed, He paid the price for the wholeness of you and your body.
Wholeness is what the Cross is all about, every last thing that sin and the devil has taken from us has been restored right back to Mankind again, and it all came through a package called redemption.
Lots of love
Don Phillips
24/02/2019