THIS WE BELIEVE – PART 2 - REDEMPTION

The Bible tells one story: humanity fell into sin, God provided redemption through Jesus, He will raise His people to new life, and one day He will judge the world with justice.

Last week we looked honestly at the problem of sin.

We saw that sin is not just something wrong in the world — it is something wrong in us.

Sin separates us from God. It corrupts the human heart. And it ultimately leads to death.

And the most important thing we saw was this:

Humanity cannot rescue itself.

If sin were simply mistakes, we would need advice.
If sin were weakness, we would need discipline.

But because sin has corrupted the human heart and broken our relationship with God, we need rescue.

And the good news of the Bible is that God did not leave humanity in that condition.

From the very beginning, God had a plan to redeem sinners.

Today we look at that plan. 

There are many theological names that are used for the various parts of Gods plan to save humanity. 

The word ‘Atonement’ is often used, which speaks about Gods plan to remove the guilt of our sin so that our relationship with God can be restored. “At-one-ment” with God.

Another fun one is ‘propitiation’. Propitiation means that Jesus absorbed the righteous anger of God against sin so that we could be forgiven.

We’ve used the word ‘Justification’ before. Justification is God placing on us by faith, the righteous effects of Jesus’ life, and declaring us ‘NOT GUILTY’ and equally holy and righteous. ‘Just as if i’d’ never sinner before.

Today we will use the word ‘Redemption’. Redemption means being set free because someone else has paid the price.

Considering last week and the horrible nature sin, we saw that we are not merely good people who sometimes sin and do bad things, we are at our very nature sinners. We are not as bad as we could be, and we often do very good things, but because our nature is broken and corrupted, we can never please God enough to be saved from the hatred God has over sin.

We need someone to rescue us, to REDEEM US. To set us free from the effects of sin and death. Someone else needs to redeem us, someone who is worthy and good enough.

1. The Promise of Redemption (God’s Plan)

As we saw last week, the promise of redemption appears immediately after the fall.

READ: Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

God promises that one day a descendant of the woman will defeat the serpent.

This is the first whisper of the gospel. Alongside that in the garden we see God kill an animal and use it’s skin to cover the newly discovered shame and nakedness of Adam and Eve.

But as the story of the Old Testament unfolds, another question emerges:

“How then can sinful people live in relationship with a holy God?”

And the answer is, that God established the sacrificial system. All throughout the OT we read about sacrifices being made to God. Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David, all made sacrifices. Why? What did it do?

We read about different sacrifices for different things.

LAW given to Moses about what to do when someone like us unintentionally sins.

Leviticus 4:27-31

27 “If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, and realises his guilt, 28 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. 29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. 30 And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. 31 And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.

When someone sinned, they would bring an animal—often a lamb or goat—to the priest.

The person would place their hand on the animal, symbolising that their guilt was being transferred.

The animal would then be killed and die in the place of the sinner, the person who brought the animal.

God clearly was showing his people that Sin brings death and that sin requires death as it’s right punishment. Wonderfully God doesn’t hold the sins of the people against them, but made a way for the sin to be died for and punished without the person dying.

BUT the question remains? How long can this last? These sacrifices were never the final solution. They had to be repeated again and again.

READ: Hebrews 10:4

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

So if this is true, even though my sins are covered and forgiven temporarily today, tomorrow I know I will sin again and will be guilty again tomorrow. If I have any chance of being holy before God, I need, and we need, and humanity needs, something or someone who will finally, once and for all, die in our place, and save the people from their sin.

Can you see how the OT laws are already pointing towards a saviour! Who could that be? 

Another powerful moment in the Old Testament that points forward to Jesus is the Passover.

In the book of Exodus, God is about to rescue Israel from slavery in Egypt. But before their deliverance comes, a final judgment is coming upon the land.

God tells every household to take a lamb without blemish, kill it, and place the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their homes.

READ: Exodus 12:13

“The blood shall be a sign for you… When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

That night judgment passed through Egypt and the firstborn child and animal in every house was killed. And before you say “Oh poor people!” remember that everyone, all of us, deserves Gods righteous anger over sin, which is death. It is only by Gods grace that He chooses to pass over peoples sin and give them a chance to receive forgiveness.

Back to Egypt, wherever the blood of the lamb was present, judgment ‘passed over’ that house.

Each Hebrew family killed a spotless and perfect lamb, which died so that the people inside could live.

This event became one of the most important celebrations in Israel’s history — the Passover.

But the Passover was not only about Israel’s rescue from Egypt.

It was also pointing forward to something greater.

The apostle Paul later writes: 

READ: 1 Corinthians 5:7

“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

Just as the lamb died so that judgment would pass over Israel, Jesus is recognised as the true Passover Lamb.

His blood was shed so that those who trust in Him are rescued from judgment and brought into freedom.

The sacrifices of the Old Testament could cover sin, but they could never fully remove it.

All of this was deliberately designed by God to point forward to someone greater.

Even today there are some Jewish groups who long to see the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, on the site where the Dome of the Rock now stands. They believe that when the temple is restored, the sacrificial system described in the Old Testament could resume and prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

But from a Christian perspective, the New Testament teaches that those sacrifices were always pointing forward to something greater — the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

READ: John 1:29

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus is the Lamb of God who finally and completely takes away the sin of the world.

2. The Price of Redemption (The Cross)

Remember, the word ‘redemption' means to buy back at a price.

READ: Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus gave His life as a ransom. On the cross, Jesus deals finally, once and for all, with the problems sin created. 

We’ll look briefly at 4 places where we are redeemed and ransomed from:

1. The penalty of sin

READ: Isaiah 53:5

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his wounds we are healed.

Only one who himself didn’t deserve the penalty of His own sin, could stand in the place of sinners and receive the penalty in their place.

We see that God’s plan of passing over our sin, first by animals, now takes on it’s final and glorious form. We are told that Gods rescue plan has Jesus on the cross, taking the punishment we deserved, and thereby gave us forgiveness and peace with God.

2. The wrath of God

READ: Romans 5:9

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

We see that God plan to rescue us has Jesus absorbing, receiving in our place, the judgment of God against sin. Last week we said how our Holy and perfect God cannot be in the presence of sin and imperfection. He hates it. He has great anger over it. 

Not only does the legal penalties of sin need to be dealt with, but that hatred and anger over sin needs to go somewhere so it doesn’t go on us.

Gods plan was that Jesus the only one who didn’t sin and deserve the wrath of God, would in His body on the cross take upon himself, the hatred and anger of our Holy God, in our place.

Not only for us, but for every person in the past whose sins God ‘passed over’, all people present and future who would put their trust in the holiness of Jesus to save them from the wrath of God.

3. Separation from God

READ: 1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…

I need, we need, humanity needs, someone who is in genuine close, intimate relationship with God, to bring us to God. Someone who could heal the separation from God that Adam and Eve and every other human has experienced because of sin.

Without this healed relationship that heals our separation, we could never eternally be with God, and be friends of God, and be close to God, and be welcomed into heaven one day.

In Matthew 27:46 we read:

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

In Gods grace, it was His plan that Jesus, who had always lived in perfect relationship with God the Father and Holy Spirit, would be forsaken for our sin, would receive the separation from God, that we deserve, and that through His separation, our relationships with God could be healed.

4. Slavery to sin and death

Friends. Jesus dying to forgive the penalty of our sin, receive the wrath of God over sin, and to heal our broken relationships with God is wonderful. But it doesn’t completely ensure that our future. We are still in these bodies, that aren’t made holy yet. That is where we see Jesus ensures that we are future sin proof.

READ: Romans 6:6

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Jesus breaks the power of sin and death over our lives once and for all.

Illustration: Courtroom

Imagine standing in a courtroom with overwhelming evidence against you.

The verdict is guilty.

But someone steps forward and takes the sentence in your place.

Justice is satisfied.

You are free to go.

That is what Jesus has done for us.

READ: 2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus took our place so that we could receive His righteousness.

3. The Power of Redemption (What It Means Now)

Redemption is not just about forgiveness in theory. It changes our reality. We are forgiven

READ: Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

We are reconciled to God

We are brought back into relationship with our Creator.

We are freed from sin’s power

READ: John 8:34-36

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

QN: What about Christians who sin?

Christians still struggle with sin…But our relationship with God is not destroyed.

READ: 1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

QN: What if someone keeps sinning?

Scripture teaches two things:

1. God disciplines His children.

READ: Hebrews 12:6

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

2. Persistent, unrepentant sin may reveal that someone has never truly trusted Christ.

READ: 1 John 3:9

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

Christians still sin, but sin does not rule their lives.

QN: What is the Unforgivable Sin?

READ: Matthew 12:31–32

Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is persistent rejection of Jesus.

It is rejecting the only source of forgiveness.

If someone is worried they have committed this sin, it is a strong sign they have not.

Redemption always involves a price being paid.

Jesus paid that price with His life.

Invitation to Non-Christians

You cannot rescue yourself.

But God has come to rescue you through Jesus.

READ: Romans 10:9

…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

If you turn to Christ and trust Him, you will be saved. No matter your past. No matter how far you feel from God. Redemption is available today.

Invitation to Christians

Many Christians still carry guilt and shame. But the cross means the price has already been paid.

You are not trying to earn God's love. You are living from the love God has already shown you.

When we sin, we do not run away from God. We run toward Him to receive the mercy and grace He has made available to us.

READ: 1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Conclusion

Redemption means:

Jesus paid the price for our sin.
Jesus restored our relationship with God.
Jesus broke the power of sin over our lives.

But the story does not end with the cross.

Three days later something happened that changed everything.

Jesus rose from the dead.

And the resurrection is not only about what happened to Jesus.

It is about what will one day happen to everyone who belongs to Him.

Next week we will explore the hope of the resurrection.

Christ defeated death…And one day we too will be raised with Him.

AMEN