The emphasis among many Christians and believers of other doctrines is on going to heaven and much effort is expended by those who believe it to bring it about. It may come as a surprise to many believers that the emphasis of the scriptures is on salvation from the ravages of sin, which came about through the disobedience of Adam. (Romans 5:12 12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:) It involves restoring man’s relationship with God which ended when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden for their disobedience. In order to restore the relationship, there had to be redemption, a buying back of the sinner from sin through an offering to God that would satisfy God’s righteousness. The fruit of salvation is eternal life, yet to arrive in reality for the believers.  

In the scripture, that follows Ephesians 1:7, Paul spoke regarding redemption: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;  In this verse redemption and forgiveness are linked such that we understand that redemption results in the forgiveness of sin and are synonymous. When one is redeemed, one is forgiven and the price of the redemption was the death of Jesus on the cross.

Redemption brings the Holy Spirit into the life of those who obey the gospel. Acts 2:38 tells us we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which becomes part of the believer’s life and is the seal or proof that we are saved: 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14) The purchased possession is the believer who began the journey of eternal life at the instance of being raised from the water of baptism.

Yet, there is more to the spirit involved in redemption and it is important to the gift of eternal life because without it there can’t be any salvation. Paul spoke of those who were living in the flesh and then spoke to those who live in the spirit, Romans 8: 8-11. In verse 8, he wrote: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  Flesh means that which is opposed to God in pursuit of human nature and its desires. He then wrote to the believers in verses 9-11: 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  The indwelling spirit will raise the believer at Christ’s second coming.

While we wait for the second coming, Paul says we have the first fruits of the Spirit, the redemption of the spirit from sin now and the promise of eternal life while we wait for the final event, the redemption of our bodies (given over to death through sin)  expressed in Romans 8: 23: And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.  In connection with verse 23, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 tell us of the completion of redemption and salvation for the believer: 51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Those verses tell us of the end of the redemptive act brought about through the gift of the Holy Spirit that God gave at the time of baptism, and which shows faith in the redemptive salvation found in Christ.

© 11-30-2006 DEC

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