Key Verse: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” – Ephesians 1:7 NIV
Have you ever heard of ‘extreme couponing?’ It is a craze which involves search newspapers, magazines, and the internet for as many coupons as possible in a bid to save money on the weekly shopping. In the USA there is even a reality TV show based on the subject and many a website offering codes to redeem against your online purchases.
Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” The standard definition for redemption in the Bible is a verb relating to the marketplace and means to buy or purchase. Nonetheless, the redemption we have in Christ is far more than some mere business deal. Yes, Christ did pay our debt to buy us back, but his plan of redemption is much more powerful and loving than a simple exchange.
The Bible teach that in Christ we are redeemed from:
- the grave (Psalms 49:15)
- death (Hosea 13:14),
- the law (Galatians 4:5),
- all wickedness (Titus 2:14),
- the curse (Galatians 3:13),
- sin (Colossians 1:14)
- and Hell (Psalms 103:4).
The book of Ruth paints a beautiful picture of redemption for us. Boaz had no legal obligation to do anything for Ruth. She was just the poor foreign girl. However, he extends grace to her just as Jesus extends grace to us. Ruth went from searching for leftovers in the field to being united with the master. We have been redeemed by Jesus, even though we did not deserve it. We too were foreigner and enemies of God (see Colossians 1:20), but in Christ, we are given the rights of an heir. Just as Boaz redeemed his bride Ruth, Jesus redeemed his bride the Church.