Making the Gospel Message Clear 3

Colossians 4:2-4 ESV

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

This is a six part series on the subject of making the gospel message clear. The first writing covered the subject of “Salvation.” Next was “Obedience of Faith.” This one is “Redemption and Forgiveness.” And following that will be God’s grace, God’s will and purpose, and the subject of Gentile believers now being one with Jewish believers in Christ in one body as fellow heirs of the promises of God to his people Israel. Included may be other related topics the Lord may introduce along the way. But these writings are devotionals, not doctrinal treatises.

Redemption and Forgiveness

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7 ESV).

The word “redemption” in the Greek is “apolytrosis,” which means "buying back from, re-purchasing (winning back) what was previously forfeited (lost)." “(‘redemption, re-purchase’) emphasizes the distance (‘safety-margin’) that results between the rescued person, and what previously enslaved them.” (figuratively) to restore "something back, into the possession of its rightful owner – i.e. rescuing from the power and possession of an alien possessor" (Wm. Barclay). (source: biblehub.com interlinear) Such as in this context:

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14 ESV).

For Jesus Christ shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of sin so that we will now honor God with our bodies (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; cf. 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15).

This is also in the context of Colossians 1:9-14 which says:

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

So, I believe we can see here that our redemption involves Jesus Christ dying on that cross, not just to save us from the punishment of sin, but to rescue us from the domain of sin, and out of our lives of living in sin and for self so that we can now follow him with our lives in holiness, righteousness, self-control, godliness, moral purity, uprightness, faithfulness, and honesty, to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in and being zealous for good works, which are the good works that God prepared in advance that we should walk in them (see Ephesians 2:10).

Now I want to say here that redemption and forgiveness are intrinsically linked together, as is shown in Ephesians 1:7 and in Colossians 1:14. And forgiveness, in the Greek, is “aphesis” which means “send away, forgive, releasing someone from obligation or debt.” But this isn’t just about “sending away” the punishment of sin, but this is about “sending away” the control and the power and the slavery to sin so that we can now be slaves of God and of his righteousness, and so we can live holy lives, morally pure, upright, godly, honest and faithful, by God’s grace, and in his power.

For do you remember the story of the woman caught in adultery? Jesus forgave her sin, but then what did he say to her? “Go and sin no more.” (see John 7:53-8:11).

And what did Jesus teach? He said:

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:23-26 ESV).

Should I Not Preach Jesus 

An Original Work / July 4, 2013

Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13

Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.

I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.

I make myself a slave to ev’ryone

To win their hearts to Christ.

All this I do for my Lord Jesus,

And for the sake of His Name;

Do it for the sake of His gospel,

So that I, its blessings gain.

Scripture notates the sins of others;

Written down for us as examples

To keep us from setting our hearts 

On evil as did those of old.

Do not worship other gods of man;

Do not give your hearts to them;

Not partake in immorality.

Do not test your Lord and King.

So, be careful if you think you are

Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.

God has given his word to warn us, 

So through faith we will not fall.

No temptation has o’ertaken you

Except what is commonplace.

God is faithful to not let you be

Tempted past what you can bear.

He gives the way of escape. 

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