Editorial – Redeemed and Redeeming

We “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

In the Old Testament, God “redeemed” His people Israel out of Egypt. The literal meaning of the words used — both in Old Testament and New Testament — is that He “bought”, or “ransomed”, them from their previous owner (Pharaoh) — so that they would belong exclusively to Him (Exod. 6:6; 15:13,16; Deut. 15:15; 1 Pet. 1:18,19; Eph. 1:7; 1 Cor. 6:20; Rev. 5:9). Most especially, the “price” God paid was the blood of the Passover lamb (1 Pet. 1:18,19; 1 Cor. 5:7; John 1:29,36; Rev. 5:6-9).

The “problem” of redemption

Here, however, is the problem — a problem with which we as Christadelphians must wrestle: When we consider “redemption”, we must think in terms of a com­mercial transaction. The Bible tells us that we have been “bought” with Christ’s blood. Such a concept suggests certain questions:

• Does this mean we are mere items of merchandise, having no say in what happens to us? Of course not.
• Does this mean Christ has “paid the price”, all by himself, and we need never do anything ourselves? No.
• Does it mean that the actual blood of Christ (as 1 Pet. 1 implies) is, literally, the price paid for us? No again.

Whereas it is the “price” (or process) of redemption that we tend to think of and analyze, perhaps we would do well to concentrate instead on the “property” (or results) concept. This, it would appear, is what God would have us ponder: not so much the aspect of “How does it work?” — but rather the aspect of “What does it accomplish?” Not so much the “mechanical” means by which redemption was achieved, but instead what “redemption” means, morally and spiritually; what it means to us, every day, to belong to God.

“You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:20).

“You were bought at a price; [therefore] do not become slaves of men” (1 Cor. 7:23).

“[Christ] gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Tit. 2:14).

Money in the New Testament

The New Testament, particularly in the teachings of Jesus, has so much to do with “money”! Doesn’t this seem extraordinary, since the Bible tells us “we are NOT redeemed with perishable things such as silver or gold… but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Pet. 1:18,19)?

It is true that “money” and monetary concepts permeate the gospels:

• the parable of the “pounds”;
• the parable of the “talents”;
• the workers in the vineyard, arguing about their wages;
• the unjust steward, pilfering his master’s resources;
• the unmerciful servant, forgiven a huge debt, who then refuses to forgive the small debt of another man;
• the question: whether or not to pay tribute to Caesar;
• the widow with two small coins, who gives to God “all her living”;
• “You cannot serve God and Mammon [Money]!”;
• Jesus overturning of the tables of the moneychangers;
• Judas stealing from the common treasury of the disciples;
• Judas betraying Jesus for money;
• “Do not store up for yourselves treasures upon earth”;
• the rich young ruler, who cannot part with his riches;
• the treasure hidden in the field;
• the pearl of great price;
• the prodigal son, who wastes his father’s money;
• the man who begs Jesus to help him get his share of the family property from his brother;
• the woman who has ten coins, loses one, and then searches for it desperately, and so forth.

If our salvation has nothing to do with money, then why are there so very many teachings of Jesus about money?

I think it is because… how we think of money, how we use money, and how we invest it plays so large a part in our lives. After all, many of us spend a significant percentage of our waking hours working at some paying job. Religion can become a very artificial matter if we somehow divorce it from money… if we act as if the way we spend a good part of five days out of every seven is of no consequence in the sight of God.

Sam Houston was a drunk and a carouser; he was also a fascinating orator, a bril­liant politician and a great general — he led the fight for Texas independence in 1836 and then worked to bring Texas into the United States in 1845. He was also a man of tremendous courage, and great wit and self-deprecating humor. When, late in life, he was baptized (into the Baptist Church), he remarked first of all that, if his sins were indeed all washed away, he feared for the fish downstream when the huge numbers of sins reached them! Thereafter, and for the last years of his life, he resolutely devoted a large portion of his income to charity. His old friends were stunned by the change in Sam Houston, but he told them that, when he was baptized, his wallet had been baptized also!

When we were baptized, were our wallets and bank accounts baptized too?

When we were baptized — buried in the likeness of our Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection… did we “baptize” our Saturday nights as well as our Sunday morn­ings? Did we “baptize” our recreation times as well as our Bible class times? Did we “baptize” our marriages, and our family lives too?

Or did we imagine, when we were preparing to be baptized, that we were somehow “making a deal” with God, agreeing to pay “one hour’s worship each week, more or less” (‘IF I feel rested and perfectly well, and up to it, and IF nothing more important comes along’) in exchange for “endless years of eternal joy in God’s Kingdom”? (“What a bargain!”)

Paul writes, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8,9).

This is absolutely true; there is nothing we can do, and there is nothing we can offer to God that will pay for our salvation. Our salvation has been “bought” already, if you will, by Jesus Christ, in his life and death and resurrection.

But it is also true, as Paul says in the very next verse: “For we are God’s workman­ship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).

We are indeed saved by the grace of God, through faith. But the result of such salvation is not just the same old creature with a new name. Instead, it is God’s “workmanship… created… to do good works.” Hence the strong connection and interaction between faith and grace, on one hand, and works on the other — whilst not implying that we are in any degree saved by our works!

Notice the order in Paul’s words: we do not do good works so that we may be saved — rather, we are saved so that we may do good works!

Buying and selling

All this has to do with “redemption”, and “buying and selling”. Perhaps this helps explain the many references to money in the gospels. As we have been “bought” by Christ, so we should “buy” Christ!

“IF you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and IF you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, THEN you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God” (Prov. 2:3-5).

“Wisdom is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing can compare with her” (Prov. 3:14,15).

To seek knowledge is to seek God, who is the source of all knowledge (Mal. 3:16; James 1:5,6), and to seek Christ Jesus, “who has become for us wisdom from God… and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).

These verses help us to recognize that the “wisdom” of the Bible is not necessarily found lying around on the ground — rather, finding understanding, and knowledge, and wisdom requires “digging”. The “hiding” of wisdom might at first glance seem counterproductive from God’s point of view, but it serves an important purpose: it puts a “price tag” on it! That which requires some effort to obtain is valued more. The nut is tastier if we have to crack the hard shell and extract it ourselves. The precious stones that are hidden in the earth are all the more valued if we have to find them.

Jesus tells us that God’s kingdom is life’s great priority (Matt. 6:33), and he il­lustrates this point by telling the parable of men selling all they had to buy a field or a great pearl (Matt. 13:44-46). What have we “sold” in order to “buy” God’s Kingdom? God will not give His riches for sporadic and slight effort; but He will reward diligent seekers (Jer. 29:13). Our Lord Jesus Christ sought his Father all night upon a mountain (Luke 6:12). And while others slept in Gethsemane, he searched for the treasure of God’s favor with tears and bloody sweat (Luke 22:39-46).

One writer has said, “Obtaining spiritual wisdom isn’t a once-a-week hobby, it is the daily discipline of a lifetime. But in this age of microwave ovens, fast foods, readers’ digests, and numerous ‘made easy’ books, many people are out of the habit of daily investing time and energy in digging deep into Scripture and learning wisdom from the Lord” (Warren Wiersbe, Be Skillful: Proverbs).

What is the cost of “buying” wisdom?

“Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get (‘qanah’ = buy) wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding” (Prov. 4:5-7).

The KJV has “With all thy getting…”, but the NIV is much, much better: “Though it cost all you have…” No price is too much to pay for wisdom — we must give everything for it. Jesus turned this proverb into two little parables: the treasure hidden in the field (Matt. 13:44), and the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:45,46). And he also said, “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).

We acquire “Wisdom”, not just as so much theoretical knowledge, but as a state of mind, a focus of our lives, that keeps us in touch with our Heavenly Father and with His Son: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).

How do we “buy” this sort of Wisdom? Not with dollars and cents, but with time and effort! As Jesus “redeemed” us, so we “redeem” him! Jesus “bought”, or “redeemed”, us with his precious blood — his life, his dedication, his devotion, and his love. If we value being his property, and the corresponding status and privilege, then we must work to “buy” him, to prove the value of Jesus in our lives! We can never pay the “price” that he paid — a perfect and sinless life. But we can — and must — “pay” the best we have! We “buy the truth” (which is Christ: John 14:6), whatever the cost, whatever the sacrifice! And we refuse to “sell [him]” at any price (Prov. 23:23)!

“Redeem the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16). “Redeem” is “exagorazo” — to buy out of the market. How do we buy back our time in the marketplace of life? The NIV paraphrases, loosely but accurately: “Make the most of every opportunity.” And that is how we “buy the Truth”… how we “buy” Christ who is our “wisdom” and “truth” as well as our “redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). We take our lives — and our hearts, and our possessions, and our opportunities, all wrapped up in one — and we understand that we belong to Christ, that every part of us (Saturday night, Sunday morning… work time, leisure time, and meeting time) belongs to the One who has “bought” us out of slavery to “King Sin”.

Or do we use the “talents” we have been given… to satisfy our own desires? Or do we — even — hide them in the ground?

Judas sold his entire future for 30 pieces of silver. How unutterably sad it was — when compared to the glories of God’s Kingdom!

This thought compels us to ask: is there a little “Judas” in all of us? For what paltry price might we “sell” the hope of eternal life?

What is Christ worth?

But perhaps we tell ourselves — and firmly mean it — ‘I would never sell my “birthright”!’ (like Esau did: Heb. 12:16). Even so, as we journey along the way, do we, secretly in our minds, “bargain” with God? Do we try to talk down the “price” (cf. Prov. 20:14)? Do we try to give Him as little as we think we can get away with — thus treating His wondrous grace as though it were a “cheap” thing?

To this the writer to Hebrews had the devastating reply: “Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:28,29).

The grace of God, lavished upon us through the life and death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ — the shed blood of His precious Son! — costs us nothing, but it is worth more than all the wealth of a thousand Saudi princes. It is God’s free gift to us, without money and without price (Isa. 55:1).

But the ultimate question is… What do we think it’s worth?

As Bro. Islip Collyer said in his fine hymn: “We make the answer now!”