Redemption
Hey young friends!
We’ve got next Wednesday off, so we have extra time to discuss! Let’s continue talking about covenant (and I am loving that you have figured out how important it is to talk about holiness as a part of covenant).
Let’s also though, begin to talk about redemption.
What does it mean to be redeemed?
What does it mean to redeem?
Seriously, your thoughts have been fantastic – I hope we keep thinking about these things and that being a Christian begins to be more real and meaningful. For all of us.
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Dictionary.com says “Theology. to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner.” It also has to do with grace and mercy and how God forgives and forgets our sins
That’s good, Clint. I truly believe in reading the definition of words and discovering the ways people have used them.
I like the word ‘deliver’ in this definition of redemption. In this definition, we would say that God is the one doing the delivering – so where else have we seen God named as “Deliverer”? The exodus story! And what did the exodus story symbolize, in part, in my sermon-ish thing the other Wednesday? Covenant.
This highlights an interesting relationship between Covenant and Redemption. They almost seem inseparable. We are redeemed in covenant, and we are redeemed into covenant! I almost don’t know what else to say here but something like, “Praise God!” – and say it as genuinely and emphatically as possible. And this is a testimony to what you’ve highlighted, Clint – God’s grace and mercy. It is God’s grace that redeems us in and into covenant.
Clint has brought an interesting idea here to the floor, now let’s continue to think about redemption and covenant (and maybe start to make sense of the inseparable relationship of the two).
So, with these extra thoughts (and always in light of the Wednesday discussion), I’d like to ask two questions again:
What does it mean to be redeemed?
What does it mean to redeem?
I always think of Ruth and Boaz being her kinsman redeemer when I think of redeemer. (I did a bible study on Ruth once and I was told that what was going on in the threshing room was appropriate and not at all sinful. Makes me want to learn Hebrew so I can decide what I think.) Because redeeming and being redeemed is like forgiving and forgetting. Who cares if your a mobitess poor widow, I know who you are now and that’s the important thing.
Haha, don’t worry Grace. It’s not necessarily the case that Ruth did anything inappropriate. It’s kind of like how in movies there is often sexual innuendo without anything bad actually happening. The story is probably making innuendo, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she did anything inappropriate. It’s just a word game!
I like your ideas here. If redemption is like forgiving and forgetting, can we as people ever redeem? Can we ever forgive and forget?
I think redemption in my mind is kind of like divine forgivness; ask for forgiveness and it will be given to you unconditionally. But I also believe that this applies to us as well, as in we should be be able to give others redemption as the Lord does to us. This means forgiving unconditionally, even if we were truly hurt. If we can accomplish this then the ones who hurt us will begin to see the spark in our eyes that doesn’t quite seem worldly. They will be able to catch a glimpse of a world that is where God wants them to be.