Q20: Who is the redeemer?
A: The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom God became man and bore the penalty for sin himself.
Scripture Reference
1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
The Vertical Truth in Faith – What does this truth mean in my relationship with God?
A redeemer is someone who repurchases property or liberates a slave. In the New Testament of the Bible, a redeemer is primarily a designation for the Lord Jesus Christ in his role of redeeming His disciples from the captivity of sin. There are many passages in the Bible highlighting slavery or captivity as a word picture for the spiritual condition of those who have not confessed faith in Christ. There are many ways to answer the question, “who is the Redeemer,” from a spiritual perspective. The question is answerable in different ways based on the context of the conversation. The question could be multifaceted: who is redeemer as a person; who is redeemer as an authority; and/or, who is Redeemer in terms of his character. Likewise, the complete answer may be multifaceted, i.e. Redeemer as in person, authority, and/or character, make up the complete answer as it relates to our relationship with God. As Christ Followers, our Redeemer is Jesus Christ. Our Redeemer is the only one with the ability to repurchase the souls of all who believe in the power of Jesus as demonstrated in His death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the father. Our Redeemer is the very Spirit of God and is the embodiment of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; thus the fulfillment (costs paid in full) of the requirements of the perfect Law of God.
The Horizontal Truth in Love – What does this truth mean in my relationship with humanity?
As Disciples of Christ, our relationships with humanity start and end by our recognition of who our Redeemer is – where our accountability lies. Once we recognize our Redeemer through the work of the Holy Spirit, we develop ears to hear the Gospel, and we confess our personal faith in Christ; we begin our journey to become more like Christ. In doing so, our minds become focused more on the things of the Spirit, which include humanity as a creation of God. We develop a heart for humanity. Our heart for humanity involves self-control. When dealing with humanity, we should behave in a Holy Spirit controlled manner. Controlled in the sense of maintaining focus on the person of Jesus Christ. Controlled in the wisdom of remaining fearful of the Lord in His authority as Creator of the universe and high priest. Controlled in the logic of tempering our behaviors to demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, as a means to show evidence of our faith in God and compassion for humanity.
Practical Truth in Action – How can I put this truth into action?
When confronted with choices, have the courage to ask enough questions to ensure resolutions and decisions are cloaked in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control over all other behaviors, when it is in your power to choose. Christ followers are to remember, “…against such things, there is no law.” The practical and lawful demonstration of the fruits of the spirit is a way to demonstrate our recognition, faith and relationship with our Redeemer. We do these things because we know, “our Redeemer lives” and His Kingdom is now and forever.