Redemption refers to the process of restoring a person’s relationship with God.
In the Old Testament, redemption was often associated with the concept of a kinsman-redeemer, someone who had the right and responsibility to redeem a family member who had fallen into slavery or debt. This imagery was later applied to God, who is described as the ultimate Redeemer of His people.
In the New Testament, the concept of redemption is closely tied to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Through his sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus paid the price for humanity’s sin and reconciled us to God. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
Redemption, therefore, is not something that we can earn or achieve on our own, but is a gift of grace that is offered to us through faith in Jesus Christ. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has made it possible for us to be rescued from sin and death, and to be restored to a right relationship with God. As John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
