Redemption

Assistant Pastor Stan Josephsen spoke this Sunday morning from the sixth chapter of the Book of Romans. As Stan mentioned, this chapter seems to suffer a muddled interpretation in many instances. Actually it is clear from this chapter that we are not supposed to continue in sin after we have been baptized in water. Perhaps the reason it is not preached with clarity is that the prevailing understanding of the Christian redemption does not stress that we are not to continue in sin.

In any case, Stan’s teaching is well worth listening to. If you will go to the Audio page, you can listen to his sermon. After he spoke he baptized two men in water.

(3/16/2008) The current understanding of the Christian redemption, or salvation, is that we are forgiven so we may go to Heaven when we die. The purpose of bringing us to Heaven when we die is that we may be happy and not experience any more pain or worry.

In actuality, the purpose of redemption is to conform us to the image of God and to create in us stern obedience to the Father.

The works of redemption that are in addition to forgiveness, are the primary subjects of the writings of the Apostles. But it often is true these additional subjects are not taught. This is because the Christian people, believing they have been forgiven and are on their way to Heaven by Divine grace, see no reason to become too concerned about further works of redemption.

The purpose of conforming us to the image of God and creating in us stern obedience to the Father is that we might be able to fulfill all of God’s needs and desires; to assist in the building of His Kingdom.

Three examples of God’s needs and desires are: a living temple for Himself; a bride for the Lamb; brothers for God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

Let me point out that the goal of today’s preaching is that we might go to Heaven and be happy. The actual goal of redemption is that we might be conformed to God’s image and enter rest in His will so He can use us to build His Kingdom.

Of these two different goals, which sounds to you like it may be the correct, scriptural goal? If you have chosen the first, I can’t help you. It is not scriptural. If you choose the second, as I have, let us proceed to describe seven steps that we have to take if we are to satisfy God’s needs and desires.

It is important to remember, as we encounter these several phases of redemption, that we, in water baptism, have chosen to regard ourselves as having been crucified with Jesus Christ and raised from the dead with Jesus Christ. This position, firmly established in our mind, frees us completely from the authority of the Law of Moses.

We now are legally free to turn away from the Law of Moses and follow the Spirit of God as He leads us through the program of redemption. The Law of Moses cannot condemn us because we by faith have become an integral part of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Except for forgiveness and the resurrection of the body, the seven phases of redemption do not take place in order. They all are in the Lord Jesus Christ; so they are applied to us at various times and in various manners until they are brought to maturity.

The first step of redemption is the forgiveness of our sins. Christ has made an atonement for the sins of the whole world. This was a sovereign act of God. Our task is to receive the atonement by faith. We then are completely forgiven, and qualified to follow the Holy Spirit in the next six steps of redemption.

The second step of redemption is deliverance from dependence on the world system. God helps us with this as we pray and seek His guidance. He sends suffering upon us, so the world no longer is pleasant. There may be sickness in our family. We may experience loss of income. Our children may become incorrigible. We may lose our job. People may treat us unjustly and harm us. All sorts of things may happen so we will turn from involvement in the world and seek the Lord.

The third step of redemption is that of following the Holy Spirit as He proceeds to point out the various elements in the body of sin that dwells in our flesh. Because we have counted ourselves crucified with Christ, the Law of Moses no longer can condemn us. The Law has no authority over “dead” people. We are free to follow the Spirit of God at all times.

We can think of the “body of sin” as a suitcase filled with poisonous snakes. It is baggage we bring with us when we enter Christ. As we confess and renounce these motivations, turning away from them with the power of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit takes the life out of them so we can reject them readily in the future.

As we follow the Spirit of God in our daily life the righteousness which would have been ours had we kept the Law of Moses perfectly is ascribed to us. We are free from condemnation, while we are following the Spirit of God.

The fourth step of redemption is that of learning stern obedience to the Father. As in the case of freedom from dependence on the world system, God has to create obedience in us through suffering. God permits Satan to put us in some kind of prison, into some situation that we do not enjoy. It is our responsibility to remain in that prison. If we try to break out, we will not learn the lessons of obedience and will lose our crown of rulership.

The suffering God sends to make us holy, to separate us from the filthiness of the world system, cannot be avoided. All we can do is pray and seek wisdom as to how to survive our pain and gain victory. Perhaps a son or daughter is taken from us by death or sickness, and there may be nothing we can do. But the tragedy may turn us away from the world as we seek Christ for His wisdom and guidance. The same is true if we are seriously injured in a car accident. Perhaps we are being sued unjustly and are not able to defend ourselves successfully.

However, the suffering God sends to teach us stern obedience to God can often be avoided. For example, Abraham could have refused of offer Isaac. Christ could have refused to drink the cup of suffering. The husband or wife who leaves his or her mate for another who seems more desirable, is refusing to remain in an unpleasant situation.

It is by refusing to break out of God’s prison, though we may have our hopes deferred for many years, that we gain the crown of life. We always are to pray that God will give us the desires of our heart; but we are not to move until we know God has released us.

It is your cross of suffering you can. You can choose to bear it patiently, or to escape from under it.

The fifth step of redemption is that of being born again. When we repent of our ungodly life and are baptized in water, the Seed, Christ, is planted in our personality. We must patiently nourish this new Life with prayer, daily Bible reading, gathering with fervent disciples, giving, serving, and communing with Christ constantly.

As we faithfully nourish our new Life, our first, adamic, animal nature becomes increasingly weak while the new Life becomes increasingly strong. This is the Divine Nature of God that has been born in us, and it will bring forth an entirely new creation. The new creation itself is the Kingdom of God.

It is possible to kill the new Life by not taking care of it properly.

The sixth step of redemption is the resurrection from the dead. Our mortal body, minus its blood, will be raised from the dead. Then our behavior during our lifetime on the earth, which has taken the form of a house, or robe, in the spirit world, will descend from the spirit world and clothe our mortal frame.

If we have obeyed the Spirit of God, our house from Heaven will be a body of eternal life like that of the Lord Jesus. If we have obeyed our sinful nature, our house from Heaven will be filled with the corruption we have sown. In this case we have not been redeemed.

The seventh step of redemption is the coming of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to dwell with us in our new body. We now are seated with Christ on His Throne as He is seated with His Fatdy. We now are seated with Christ on His Throne as He is seated with His Father on the Father’s Throne.

What I have just set forth are the seven steps of redemption. Faithfully followed they will conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and bring us into perfect rest in the center of God’s Person and will. Then we will be qualified and competent to fulfill all of the roles in the Kingdom of God to which the Father may assign us.