Salvation and Redemption

Throughout my writings I have treated the terms "salvation" and "redemption" more or less synonymously. If I am not mistaken, the two terms often are used synonymously in the New Testament. Very recently the idea that salvation and redemption, though certainly related, are different enough to warrant our examination. To my way of thinking, this is a much needed distinction for God's people to understand. We may be concentrating on merely being "saved" when we ought to be entering diligently each day into the program of redemption.

(8/6/2006) I awakened, last Saturday morning I think it was, with a substantial concept in my mind. The concept was that of the meaning of "redemption." There were supporting ideas, such as the four aspects of the Divine fiat, found in the first chapter of Genesis; the thought of entering the land of promise; the resistance of the enemy; the admonition that runs throughout the Book of Deuteronomy that we are being trained now so when we enter real life (life after physical death) we will know how God expects us to behave.

These thoughts obviously are pregnant with meaning, and are related.

I suppose the primary concept that came into my mind is that "salvation" has to do primarily with being saved from wrath; with not perishing or being destroyed in the Day of the Lord. However, "redemption" refers to the prolonged program of creating us in the image of Christ and bringing us into untroubled rest in God's Person and will.

It may be noted by the Bible student that salvation takes place instantly—"He who believes and is baptized shall be saved."

However, most of the New Testament appears to be emphasizing a prolonged program of redemption, such that we find the Apostle Paul toward the end of his life still laying aside all else that he might attain to the first resurrection, the resurrection that is out from among the dead.

One interesting understanding has to do with the meaning of "redemption" as it is employed in ordinary usage. Redemption has to do with restoring to the original owner something which was removed from him by force, forfeiture, or trickery. Since it is God, our Creator, who owned us originally (we have never owned ourselves except in our imagination), then it is God who is redeeming back to Himself that which originally belonged to Him. Have you ever thought of that? I never did!

An aphorism might be that we are saved in order that we may be eligible to participate in the Divine program of redemption.

We are redeemed from the hand of the enemy so that God's original fiat concerning man may be carried out, and His plans and purposes for His Kingdom implemented.

Let us deal first with the eternal Divine fiat concerning man. Then we will mention some of the plans and purposes God has for man, concerning roles and tasks in the Kingdom of God.

The Divine fiat concerning man is that:

Man be in God's image in character and in outward form.

Man be male and female, that is, capable of union with God and other people. This capability does not seem to be true of angels. We do not read of angels loving God, one another, or people.

Man be fruitful and multiply. This refers to our spreading the image of Christ throughout the universe.

Man exercise dominion over all the works of God's hands. We are not to be governed by any personage, thing, or experience other than God.

If we are going to understand God's purposes concerning man, the reason for the four dimensions of the Divine fiat, we must realize that God has needs and desires. He needs and desires an eternal resting place. He needs and desires brothers for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He needs and desires persons who can govern the world of the future so that all the laws of righteousness are strictly obeyed.

I have identified eighteen roles and tasks of the Kingdom of God. These may be found at this link.

In order to fulfill totally the Divine fiat, every saved human being must be totally redeemed. This may require many ages of time as we measure time.

This is the meaning of it all—that God may be glorified and pleased as the eighteen roles and tasks of His Kingdom are performed.

I suppose we always imagined we have been redeemed for our own sake. This is not possible. We never were the original owner. It is God who originally owned what the devil stole by trickery. It is God who paid the price of redemption that God might regain what belonged to Him originally.

But how do we profit when God redeems His creation from Satan?

There are numerous rewards and benefits that accrue to us:

A position in Christ at the right hand of God for eternity. Eternal placement as a pillar in the Tabernacle of God. Participation in the first resurrection. The salvation of our loved ones. And there are many more.

Let's think for a moment about the several acts of redemption that Christ operates in our personality. He:

Forgives our sins totally for all time, provided that we obey Christ in all matters. Ultimately removes from us every trace of the sinful nature, including all spiritual and physical bondages. Forms our character in the image of Christ. Brings us into untroubled rest in the Center of God's Person and will. Teaches us how to live, move, and have our being in the Spirit of God. Fills us with the Fullness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Gives us a desire in our body, soul, and spirit for iron righteousness, fiery holiness, and stern obedience to the Father. Clothes us with an immortal body from Heaven that is free from all sinful motivations. Now, let us look for a moment at the larger picture. God has brought His churches as far as salvation through the blood of the cross, and the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Numerous believers enjoy these acts of redemption. However, we must understand that these are preparatory, because the actual Kingdom works of redemption are still ahead of us.

We can think of God's warrior remnant being at Jordan, receiving their last instructions before entering all the good things that God has for them, some of which I mentioned a minute ago.

God did all the fighting when we first were saved. Now we are going to have to fight to enter our inheritance, and the Spirit of God will guide and enable us all the way if we will listen and, as I said before, follow the directions.

Real life is ahead of us. Our present sojourn in the wilderness of the present world is a time of problems, of probation, of preparation for the true eternal life for which man was created.

God gave careful instructions while Israel was in the wilderness so the chosen people would know how to behave in the land of promise. This is what God is doing for us now.

Why such careful instructions? Because if they are not followed, we will lose our inheritance.

This really opens up an area of concern, doesn't it? We are implying that once we enter the good things of the Kingdom of God we can lose them if we do not take advantage of the training that is going on today.

Of all the concepts of the Kingdom of God, the once that Satan seems to attack most violently is the idea that we are not eternally safe after we have taken certain steps of salvation. Satan proclaims incessantly: "You shall not surely die!"

But indeed we shall die! The thought that at some point we can rest, knowing we never can place our inheritance in jeopardy, leads directly to the slipshod "discipleship" that is so prevalent in our day.

We are eternally safe only as long we we abide in Christ. The forces of destruction always are as blasts of lightning on every side. Only Christ is our safety. Heaven is not our safety. Our theology is not our safety. An experience of redemption we had yesterday is not our safety. The day of salvation always is today. This is because time as we know it does not operate in the spirit realm. All that matters is our continual interaction with the Lord Jesus. Nothing—absolutely nothing else—guarantees our love, joy, and peace. Christ is our life, our resurrection, our Fortress.

There is a real life to come. That Life is Jesus Christ. We can walk with Him today. If we do, we never shall die. He promised us this.

But don't we die physically some day? Of course we do, but physical death is sleep, according to the New Testament. True death is that of not having a relationship with Him who is the Resurrection and the Life.

If we are walking with Jesus we never shall die. True, our body shall fall asleep some day. But our conscious, inner personality shall continue in the Presence of Christ, if such is true of us right now.

There is no other thought in the inventory of men's imagination that is more joyous than at the moment of physical sleep we shall not die but shall continue hand in hand, looking to Jesus, offering every decision in prayer, praising God, growing in Christ's image and in God's will. Can you imagine anything more wonderful than that?

To live in the animal nature is to insure corruption and an uncertain future, except that we will grow senile, incontinent, and wither away. But the righteous shall shine more and more until that day when God is smiling on a creation that on its way toward the fullness of redemption.