SALVATION or REDEMPTION
by Bertrand L. Comparet
For a long time, the churches have
been preaching the Gospel of Salvation---and forgetting, or even denying, that
there is anything else in the Bible. But it is time for you who are interested
in this message to consider fully a more important Gospel---the Gospel of
Redemption --- for this one affects you. Without at least salvation, a person
has nothing, for he would have no life beyond this present one. On the other
hand, just what does he get by salvation? In the Old Testament, four Hebrew
words have been translated "salvation"---and the root meaning of all four is
simply "safety", deliverance from danger or destruction; in the New Testament,
two Greek words are also translated salvation" --- and these also have the same
root meaning. That is, by salvation, one gains life, he is delivered from death;
but there is nothing stated to indicate on what level or standard that life will
be: that question must be settled by something more than just "being saved"; and
undoubtedly, the matter of rewards for a meritorious life enters into it.
But I want to talk to you about
the greatest hope and opportunity set before you---REDEMPTION, which is a very
different thing, for which different words, with different meaning, are used. TO
REDEEM, is TO BUY BACK SOMETHING YOU FORMERLY POSSESSED. If I had enough money,
I could BUY everything in the City of Los Angeles; but no matter how much money
I had I couldn't REDEEM anything in Los Angeles, because nothing there was
formerly mine. Why is it so important to know about getting back something that
was formerly ours? Because Jesus Christ has told us that, when the events which
we now see happening in the world "begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift
up your heads, for your REDEMPTION draweth nigh". Let's find out about it.
God Himself set up the rules for
it, in the Book of Leviticus. If a man became poor, and had to sell or mortgage
his homestead, h; did not lose it forever; he or his kinsman could redeem it
--- or God would redeem it for him in the Jubilee. Leviticus 25:25-28 says, "If
thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any
of his kin come to redeem it, then he shall redeem what his brother hath sold.
And if the man hath none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it, then
let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the over plus unto the
man to whom he sold it, that he may return into his possession. But if he shall
not be able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the
hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and In the Jubilee it shall
go out, and he shall return unto his possession.
Four Hebrew words---chiefly the
word "gaw-al" are used for "REDEEM" or "REDEMPTION". They have the meaning "to
set free, by repaying or avenging" two of them also mean "separation"; and the
word chiefly used, "gaw-al also means "the next of kin, the person who has the
right to redeem." Where the owner has lost his possession by sale or
foreclosure, and in his poverty cannot redeem his own property, it can be
redeemed for him, but only by one who himself has the right of inheritance, as
next of kin. For example, when the prophet Jeremiah was in prison in
Jerusalem, his nephew asked him to redeem some land; the 38th, chapter of
Jeremiah tells the story. Where there were many kinsmen, only the nearest
kinsman had the right to redeem; but if he could not, or would not, then the
right passed to the next in line. In the 3rd and 4th. chapters of the Book of
Ruth, this is illustrated: Boaz could not redeem Naomi's land until he first
asked a nearer kinsman, who refused, leaving Boaz the right to redeem.
So it is with the redemption of
our lost glory: we cannot do it, and no man can do it for us. Psalm 49:7 says,
"None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom
for him." Our nearest kinsman is our God: as Creator and God, He is our
father; He told Jeremiah "I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My
firstborn." (Jeremiah 31:9) But as Jesus Christ, He is our brother, as Hebrews
2:10-12 points out. Being both our Father and our Brother, He is truly our
Next of Kin, the one with both the right and the ability to redeem. Since He
made His laws right in the first place, He honors them in His own actions:
REDEMPTION is only for those who were His, in the first place, His people
Israel. Isaiah 63:19 says, "WE ARE THINE: Thou never barest rule over THEM;
They were never called by Thy name.11 Accordingly, in Salvation---or
Redemption? both the 43rd and 44th. chapters of Isaiah, God Himself declares:
"But now thus saith YHWH that created thee, 0 Jacob, and He that formed thee,
0 Israel, 'Fear not: for I HAVE REDEEMED THEE, I have called thee by My name:
THOU ART MINE. * * I have formed thee; thou art My servant, 0 Israel, and thou
shalt not be forgotten of Me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins; return unto Me: FOR I HAVE REDEEMED
THEE." Accordingly, Jesus Christ came to REDEEM us, and Luke 1:68 points
this out: "Blessed be YHWH God of Israel, for He hath visited and REDEEMED His
People." The price of redemption was paid at Calvary: but redemption is not
complete, for removing the intruders and restoring the possession to us is a
long process, still going on. So in Isaiah 63:4, God has said, "For the day of
vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come." This is the
year to which we look forward with hope, seeing the signs that it is very
near.
What have
we lost, which we need to have redeemed? All the rights and powers and glory
that Adam originally had, as a Son of God. We are told that he was made "in the
image of God. But are you NOW "in the image of God?" Is God imperfect, subject
to sickness and old age and death, incapable of doing good things or resisting
the evil? But YOU are in that condition, so you have lost the image of God, and
this must be REDEEMED FOR YOU. Again, Adam was promised dominion over all the
earth: yet we have lost dominion over all but our own homelands, and some of our
people, have lost even their home rule. But the restoration of the image of God
is promised to us, for example in Hosea 13:14, I Corinthians 15:48-49 ,
Philippians 3:20-21, and Romans 8:19-23. And restoration of our dominion over
all the world is promised to us in Revelation 2:26-27 and Re elation 3:9 and 21.
How were
these things lost? Our ancestor, Adam, sold or traded them to Satan for the
knowledge, or experience, of both good and evil, when God had commanded him to
participate only in good, never evil. Hence, Paul says, in Romans 7:14, "For we
know that the Law is spiritual; but I am carnal, SOLD under sin." For several
thousand years we have been constantly under a form of slavery, in our fallen
condition. Accordingly, the words used in the original languages to express the
basic ideas of REDEMPTION are carefully chosen. In the Hebrew, remember, the
root meanings were, TO RECOVER THAT WHICH HAD BEEN FORFEITED, WHICH IS TO BE
ACCOMPLISHED BY THE NEXT OF KIN, BY PURCHASE OR BY AVENGING. In the Greek, from
which our New Testament is translated three words were used: AGORAZO, meaning
"TO BUY IN THE (SLAVE) MARKET"; EXAGORAZO, meaning "TO BUY OUT OF THE MARKET",
that is, never again to be sold; and LUTROO, meaning "TO SET FREE BY PAYING A
PRICE."
All these
words and meanings apply. Through Adam, we had sold or forfeited our dominion
and our image of God; and we had passed into slavery to the world of Satan.
Being exposed in the slave market, we were bought OUT of that market, and set
free by the payment of a terrible price, paid by Jesus Christ for us. Our Next
of Kin is recovering for us that which we had forfeited--both by paying a price
and by avenging. The Price is already paid; but Satan has not yielded up the
things redeemed. As Paul says, in Romans 8:22-23, "For we know that the whole
creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, And not only they,
but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the REDEMPTION of our
body." The usurper must be thrown out by the terrible might of God, at the
return of our Lord Jesus Christ, "For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart,
and the year of My redeemed is come."
This
includes salvation, of course; but it is so much more: it is REDEMPTION,
restoration of all our power and glory as the Sons of God. For this, we should
earnestly join in that last prayer in the Book of Revelation, "Even so, come,
Lord Jesus.
