Chapter 7 Our Redemption

Chapter 7

OUR REDEMPTION

(Freed From the Bondage of Satan and Sin)

Before we begin our study, let us quiet our hearts and ask our Heavenly Father for His blessing upon this time,

Heavenly Father,

I come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father, please bless this time with You. Please reveal to me the Mercy and Grace that You have extended to me through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please grant me the spiritual wisdom, understanding and the faith to see and comprehend what Jesus Christ did to save me from my sins.

Amen

In the previous study we read and came to realize that when our Lord Jesus Christ offered His earthly life through the shedding of His Blood on the cross, He in reality made the perfect atonement for our sins. Namely, through His sacrifice on the cross He paid, with His earthly life, the price for our sins. Thus, we have been forgiven. In other words, amends has been made and through the blood shed by the Lord Jesus Christ we have been reconciled to God the Father. To see this, let us read from,

Colossians 1:19-23

"[19] For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. [21] Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. [22] But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- [23] if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant."

Let us notice the following verses,

19 … All the fullness of God dwells in Jesus.

20 … All things were reconciled to Himself through His blood that was shed on the cross.

22 … Let us just stop for a moment and think about the fact that because of Jesus’ sacrifice we are holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation! In other words our sins, that are blemishes, are forgiven, forgotten and cleansed!

However, let us not forget the importance of the condition identified in,

23 … If we continue in our faith and not be moved away from the hope of the gospel. In other words, we must remain firm in our faith in Jesus Christ and not accept spiritual teachings or promises other than what is given through or attested by the Word of God.

The more we reflect upon the above, we come to appreciate more and more the precious gift of atonement that Jesus Christ made on our behalf.

As glorious as the gift of forgiveness is, it alone is incomplete. I am still the same; the sinful nature still controls my life. Consequently, we find that in addition to making atonement for our sins, our Lord Jesus Christ also redeemed us from its power. Hence, the topic for this study is, “Our Redemption”.

To better understand what this is all about; let us begin our study by reading its definition. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary to redeem means:

1. To buy back.

2. To get back; recover, as paying a fee.

3. To pay off.

4. To set free by paying a ransom.

As can be seen from the above definition, redemption implies the setting free or buying back of something that is being held captive or in bondage. With this in mind, one might come to the following questions, “How does this apply to us? (Or) More specifically, how does this apply to me?”

The Bible teaches us that there are at least two facets of Jesus’ redemption that have and will have a profound impact upon each and every one of us. The one facet, which is to be realized at a future date, is that He redeemed the world from the control of the evil one. The second facet, to be experienced now, is that He redeemed us from our bondage to sin.

REDEMPTION OF THE WORLD

The fact that Jesus redeemed the world or world’s system from the control of the evil one and when it is to be experienced is the subject of a different study. Thus, for this study we will limit our discussion to some of its more important points. Specifically we will,

1. Find that the world we live in is under the influence of the evil one.

2. See that the born again believers are strangers and aliens in this world.

3. Find that the redemption of the world will be realized at the final judgment.

Satan Is the Prince of This World

To begin, we must realize that after being cast out of the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve and subsequently the whole of humanity was and is under the influence of Satan. To see this, let us prayerfully read how Jesus referred to Satan while He was preparing His disciples for His upcoming ordeal of the cross,

John 14:30-31

""[30] I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, [31] but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us leave."

Let us notice the following verse,

30 … Jesus referred to Satan as the prince of this world.

The truth of Satan’s dominion over the world's system is most clearly revealed to us through the Apostle John in,

1 John 5:19

"[19] We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."

Notice that the above Scripture is written in the present tense. Thus, the born again believer, who has been spiritually transferred from the kingdom of the evil one into the kingdom of Jesus Christ, find themselves still physically living in Satan’s territory. In other words,

Born Again Believers Are Strangers in This World

To see that the born again believer has been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let us read from,

Colossians 1:13-14

"[13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Since the born again believer has been transferred into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit refers to them as aliens or strangers in the world. To see this, let us read the following,

1 Peter 1:1-2

"[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, [2] who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance."

Let us notice the following verse,

1 … To God’s elect, strangers in the world… Perhaps to more personalize this truth you might want to insert the name of the city you live in with the others already identified.

We see this same type of description of the born again believer when the Holy Spirit urges us to live a holy life in,

1 Peter 2:11

"[11] Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul."

This brings us to the question of, "When? When will this portion of God's redemption be realized?"

The World is Redeemed on the Day of Judgment

This facet of redemption will take place on the Day of Judgment. In fact, let us conclude this portion of our discussion concerning the redemption of the world by reading what will happen and what it will be like. To do this, let us begin by reading about the last judgment as described in,

Revelation 20:11-15

"[11] Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. [13] The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. [14] Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. [15] If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

And now let us read from,

Revelation 21:1-7

"[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. [2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." [5] He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6] He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. [7] He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."

Let us now proceed to the topic of this study. Specifically,

JESUS CHRIST REDEEMED US FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN

For us to more fully understand this facet of our redemption God recorded for us how He delivered Israel from the bondage and power of the Egyptians. In other words, by relating the deliverance of Israel under the leadership of Moses to the person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we, the born again believer, will receive a better understanding of how Jesus has delivered you and I from the bondage and power of sin. To do this, we will,

1. Explore the physical bondage of Israel to the Egyptians and our spiritual bondage to sin.

2. Find that to be delivered from our bondage to sin we must cry out to God for help.

3. See that as God sent Moses to deliver Israel from their bondage to the Egyptians, Jesus Christ came to deliver us from our bondage to sin.

4. Find that the price of redemption required the shedding of the blood of the first born.

5. See that as Israel had to pass through the Red Sea to begin a new life free from the power of the Egyptians, the born again believers, are asked to pass through the waters of baptism to enter into a new life on earth in Jesus Christ.

With all this in mind, let us begin this portion of our study by reviewing,

The Bondage

It was because of a great famine that Jacob, who was renamed Israel, and his family migrated from the land of Canaan to Egypt. We also read how, prior to this migration, God brought Joseph, one of Jacob's sons, to Egypt and established him to be second in command. Only the Pharaoh, that is the King of Egypt, had more authority than Joseph. As a result Israel's migration to Egypt occurred under the favorable permission of the Pharaoh. After a period of time Joseph and that whole generation of people died and a new Pharaoh rose to power. Unfortunately, this new Pharaoh did not remember Joseph and became fearful of the Israelites. To insure the Israelites would not fight against them, Pharaoh enslaved the nation of Israel. We find this enslavement of Israel recorded in,

Exodus 1:6-14

"[6] Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, [7] but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. [8] Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. [9] "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. [10] Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." [11] So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. [12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites [13] and worked them ruthlessly. [14] They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly."

Let us recall in our previous study we discovered that prior to becoming born again, we too were enslaved and in bondage to a ruthless taskmaster. This taskmaster, that is Satan and our sinful nature, drives us to disobey God and enter into sin. So that there be no doubt in our mind about this point, let us read what our Lord Jesus Christ once said to a group of Jews who were listening to Him teach,

John 8:31-34

"[31] To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. [32] Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." [33] They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" [34] Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."

Let us notice the following verses,

31(a) … Jesus was talking to Jews who believed Him. The same could be true with us. Namely, we too could believe Him. Is this enough? Is it enough to just believe what Jesus says? To find out, let us consider the next portion of this verse,

31(b) … In other words, Jesus is telling us that if we do what He says, then we are really His disciples. Specifically, our belief, that is faith, must produce fruits or action.

When this occurs, that is we not only hear but do what Jesus says, then,

32 … You will know the truth and the truth will set you free!

33 … The Jews did not understand. They prided themselves on the fact that they were Abraham’s descendants, and because of this believed that they were God’s chosen people. In addition, they were diligent to observe the services of the Temple and hence felt that they complied with the required religious commands. Consequently, they could not understand what they were enslaved to. Well, the same could very well be true with us. Namely, we could be thinking that I was raised in and belong to a Christian family; I regularly attend Church, “What do I need to be set free from?” Well, Jesus tells us in the next verse,

34 … He who sins, is a slave to sin … pretty sobering, isn't it?

Now some might be saying to themselves that I understand Jesus’ statement. I understand this to be true when a person’s passions or evil nature takes such a hold of them so as to drive them to physically commit murder or adultery. However, I have not done any of these things; does all this apply to me?

To see that, without placing our faith in the redemption that Jesus Christ made for us, we are all in bondage to sin, let us read some excerpts from the sermon on the mountain. In these excerpts Jesus clarifies for us the Law and defines sin.

We begin by reading Jesus’ explanation of what it means to commit murder,

Matthew 5:21-22

""[21] You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' [22] But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell."

Let us notice the following verse,

22 … Jesus is telling us that God views murder to not only be the actual killing of another individual, but it also includes the times when we may have contempt for another person. In other words, He is concerned with what is going on in our heart. As a side note, the term, “Raca” was used by the Jewish people to express their contempt for another individual. By saying, “Raca” to an individual, the person was calling them a senseless, empty headed person.

Next Jesus provides us the full meaning of what it is to commit adultery,

Matthew 5:27-28

""[27] You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' [28] But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Again, let us notice that it is our heart that our God is concerned with. Reflecting upon the above and realizing what goes on in our hearts, can there be any doubt that every one of us, in our natural state, is a sinner and as Jesus taught us, ‘A slave to sin?” If you receive this, then praise God for the purpose of the Law to point out our sinfulness has been fulfilled in you. To see this, let us read,

Romans 3:19-20

"[19] Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. [20] Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

Let us notice the following verses,

19 … The law holds us accountable to God.

20 … No one will be deemed righteous by observing the law. The reason for this is that the whole purpose of the law is to make us conscious of our sin and hence our bondage.

If you do not see this truth, please stop and ask God to reveal it to you. It is vitally important. If, you are not yet born again, and you do not realize you are enslaved, you will not understand your need for help and hence not cry out to be saved. This now brings us to,

The Cry for Help

Once we recognize that in our natural state we are in bondage to sin, we should have the desire to repent, that is turn away from our sins, and cry out to God for help!

To read about Israel’s cry, let us go to,

Exodus 2:23-25

"[23] During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. [24] God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. [25] So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them."

In like manner, when we realize our bondage and cry out to the Lord, He promises to save you. To see this, let us read from,

Romans 10:13

"[13] … "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.""

The Deliverer or Redeemer

To save Israel and us from our bondage, God sent His deliverer or redeemer. In the case of Israel’s Egyptian captivity, God sent Moses. To see this, let us read from,

Exodus 3:1-10

"[1] Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. [2] There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. [3] So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up." [4] When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." [5] "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." [6] Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. [7] The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. [8] So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. [9] And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. [10] So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.""

Let us notice the following verses,

1-4 … Through the burning of a bush, God got Moses attention.

7 … God was concerned for His people Israel. As He was concerned about Israel, He is also concerned about you and me.

8 … As a result of His concern, God came down to rescue Israel and bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey, which is a good and blessed land. This was referring to the land of Canaan.

9 … God heard their cry! Note that God does hear our prayers and cries to Him.

10 … God commissioned Moses to go and bring His people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.

To deliver us from our bondage to sin, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. To see this, let us carefully read what the angel of the Lord said to Joseph concerning the Child that Mary was going to have,

Matthew 1:18-21

"[18] This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. [19] Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. [20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

For this particular study, note the following verse,

21(b) … He will save His people from their sins.

With respect to the analogy of Israel’s redemption and ours, we have read about our bondage, our cry for help and the sending of our deliverer. Let us now prayerfully consider the,

The Price of Redemption

To convince Pharaoh to set Israel free, God brought plague upon plague upon Egypt. As time progressed, these plagues or judgments became more and more severe. They progressed from the turning of water into blood to darkness so black that it could actually be felt. However, Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened to God’s command to free Israel. Finally, God brings on the tenth judgment, the death of the first born. Even though we read about the death of the first born in the previous study, let us refresh our memories by reading again from,

Exodus 12:1-13

"[1] The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, [2] "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. [3] Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. [4] If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. [5] The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. [6] Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. [7] Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. [8] That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. [9] Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. [10] Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. [11] This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover. [12] "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. [13]The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."

Let us notice the following verses,

2 … This is to be the first month of their year, that is this will be the beginning of a new life.

3-4 …They were to take a lamb to eat.

5 … The lamb was to be without defect, this is symbolic of being pure or innocent.

6 … So that the sacrifice would be personal and intimate, prior to its slaughter, the people were to separate the lamb from the flock and care for it for four days. The same it is with us. To really understand the loving sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must become personal and intimate with Him.

7 … They were to put some of its blood around the doorframe of their household. As we read in the previous study, this was the, ‘blood covering”.

8 … That night they were to eat the lamb. This brought home the point that the lamb was slaughtered for them.

9-11(a) … These verses provide us the instructions of how the meal was to be observed or eaten. Notice, they were to eat it in such a manner as to be ready to flee, that is redemption was at hand, they were about to be set free.

11(b)-13 … This was the Lord’s Passover, that is the blood will be a sign or covering so that when the blood is seen, that household will be passed over. Hence, no destructive plague will touch them. It is the same with the Christian. Jesus’ blood covers us and hence God’s wrath passes over us.

With the above in mind, let us now read about the execution of the plague or judgment as recorded in,

Exodus 12:29-30

"[29] At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. [30] Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead."

Pharaoh finally released Israel to worship and serve the Lord. This is recorded for us in,

Exodus 12:31

"[31] During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested."

In reflecting upon the above events, we find that Israel’s freedom cost the life of every first born of the Egyptians, the first born of the livestock and the life of the unblemished Pascal lamb.

What about us? What was the price paid for our freedom? To find out, let us read from,

1 Peter 1:18-19

"[18] For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."

Let us notice the following verses,

18 … It was not with perishable things that we were redeemed from our former life.

19 … The cost was the precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

As stated in the above Scriptures, the price of our redemption was the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To more fully understand this, let us explore the fact that,

1. As Israel's redemption cost the lives or blood of all the firstborn of the Egyptians, it also cost the human life or blood of Jesus, the first born of Mary and the firstborn of the entire creation.

2. As Israel's redemption also cost the life or blood of the innocent Passover Lamb, it also cost the innocent human life or blood of Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb.

Jesus Is the Firstborn

First of all, in reading about the human birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we find that Jesus was the firstborn of the Virgin Mary.

Luke 2:4-7

"[4] So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. [5] He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. [6] While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, [7] and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

In addition to being the firstborn of Mary we find that Jesus holds a more prestigious position in that He is also the firstborn over all creation. This is recorded for us in,

Colossians 1:15

"[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."

In addition to being the firstborn, we also find that,

Jesus Is Our Passover Lamb

For us to see this, let us first reflect upon what we read earlier in,

1 Peter 1:18-19

In other words, we have been redeemed through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our "Passover Lamb." In fact, this is exactly what our Lord was teaching His disciples and us when they observed their last Passover supper together. It is extremely interesting to note that the time of this Passover was at the precise time He was to be arrested and slain to free us from our sins. In fact let us read what took place at that time by reading,

Luke 22:14-20

"[14] When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. [15] And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. [16] For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." [17] After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. [18] For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." [19] And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." [20] In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

Recap

Before we continue let us first review what we have covered.

1. As Israel was in bondage to the Egyptians, we in like manner were in bondage to sin.

2. When Israel's bondage became unbearable they cried out to God for help. Hearing their cry, God sent Moses to deliver them. We, when we realize that we are sinners and under God's wrath and cry out to God for His Mercy, He reveals to us that Jesus Christ came not only to make atonement for our sins but also came to deliver us from our bondage to sin. If we believe this and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we become born again of the Holy Spirit. (To go into more depth concerning the new birth is a separate study.)

3. As Israel's deliverance cost the life of every firstborn of the Egyptians and the innocent blood of the Passover Lamb, we found that our redemption and new birth cost the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the firstborn of Mary, the firstborn over all creation and our sinless Passover Lamb.

4. Just as death of the firstborn finally convinced Pharaoh to set Israel free from their bondage, Jesus' death and resurrection set us free from the power of sin.

With all this in mind, let us now proceed to the next and last element of our redemption from the bondage of sin, that is,

Water Baptism

Since the subject of water baptism is a separate study, this study will only touch upon some of its highlights. To better understand the purpose of baptism, let us return to the Old Testament and read what happened after Pharaoh released Israel from their bondage.

Exodus 14:5-12

"[5] When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" [6] So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. [7] He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. [8] The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. [9] The Egyptians--all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops--pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon. [10] As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. [11] They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? [12] Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!""

Let us stop for a moment or two and reflect upon the situation. After a miraculous deliverance from the severe bondage of Egypt, the nation of Israel is now peacefully camped by the Red Sea. Looking up they see Pharaoh and his military might swooping down upon them. Seeing this horrifying sight, they forget all the miracles. They forget how God saved them from plague after plague. They forget that God protected their firstborn from the death angel. Instead, thinking that they were about to die and wishing they were back in Egypt, they cry out to God. Let us now return to the book of Exodus and read what Moses said in response to the people,

Exodus 14:13-14

"[13] Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. [14] The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.""

In other words, Moses told the people to not be fearful, stand firm, trust God, and He will fight for you. In other words, Moses was telling them that God brought them this far and be assured He will bring them the rest of the way. What comforting, comforting words for then and for us now.

In the case of Israel by the Red Sea, we find that it is here that their deliverance from the Egyptians is finalized. Namely, God safely let Israel pass through the Red Sea and then destroyed the Egyptian army. To see this, let us read what God did through the hands of Moses as recorded in,

Exodus 14:21-31

"[21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, [22] and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [23] The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. [24] During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. [25] He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." [26] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." [27] Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. [28] The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. [29] But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [30] That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. [31] And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."

Now Israel was finally free from the bondage and threat of the Egyptians! Free at last to worship, follow and serve the Lord God Almighty.

How does all this relate to us … to you and me? Upon our deliverance or new birth, our Lord Jesus Christ commands us to be baptized. As the passing through the Red Sea completed the physical deliverance of Israel from the Egyptians, baptism completes our deliverance from the spiritual kingdom of the evil one to the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Hence, the purpose of baptism is, by faith, we bury our old self and rise out of the water into a new spiritual life in Jesus Christ. To get a glimpse of this truth, let us read the following excerpt from where the Holy Spirit teaches us about baptism,

Romans 6:4

"[4] We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

CLOSING

Thus, we find that as God sent Moses to physically redeem His people Israel from the bondage of Egypt, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from the spiritual bondage of Satan and sin.

Now some born again believers may be saying to themselves that this theology is fine and dandy but I have yet to really experience this freedom. Why? What is wrong?

The answer to this question lies in the observation that after the Israelites passed through the Red Sea they had to learn to live their new life by faith in God and in His power to keep them and care for them. In the same way, we too must now learn to live our new lives by a day by day faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.

To begin we must remember that, after our spiritual new birth, we still find ourselves dwelling in the same bodies, along with its desires and sinful tendencies. In addition, we find ourselves still physically living in the same world system dominated by the evil one. Knowing that our flesh is still weak and that we are children of God, the evil one, being our enemy, constantly looks for an opportunity to cause us to sin. He does this by trying to entice us to yield to its demands. Consider the following warning,

1 Peter 5:8

"[8] Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Let us notice the following portions of the above Scripture,

8(a) … We are to be alert and self controlled. Just as in the time of war security guards are posted to prevent a surprise attack, we too are to be on guard.

8(b) … The devil, our enemy, prowls around looking for someone to devour.

Now just as Israel called upon the Lord to save them from the threat of Pharaoh's army, we too, during the time of temptation, must look to and rely upon Jesus to help us resist and keep us from entering into sin. As God helped Israel, He promises to help us. Consider,

Hebrews 4:15-16

"[15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. [16] Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Perhaps to put this in another way, our life upon this earth should model that of the Apostle Paul as he stated in,

Galatians 2:20

[20] I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Unfortunately, we find that in our Christian life there may have or may be times when we have not remained alert and for a short period of time succumbed and allowed sin to have the upper hand. Does this mean that God no longer loves you? Does it mean that you are no longer His and have not been redeemed? No! The whole point of faith in Jesus Christ is that we are no longer under the Law that condemns but under Grace that saves. Thus, if we are sincerely sorry and call to Him, He will reach out and restore us. To see this, let us remember the atonement and consider the following words of comfort,

1 John 1:9

"[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Let us now continue our reading from,

1 John 2:1-2

"[1] My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. [2] He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

Now with all this in mind, let us close this chapter by prayerfully reading the following exhortation,

1 Peter 1:13-25

"[13] Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. [14] As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. [15] But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; [16] for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." [17] Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. [18] For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. [20] He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. [21] Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. [22] Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. [23] For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. [24] For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, [25] but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you."

Blessed be the Lord forever!

AMEN and AMEN