Tonight's message is called Three
Words for Redemption. Now God's people are a purchased
people. They've been bought and paid for by the precious, precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed his blood at Calvary's
cross as a great sinner's substitute. And God's people are people chosen
by God. There are people redeemed by
God. There are people regenerated
or born again by God. And there are people given faith
by God to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. There are people
justified by God, before God, in and through the Lord Jesus
Christ. There are people who are sanctified
by God in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. There are people
saved from all their sins by God, by God the Son. the Lord
Jesus Christ and a people kept by the power of God and one day
soon they will be a people who will be in the presence of God
for eternity all according to the mercy and grace of God. Now
the whole state of a believer in Christ is all by the power
and might of God. God's people are saved and redeemed
by the perfect sin-atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone
who says that Christ died for everyone they actually limit
the merit and power and efficacy of Christ's blood atonement.
Because in declaring that false doctrine, they declare that many
perish in hell for whom Christ died in vain. And such blasphemy
that Christ died for everyone is actually a denial of Christ's
deity, for it makes him a failure. In the scriptures declare of
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate in the flesh, who
is the word of God made incarnate, the second person of the Trinity,
that he shall not fail. Let's read Isaiah 42, verses
one to four, which declares Christ as Jehovah's servant. Isaiah
42, verse one. Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
mine elect, and whom my soul delighteth. See, God delights
in Christ. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not
cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he
not quench. He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. He shall not fail. This is speaking of Jehovah's
servant. This is speaking of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He shall not fail. He succeeded in what he came
here to do. And he came here to save his
people from their sins. He succeeded in that. He saved
his people from their sins. He purchased them with His own
precious blood. He obtained eternal redemption
for God's elect. It says, He shall not fail nor
be discouraged. He went to the cross as the joy
that was set before Him to redeem His people from their sins. He
shall not fail nor be discouraged till He have set judgment in
the earth. in the isle's wait for his law.
And again, notice in that text in Isaiah 42 verse 4, he shall
not fail. Beloved of God, Christ redeemed
his people. Christ redeemed God's people.
He redeemed his bride when he died on Calvary's cross. He did
not die for all the world, but he died to save his people from
their sins. And this is what the scripture
declares. He shall not fail. He shall not fail, and he did
not. He finished completely the work he was sent here to do.
He lived and died as a substitute of God's people, of God's elect,
who are sinners saved by the grace and mercy of God alone.
Let's continue reading in Isaiah chapter 42 and we're seeing verses
5 to 9. It says this, Thus saith the
Lord, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that
spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, he that
giveth breath unto the people upon it, and the spirit to them
that walk therein. I the Lord have called thee in
righteousness, See, we're called in Christ Jesus, and he is the
Lord our righteousness, and we'll hold thine hand, and we'll keep
thee. Look at that. Christ is ever
with his people, and he keeps us. And give thee for a covenant
of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. Look at this, and
this again is speaking of Christ. He is the one who opens the blind
eyes. To open the blind eyes, to bring
out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness
out of the prison house. That was us in our natural state.
That was God's people in our natural state. We were in the
prison. We're in a prison house of sin.
We sat in darkness. And then look what it says in
Isaiah 42 verse eight. I am the Lord, that is my name. In my glory will I not give to
another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former
things are come to pass, and new things do I declare. Before
they spring forth, I tell you of them. So we see that the Word
of God never limits the merit, power, and efficacy of Christ's
redeeming work. His blood shall never lose its
power. The Word of God limits the scope,
design, and purpose of the atonement, declaring that it was made for
and effectually accomplished the redemption of God's elect.
Turn, if you would, to Matthew chapter 1. Look at this, Matthew
chapter 1, verses 20 and 21. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. Now look at verse 21. Now this
is speaking about Christ. This is speaking about Mary shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. This is
the Lord Jesus Christ. And look what he's going to accomplish.
And we know in Isaiah, it says he shall not fail nor be discouraged.
Christ accomplished this at Calvary's Cross. Look at this, Matthew
1, 21. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. for he shall save his
people from their sins." Again, there is one of those little
hinge words, shall, right? Big doors swing on little hinges.
Look at this, for he shall save his people from their sins. What
a truth declared before us here. Christ came to this world to
save his people from their sins, and he accomplished that work.
He cried what? It is finished. The work's done. He saved his people from their
sins 2,000 years ago on Calvary's cross. And then turn, if you
would, to John chapter 10. Well, the word of God clearly
proclaims that Christ came to give his life for his people.
Look at this, John chapter 10, look at verse 11. John chapter
10, verse 11, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for who? For the sheep, for the sheep. Now go a little
bit further down in this chapter, John chapter 10, and we'll read
verses 24 to 30. Then came the Jews round about
him. Now remember in verse 11, remember in verse 11, it says
Christ came here to give his life for the sheep. Look at this
in John chapter 10, starting in verse 24. Then came the Jews
round about him and said unto him plainly, how long dost thou
make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Here's the Lord Jesus Christ
reply. Here's the reply of God incarnate in the flesh. Jesus
answered them, I told you, and you believe not the works that
I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. So Christ
works, bear witness of who he is, right? Raising the dead,
giving their sight to the blind, the deaf can hear, lepers are
cleansed. Oh my, look what it says here.
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. as I said
unto you." Now hold on, look at this. Oh, what a verse that
is. John chapter 10, verse 26. Our
Lord tells these Jews who came to him, you're not my sheep.
And look what he says in verse 27. My sheep hear my voice and
I know them and they follow me. Oh my, if you've heard the shepherd's
voice, rejoice. If you followed Christ, rejoice.
You're one of his sheep. You're one of the sheep that
has heard his voice through the preaching of the word of God.
Born again by the Holy Spirit of God, granted faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. The very ones who Christ came
to save, right? He came to save what? His people
from their sins. Well, here they're being identified.
They're his sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me. He knows them intimately. and
they will follow him because of God's effectual call. No one
can resist the effectual call of God the Holy Spirit. Look
at this in John 10 verses 28 to 30. Now you talk about eternal
security. You talk about eternal security
for the believer. And I give unto them eternal
life. Christ gives eternal life. We don't earn it. We don't deserve
it. Nothing we can ever do to merit it. And Christ is the one
who gives it. Look at this. And I give unto them eternal
life. This is God incarnated in the flesh saying this. And
they shall what? Never perish. Oh my. And look
at that. There's another hinge word again.
Shall. They shall never perish. This is God saying this. Neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Not any man as you
or I or anyone else. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all. Jehovah. And no man is able to
pluck them out of my Father's hands. I and my Father are one. They're all here. The Word incarnate
has said that He and the Father are one. We know the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. One. Now tonight I'd
like us to consider three words used in the New Testament about
redemption. Our English word redemption comes
from the Latin and means to buy again. The English dictionary
defines the word redemption as the action of saving or being
saved from sin, error or evil. Similar words are saving, freeing
from sin, vindication and absolution. The English word also defines
the word redemption as the action of regaining or gaining possession
of something in exchange for payment or clearing of a debt.
Also similar words are retrieval, recovery, reclamation, repossession,
recoupment, return, rescue, and repurchase. Looking at these
Greek words tonight will help us to grasp the meaning of the
word redemption. And this is good for we who are
the people of God. It will show us what Christ has
done for us by his perfect sin atoning work on Calvary's cross.
Now in the Greek New Testament, three words are commonly used
in reference to our redemption by Christ. Let's consider the
first word, agorazo. The basic meaning of agorazo
is to buy. The anti-type of this Greek word
would be to sell. Similar words in the Greek mean
to buy, to obtain, to gain, possess, purchase, to release on receipt
of a ransom, to redeem. Beloved of God, you and I who
believe have been bought unto God from among men by the precious
precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we see this bought
forth in Revelation chapter 5 verse 9 where the saints are singing
the praises of the Lamb of God in heaven proclaiming that it
is he who has redeemed us to God by his own blood. Turn if
you would to Revelation chapter 5 and we'll read verses 8 to
10. Now redeemed in Verse 9, which
we'll read, is the Greek word agorazo, which means to buy. Revelation chapter 5, verses
8 to 10. And when he had taken the book,
the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before
the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials of
odors, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang
a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book. and
to open the seals thereof, for thou was slain and has redeemed
us." He's bought us. He's bought us with his precious
blood. He's redeemed us to God. Look at that. He purchased us.
He's redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, tongue,
people, and nation. And has made us under our God,
kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. So again,
the Greek word for redeemed in verse nine means to buy. And
note how we've been purchased by the precious, precious blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has purchased us, purchased
the eternal souls of his people with his own precious blood.
He purchased his bride because we are called the bride of Christ.
He's purchased us so clearly it says, and has redeemed us
to God by thy blood. Oh, he gave his life for us,
beloved. is the great substitute, Dion on Calvary's cross. So rejoice,
you who are the beloved of God. We have been purchased by God
Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the sinless,
spotless Lamb of God. We've been purchased with His
precious, precious blood. And beloved of God, We have been
bought from the earth from among the fallen sons of Adam. Turn,
if you would, to Revelation chapter 14. We'll read verses 3 and 4,
which speak of God's elect having been purchased by Christ from
among the sons of Adam. Revelation 14 verses 3 and 4. And they sang, as it were, a
new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the
elders. And no man could learn that song but the hundred and
forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Well, we see here, beloved, that we were purchased, bought from
the earth by the precious blood of Christ, because that's that's
the same Greek word, agorazo, which means to buy. That's used
there in Revelation 14, verse three. These are they which were
not defiled with woman, for they are virgins. These are they which
follow the lamb, whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed
from among men. Again, bought. being the first
fruits under God. and to the Lamb. So are the redeemed
of the Lord have been purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ from
among the sons of Adam. Oh, and what do we who are the
redeemed say? Glory to his name, glory to his
mighty name. Beloved of God, you and I who
believe, we've been bought with the price, and that price is
the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to this
warning by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter six, He's warning the
Corinthian church to flee from fornication, and he pens these
words in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Verses 17 to 20, he writes
this, but he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee
fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is
without the body, but he that committed fornication sinneth
against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have
of God, and ye are not your own? Look at this. 1 Corinthians 6
verse 20, For ye have been bought with a price. Therefore glorify
God in your body and in your spirit. which are God's. See
that word bought in verse 20? It's the same Greek word. It
means that we've been purchased. It means to buy. We are bought
with a price, beloved. We've been bought with a price.
What's that price? The precious blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And we see this in the book of
Acts, that God's church is being bought, being purchased with
Christ's own blood. Look at this in Acts 20 verse
28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and all the flock
over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed
the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. Look at that. Our Lord Jesus
Christ has purchased us. Purchased us with his precious,
precious blood. The Greek word for purchase there
in verse 28 is defined as denoting acquisition. Denoting acquisition. To acquire. gained for oneself. Beloved, we were purchased by
Christ for Christ because God's people are the bride of Christ.
My, this is wonderful. The next Greek word I would like
us to look at is exagerazo. This is a compound word. Ex means
out or from and agerazo means to buy or bought. Out or from
and to buy. Exagerazo means bought out of. to buy out of, purchase, redeem
from. The anti-type of this word means
to become or make a servant, to enslave utterly. Beloved,
that's the state we were in, in our natural state. We were
utterly enslaved to sin. We were utterly slaves to our
sin. Similar words in the Greek mean
to release on receipt of a ransom, to redeem. So, beloved, this
is bringing forth, this next Greek word we'll look at for
redemption, is bringing forth that God's elect have been bought
out, purchased by Christ from the hands of God's offended justice
and law. How? By the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. which satisfied the justice and
law of God for us when Christ died as our substitute on Calvary's
cross. Turn, if you would, to Galatians
3, verse 13, and we will see clearly this brought forth that
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Galatians 3,
13. Galatians 3, 13. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written,
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Now note in verse
13, we see that Christ has redeemed his people from the curse of
the law. Now this is a wonderful truth
being brought forth here before us in the scriptures. God's people
have been redeemed from the curse of the law. Now that word redeemed
in the Greek is hexagorazo. So we see that Christ has bought
his people out from the curse of the law. We've been purchased
by Christ and now we see that we've been bought out from under
the curse of the law. He's purchased us with his precious
blood, his redeeming blood. So what a wonderful truth is
brought forth here before us. I'll turn one chapter over to
verse five of Galatians chapter four. We'll read verses four
and five together to get the context of this verse. It says,
but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his
son, So Christ was sent from heaven, the word of God was sent
from heaven. We know why, to save his people
from their sins. He was sent when the fullness
of time was come. God sent forth his son, made
of a woman, he's the seed of the woman, made under the law.
Why? Look at verse five of Galatians
chapter four. To redeem them that were under
the law. We were under the law. Why? That we might receive the adoption
of sons. So again, what a wonderful truth
is brought forth here. As we see the word redeem in
verse five of Galatians chapter four, it's the Greek word exegerozo,
meaning Christ has bought his people out from under the law.
He's purchased us, he's redeemed us with his own precious blood. Therefore now the law of God
Because we've been purchased out from under the law, the law
of God has no claim on the believer. Because the law has been satisfied,
perfectly satisfied, by the sacrifice of Christ. And he's bought and
purchased his people. Here's a good illustration for
us to understand this. If we were talking about redeeming
an item from a pawn shop, or buying groceries, or purchasing
a car, or any other item that is both purchased and delivered
from the possession of one into the possession of another. Exegerazo
has the idea of deliverance by the payment of a price. And as
it's used in the Word of God, it refers to deliverance of God's
elect from the hands of God's offended law and justice. We
see in Galatians from the curse of the law, the curse of his
holy law, and how have we been delivered from that? How have
we been saved from the curse of the law? By the precious,
precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which he shed at Calvary's
cross. My, this will lead right into
our third word for redemption, which is the word loutro. It
means a ransom, means to bring forward a ransom, to release
on receipt of a ransom, to release by payment of a ransom, to redeem,
to be redeemed or to be ransomed. Thus, loutro means to receive
a ransom, to set free or to loose. The word is derived from a Greek
word, which means the act of redemption or deliverance. Antitypes
of this word would mean to enslave. to capture, to make captive. See, that was again our state.
We were enslaved. We were captured by our own sin
in our natural state. Beloved, we've been set free
in Christ. We've been loosed. The ransom
has been paid. Job said, I found a ransom. Well,
that's the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? Again, what a description
of a freedom that we have in Christ. Similar words in the
Greek to loutro means to save, to deliver, to rescue completely,
to show grace, to free, to release, to deliver. My, oh my, beloved
of God. What great deliverance we have
here before us. What great deliverance that Christ
accomplished on the cross when he died in the room and place
of his people. We who are sinners by birth,
nature, and choice, we could never redeem ourselves in Christ
by his one sacrifice on Calvary's cross, saved all the elect from
all the ages. He's redeemed us from the curse
of the law. He's redeemed us from out from
under the law, beloved. And he paid all that God demanded.
The ransom has been paid. All that God demanded for the
ransom of his people has been paid. Christ has redeemed our
eternal souls, beloved. Oh my, this Greek word is the
word that would be used to describe the deliverance of a slave or
a prisoner from bondage. and by paying a ransom price
for him. Peter tells us that we have been
redeemed, not with silver and gold, which is the usual price
of a ransom, right? But we've been redeemed with
the precious blood of Christ. It's the same Greek word can
be used here. 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 18 to 21. Look at this. 1 Peter 1.18, for
as much as you know that you were not redeemed, ransomed with
corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations
received by tradition from your fathers. Oh look at what verse
19 brings for what were we redeemed by what were God's people redeemed
with not with silver and gold which is the usual price right
to pay for the deliverance of a slave or a prisoner from bondage
but no no No, silver and gold, you can't buy your way to heaven.
Not at all. Not at all. That's what that's
telling too. You can't be redeemed. You can't be delivered. The ransom
can't be paid with corruptible things as silver and gold. The
ransom that God demands has been pictured all through the Old
Testament. With all those lambs whose blood was shed, they were
pointing to the Lamb of God. They were pointing to the one
who with his own precious blood would redeem, would redeem God's
people. He's the lamb without blemish
and without spot. Look at verse 19. We've been
redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, is of a lamb without
blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you. Christ is a lamb slain from before
the foundation of the world. He was manifest in these last
times to save his people from their sins, beloved. Look at
verse 21, who by him do believe in God? We're granted faith to
believe. We're granted faith to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, God incarnate in the flesh, who by him do believe
in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory,
that your faith and your hope might be in God. Now I ask you
this, who's your faith and hope in? Is your faith and hope in
yourself? Is your faith and hope in others?
Is your faith and hope in riches? Is your faith and hope in your
intellect? I'll tell you what, if your faith and hope is not
in Christ and you breathe your last breath, you will go off
into a Christless eternity. Beloved of God, now you who are
the people of God, let us marvel at this wonderful fact put here
before us that we've looked at tonight with these three words.
Let us marvel at the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ came into
this world to give his life a ransom price for many, not all, but
many. We see that clearly bought out
in Matthew 20, verse 28. It says, even as the son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his
life a ransom for many, not all, but many, a number that no man
could number. And if you're one of his people,
You're included in that number. Glory be to God. Isn't that wonderful?
Oh my. So in the future when we think
about the redemptive work of Christ, let us think of these
three wonderful words. Agorazo, which means to buy.
Exagorazo, which means to buy out of. in Lutero, which means
to deliver by ransom. The Word of God never speaks
of Christ trying to redeem his people, or doing his part for
the redemption of his people, or merely providing the possibility
of redemption for his people. No, the Word of God always sets
before us and accomplish complete effectual redemption, a redemption
which always results in the deliverance or salvation of the redeemed.
Christ Jesus is not just our opportunity for redemption. Christ
Jesus is the Redeemer of God's people. Praise God for a complete,
finished work of redemption, completely done from beginning
to end by the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen.