Despite what most people believe, our salvation was not free.  Yes, it was free for us, but a price had to be paid, nevertheless.  The price was steep, and it was paid by our Savior, Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV)
¹⁸  Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Jesus paid for our salvation with His blood.  He died a cruel and torturous death, being crucified on a cross.  Would you have been willing to pay such a price for others?  Would I?  Paul tells us that the odds are against it.

Romans 5:7-8 (ESV)
⁷  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It was with the blood that He shed for us in His death that Jesus purchased the church (Acts 20:28).  We are His purchased possession (1 Peter 2:9), having been redeemed by His blood.

Ephesians 1:7 (ESV)
⁷  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Redemption is a great word.  It is always used positively.  Whether it’s a troubled youth who uses bad judgment and gets his life in a mess, but then recovers and redeems himself, or the story of someone whose reputation is ruined by lies and falsehoods, but in the end, he is found not guilty and is redeemed, redemption is always a beautiful story.

The biblical words for redemption certainly contain this element of atonement, but the basic meaning behind them is the act of being bought, and it is always being bought by someone else.  In other words, spiritually speaking, a man never redeems himself, but instead is redeemed by God.

There are three Greek words for redemption, but they are all related.  Agorazō (to purchase), Exagorazō (to rescue from loss), and Apolytrōsis (to deliver by paying a ransom).

When we put these words for redemption together, we find that we have not just been bought, we have been rescued; and, not just rescued, but rescued at a very high price, that is, the blood of Jesus Christ.  What is the result?  The result is the forgiveness of sins and all the consequences of them.

We must never stop being thankful for our redemption in Christ.  We were slaves, but now we are free because Jesus was willing to pay an awful price.  Thank God He was willing to pay that price.  Thank God He was willing to watch His Son die a terrible death.  Thank God the Holy Spirit has revealed it to us so we might ever rejoice and never stop praising the Godhead.   

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.