Mike Focht 9/25/2026
Most Christians are at least somewhat familiar with the idea of being redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, but I think the full-orbed truth of redemption is often missed. Our redemption, in the biblical sense, goes beyond our forgiveness and justification.
The aspects of redemption that most Christians are familiar with are:
First, we know that the Greek word conveys the idea of a slave being set free due to a ransom payment.
Second, we know that our redemption comes to us through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24).
Third, we know that the price paid for our redemption was the very blood of Jesus Christ. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:14).
Fourth, we know that we are redeemed. Redemption is a present reality. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7).
That is typically where our ideas of redemption end. All those statements are clear biblical truth, but they do not encapsulate the full biblical revelation of the redemption that we have in Christ Jesus. The part of redemption we tend to miss goes beyond what we have stated above.
Even though we are presently experiencing a measure of our redemption, the Bible clearly teaches that there is a future aspect of our redemption. Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:14). Paul teaches the Ephesians that they are a purchased possession, but part of their redemption is still yet to be seen.
The Bible anticipates a future day of redemption. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).
God has given His children His Holy Spirit as a seal and guarantee of the future redemption He has in mind that has yet to be experienced by His adopted sons and daughters. What will that day of redemption look like? What will the fullness of our redemption entail?
I think the German theologian Hermann Cremer put it succinctly in his book Beyond The Grave when he wrote: "The resurrection is the keystone in the process of realizing in us the redemption that has been accomplished for us. In it and along with it will be renewed all that death has destroyed. And when from the dust of so many thousand years a redeemed human race shall arise, then will be manifest the glorious freedom of the children of God, in which all creation will participate."
We will know the fullness of our redemption when all the church has been resurrected and glorified like the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Firstfruits and Forerunner. When He reigns in immortal glory, and we join in His reign in glory and freedom, and the heavens and earth are also redeemed, then we will know what it truly means to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ!
That is the full truth that the Bible teaches and the Holy Spirit is working in each of our hearts. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23).
The end of our story is not death. The end of our story is the fullness of the redemption the blood of Christ has purchased on our behalf. Those who understand these things eagerly pray: Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near (Lk. 21:28).