YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH
By W. G. Guy
Prior to the suffering and passion of Jesus for our sins Jesus was telling His disciples about what the future holds.
Luke 21:5-6 – And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Jesus was then asked by His disciples two questions.
Luke 21:7 – And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
Jesus then goes into details of what will come shortly as well as what will come in the last days just before, and as, He returns. Then He gives them a specific word of advice.
Luke 21:28 – And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Why did He say to then look up for your redemption draweth nigh? How is it then that preachers say that when we accept Jesus as our savior that we are then redeemed if our redemption only draws nigh; or is getting close when we see His predicted things come to pass in the future?
Obviously there is something missing in what we are being taught about our redemption. Jesus is, in fact, our redeemer, and He came to provide total redemption. Total redemption is for our three part being since we are made in the three past image of God. We are Spirit, Soul and Body; and each part is in need of redemption.
Our spirit is redeemed, restored to God, immediately upon accepting Jesus. This is for the forgiveness of sins that have transgressed the law and love of God.
Colossians 1:12-14 – giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Thus we have the first element of our redemption, the remission of sins that have separated us from God.
Hebrews 9:14-15 – how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
This still leaves our soul, our mind and our mental faculties to be redeemed. Then finally our bodies are to be redeemed: this then is total redemption. The way and what we think now must be renewed and conformed to our redeemed spirit. This is done by reprograming our mind with the Word of God. This is a progressive process.
Romans 12:1-2 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
When we have God’s Word firmly entrenched in our mind it changes the way we think and how re respond or react to situations and circumstances that we face in this corrupt world. We will think righteously and not carnally or wickedly; proving what is good and acceptable to God and living as Christ’s examples. We will think like one redeemed because our mind has been! With our thought processes changed we can then walk and live after the spirit and not carnally after the flesh.
Romans 8:5-6 – For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Finally, it is our bodies that are redeemed which occurs at the resurrection and rapture. This is when we are phycially removed from this world and its corruption as our corrupt bodies and changed to incorruptible ones, like His.
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 firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
We are to live by faith, being redeemed in spirit and soul, until the redemption that completes the whole redemption process which finally includes our bodies.
Ephesians 1:7 & 12-14– (Christ) in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 12….. trusted in Christ. in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
There is an assigned Day of Redemption which obviously refers to the resurrection/rapture if the those who are the redeemed. This is that day when Jesus said to look up, for thy redemption draweth nigh.
Ephesians 4:30 – And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Obviously we believers are anxiously looking forward to that Day of Redemption when we are out of here and with Him for eternity. But we must fight the good fight of faith and remain faithful unto Him and His Word because as He foretold what is yet to happen in this world will be very troubling for us. But He promised to see us through and be with us all the way. Being faithful is to represent Him and telling the world the benefits of His kingdom: the gospel message.
