By Stewart Topping
Redemption is a term used in the Bible to refer to the special intervention of God for the salvation of mankind. This use of the word deals with the work of Jesus Christ on the cross in which He paid the price to purchase human beings and set them free from their slavery to sin. On account of Christ’s substitutionary atonement, He is called the redeemer. “Warren Doud”
The plan of redemption was set in motion before time and began in the Garden when Adam disobeyed God’s word. He took on a new nature, one which now had conscience, knowing good and evil. Adam became disobedient and started to make his own decisions. The fruit he ate from the tree allowed him to know Good and Evil. At this point man could not follow the right path because of the new nature, a fallen nature. Adam had fallen from Grace, a perfect setting with God providing all his needs. The problem we face is we were born into this world as a descendant of Adam with that same fallen nature.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12 (KJV)
In the garden, man had everything he could ever want, but He decided to follow what other people said; the devil and His mate Eve. Is it any different today, without God we tend to make mistakes? These could have been avoided if we obeyed God’s word. There is a difference today, since the time of the cross, man has the ability to believe God and receive the Holy Spirit for Guidance. But man at this point does not have the ability to overcome disobedience without the Holy Spirit.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen 2:16-17 (KJV)
Now, with the knowledge of good and evil man came into the possession of conscience and death set in. Shame came upon Adam as he tried to explain to God what happened and why he disobeyed His word.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, who told thee that thou was naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, the woman whom thou gravest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. Gen 3:7-13 (KJV)
Adams problems become very obvious when we read see in scripture.
- Tried to hide from God.
- Could not tell the truth.
- Immediately blamed others.
- Confused and didn’t know what happened.
- Can not admit he disobeyed God’s word
All Adam had to do was to listen to God and obey. Everything had been provided for him. Even the tree of life was in the garden. You could say the tree of life is like the Holy Spirit. It gives us new life and freedom from Death. By obeying God, Adam could stay in the garden and eat from the tree of life and live forever.
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Gen 3:22 (KJV)
It is important for us to realize that it is by God’s Spirit, which dwells in us by way of the Holy Spirit, that we can understand God’s plan of redemption. We should also realize that the problem is that we were sold into bondage with the disobedience of Adam. And we need to be redeemed, bought out of slavery. We need to be set free of Adams fallen Nature.
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Romans 8:21 (KJV)
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Cor 6:20 (KJV)
Sometimes it is difficult to understand why God created Adam with free will and allowed him to make his own decisions. The result was that he fell from Grace. Was there Grace in the garden? Grace is the freedom from worry, having all things provided by God and most of all having a perfect relationship with God.
God had a plan from the beginning of time. He knew that Adam would fall from grace and need help. God’s plan is perfect and will work because he has provided the Holy Spirit, his spirit to help us and redeem us from the curse of death.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Eph 1:7 (KJV)
The true Gospel is simple, man has complicated it. God has done everything for our redemption.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, and the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1 Cor 2:8-11 (KJV)
We need the Holy Spirit to help us do what’s right. It is a guide for our conscience. The flesh, the fallen nature cannot help it self. We need God’s help by way of the Holy Spirit. Its God Redemptive solution for man’s fallen nature.
What’s the answer?
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 1 Cor 15:1-4 (KJV)