You’re more free than you realize

Our redemption (read: the freedom Jesus gives us) is bigger and better than you think

1 Peter 1:18-19 says

“knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of [Jesus] Christ, as a lamb without blemish and spot.” Recall, these are similar to the lyrics to the song which the saints sing in Heaven, which we just read on the previous page (Revelation 5:9-10).

Notice:

• We were redeemed (read: freed), by

• The precious blood of Jesus.

The question is then two-fold:

• What does Jesus redeem us from? And,

• Where did He achieve the work of redemption?

Most often, to the first question (that “what” question) we would answer the first question with the following:

“Sin. Jesus redeems us from sin.”

However, the Bible goes farther. Jesus redeems us from sin- and so much more. The Greek word for salvation is sozo (another derivative is soteria). We read that we confess and our sins and we are sozo (in the Greek, the original language of the New Testament), that is, “saved” (Romans 10:9).

Paul uses soteria (a related word) in Romans 1:16-

“The Gospel is the power of God to soteria” (“to salvation,” in English).

The word sozo covers the work of forgiveness but it also includes more. It means “an overhaul of the will, internal cleansing, health & healing, prosperity, restoration of dominion and authority, joy and purpose.” In other words, it is more comprehensive, more complete.

If you grab a Bible commentary and study the word sozo (salvation), you begin to see just how broad redemption is.

Consider all the things that sozo refers to in the Bible:

1. Sozo refers to physical healing. Mark summarizes Jesus’ ministry in the following way: “Wherever He entered, into the villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well” (Mark 6:56). The word “well” is actually the word sozo- the same word we use for salvation. Note the following:

• Luke 8:47-48, The woman with the flow of blood reaches to touch Jesus’ garment as she is pushing through a crowd. She believes that she will be healed if she only touches Him. She does- and Jesus declares that her faith has made her sozo (that is, “well”).

• James 5:14-15 says that the elders of the church should pray for a fellow brother or sister who is physically ill. In doing so, the prayer of faith will sozo (translated in English as “heal”) them- causing both physical healing and the forgiveness of any sins they are carrying. Again, this denotes both salvation and deliverance from suffering in the same word.

• Apparently, the Biblical authors did not make a distinction between spiritual healing and physical healing- it all fit together as part of what Jesus came to do. This is not an isolated sentence which Mark writes.

2. Sozo refers to demonic deliverance. When Jesus ran into the famous demoniac referred to as “Legion,” in the area of the Gadarenes, He sent the demons into the herd of pigs that ran down the cliff into the lake and drowned. The people from the city ran to see the former mad man who used to cut himself among the tombs. The Bible states that “they also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed” (Luke 8:36). The word “healed” in this passage is actually sozo- the word for salvation. Now, we see the physical healing, freedom from oppression, and the forgiveness of sins are all part of the total singular but multi-faceted redemption that Jesus does.

3. Sozo refers to raising the dead. In Luke 8:40f. we are introduced to Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. Apparently, he seeks Jesus’ assistance for healing when his daughter becomes ill. While speaking with Jesus (after being delayed by the woman with the flow of blood referenced above, who was also made sozo), messengers come and tell him that it is of no use- his girl has died. Jesus replies by telling Jairus to not be afraid… to continue believing as he had… and his girl will be made sozo (see Luke 8:50).

Do you see the breadth, the expansiveness of your salvation?

Larry Huchwrites,

“Our redemption is total and it covers everything that Jesus shed His blood for, which is every part of us and every one of us. The only way redemption can fall short is if we don’t know it and we don’t apply it.”

 

Related articles

• More about freedom (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)
• Salvation is more than the forgiveness of sins… (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)
• You’re free (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)