Subject Thirty-five

THE REDEEMER

Scripture: Job 19:25

1. Man’s position
   1. Man is born a sinner.
   2. Because man is born a sinner, therefore he ought to die.
2. Man’s situation
   1. Man is sinful and is condemned.
   2. Man commits sins and cannot redeem himself.
      Points I and II tell us that man needs a redeemer.
3. Man’s need
   1. Man needs redemption.
      The universe is not without an owner. It is ruled by God, who controls the universe with His rules. God’s rules are God’s laws. God’s law is righteous. He cannot regard a sinful man as sinless. Man has sin and is condemned under the law. Therefore sinful man needs redemption. A price must be paid to fulfill the demand of the law and to redeem man from the condemnation of the law.
   2. Man needs salvation.
      To redeem man from the condemnation of the law is redemption. To save man from the bondage of sin is salvation. Redemption can only free man from the condemnation of the law, but it cannot free man from the power of sin. It cannot prevent man from sinning again. Therefore, after redemption we still need salvation.
   3. The difference between redemption and salvation.
      1. Redemption requires the payment of a price. Because of the law, the sinner has to pay a price for redemption.
      2. Salvation requires power. Because of the forces of sin and evil, the sinner needs the power to be saved.
4. The Redeemer
   1. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer whom God has prepared for men. Here we should say something about the Lord as a person. The Lord is God become flesh, God revealed in the flesh, to be our Redeemer.
   2. The Lord Jesus shed His blood on the cross to bear our sins. He fulfilled the requirement of the law and redeemed us sinners from the condemnation of the law.
   3. The Lord rose from the dead that He might be able to give life to His believing ones. This life is the mighty power of resurrection which comes into man and becomes the power to save man from the forces of sin and evil. Points B and C show us that the Lord has accomplished both redemption and salvation to meet man’s need of redemption and salvation.
5. How to receive this Redeemer
   1. We have to admit that we are sinners, under condemnation and under the power of sin as well.
   2. We have to repent and confess our sins.
   3. We have to believe and receive Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Savior.
   4. We must believe that we are redeemed and saved according to the word of the Bible.