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Redemption: From a Slave to a Son

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Redemption means that God purchases us with the blood of His own Son from the slave market of sin, self and Satan. But instead of making us His slaves, in love, He makes us His sons.

The idea here is someone loving a person in bondage and slavery so much that they say, “I’ll pay the price to purchase him, no matter the cost.” And so the redeemer becomes the rightful owner of the slave. But instead of making the slave his own slave, he makes him his son. He adopts the slave into his own family, loves him as a son and gives him the full rights of sonship.

This is redemption of the Bible sort.

There is freedom. There is the love the Father. There is family. There is dignity. There is the full rights as sons.
 
1  Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,   2  but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.   3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.   4  But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,   5  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.   6  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”   7  Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
 

– Galatians 4:1-7 NKJV

 
 

Some might take exception by saying, “Doesn’t the Bible speak of us as His servants, as well?”

 

Remember, even though a prince or princess may be the child of the king, he is still their king and owe their allegiance and obedience as king. So it is in our relationship with God. This is not a relationship of equals (who could ever be equal to God!), rather it is the relationship of the lesser to the greater. He is Lord, He is king. But our relationship of submission of obedience to the king is of a far different sort than those who are not members of His family.

 
 

CC by-nc-nd 2014 Mark D. VanOuse

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