You'll find the text in Ephesians chapter one and verse seven. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of his grace. This is one of the great and leading themes of the Bible. In fact, it is the preeminent truth presented. Redemption is the chief subject taught in the Word of God. Christ came, was crucified, and was raised again, that he might effect redemption by his power and by his right, and will complete it when he comes again. We might inquire what redemption is. It means to buy back or purchase by paying a price. It also implies liberty, setting free. In Leviticus twenty-five, we have a sample of this. If a man had a farm and owing to poverty was forced to sell it, he could come again into possession of his property by paying the required amount. This was God's provision for the children of Israel in the land of Canaan. The same principle applied to a house and even to persons who sold themselves to be servants or slaves. A relative could free them, or if the enslaved party saved up enough money, he could redeem or set himself free. A man could possess again that which he had lost, whether it be property or his freedom. Now let us apply this spiritually, which God fully intends we should do. Man once possessed perfect liberty, perfect spiritual and physical blessings, peace, rest, and the consciousness of God. He lost this by sinning. He sold this precious possession. himself included, into the hands of sin and Satan, to be a servant, a slave without ability, to free himself. What an exchange, sin, self, and Satan, to be masters instead of righteousness, peace, and joy, an awful consciousness of guilt and judgment instead of innocence and fellowship with God. Man became the slave of sin, as we read in Romans seven, fourteen, sold under sin. And in Romans six, seventeen, ye were the servants of sin. Sin is a master, a cruel tyrant, and reigns supreme in every unregenerate heart. How many are slaves to this heinous monster! See that man who drinks away his wages? Beats his wife, ill-treats his children, wrecks his home, and staggers a drunken stock into the presence of God, to be banished eternally into the lake of fire, to taste neither wine nor water throughout the everlasting ages. But still that thirst remains and that appetite which will never be gratified. Should you, listen to me now, be a slave to sin dressed in the garb of intoxicating liquors? May you permit God in his grace to deliver you. Others are slaves to lust. Their passions rule them. Virtue is cast aside. Purity disregarded. And all sense of self-respect is thrown to the rings. This character blasting monster is the master of many today. Again, others are servants to money. Gold and silver are their lords, the whip of covetousness. further them on to obtain that which is loved is the root of all kinds of evil. How many are slaves to this master money? Let us not forget that sin can be religious. For if not sin arrayed in religious attire, when the scribes and Pharisees cried concerning Christ away with this man, crucify him. We will not have this man to reign over us. How often nowadays we see sin dressed up in its Sunday clothes. Religious sinners enslaved to a certain creed, a certain doctrine or traditions of men, governed by a certain idea of how to get to heaven. They are servants to religious convictions that find no foundation in the Word of God. Man is also a slave to Satan. He has sold himself to the devil, hoping he will give orders for a good time in this life, pleasure, prosperity, and mercy. How many have found this master to be a liar from the beginning, who breaks his word and does not fulfill his promises, but deceives and the rudes to the very end. We see all round up men and women enslaved to Satan, in bondage to his cruel tyranny, laboring under his whip, driven almost to despair but unable to escape his firm, unrelenting grip and the chains of his prison house. He spurs his captives on with promises of better times, until the fangs of death take firm hold upon their souls, and the vulture of remorse feeds upon them forever. Man is also the servant of the law. The Ten Commandments, the law demands obedience and threatens its transgressors with death. The law is a schoolmaster, stern and rigid without mercy or love. Man is in bondage to the law. He cannot meet its requirements. As man sold himself into the hands of sin and Satan by the fall, so in regard to the law, Israel sold himself and deal with the price he paid for it. Israel chose that servitude, he willingly put himself under the bondage of the law according to Exodus nineteen. Thus we see man today a slave to sin and Satan and servant to the law, unable to free or redeem himself from either. Though he needs a redeemer, man is unable to deliver himself from the slavery of sin. Many attempt it, but find the chains too strong to break. They struggle and fight the losing battle against the huge monster, Sin, who crushes their every attempt at holiness or to break from sin's ruling power. Man has tried repeatedly to free himself from the slavery of sin. His escape is hopeless if attempted by himself. He may make new resolutions and say, I am not going to commit that sin anymore, but his dash for liberty is not for long. Sin pursues and its victim is recaptured only to be a greater slave than ever. The Scriptures speak of a man who by cleaning up and adopting resolutions to do better sought to break from the tyranny of sins. But the last state of that man is worse than the first, according to Matthew twelve, forty-three and forty-five. It is equally impossible for man to deliver himself from the falldom of Satan. The devil is spoken of as the strong man armed. Who can cope with his power? What man can discharge himself from the service of this master? God speaks of unsaved man, you, who listen to me now, as without strength. The sinner is a helpless victim in the hands of a cruel foe. Satan's grip grows stronger as death approaches. Seeing man is unable to deliver himself from the slavery and servitude of sin and Satan, he is also incapable of releasing himself from the bondage of the law. The only way to be free from the rigor of this master, the law is by fully obeying him. Otherwise, you are a transgressor and exposed to his displeasure under his curse. Seeing all men have broken the Ten Commandments, and it is impossible for them to do otherwise, for what man has kept them perfectly? Man is under the burden, bondage, and condemnation of a broken law. All the law must be kept if righteousness be by the law. Every one of the commandments must be kept. If you are to be made righteous in the sight of God, For cursed is every man that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, according to James two and ten. The breaking of one commandment puts you under the curse. Even if man were able to keep the ten commandments he would not be qualified for heaven. He would be qualified for God's blessing on earth, but not for heaven. The righteousness of the law is a righteousness of works, whereas an imputed righteousness, a divine nature, is essential to getting to heaven. And this is received by man when he receives Christ. We trust that what we've said, friend, will help you to see your true condition in the sight of God. It is evident that man is a slave to sin and Satan and in bondage to the law, unable to deliver himself or redeem himself. and in desperate need of a redeemer. Even our fellow man nor relative cannot save us. None of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for him for the redemption of their soulless precious. So God's word says in Psalm forty nine seven. It is possible for a man to redeem property or material things, but impossible for him to redeem the soul. How then is he to be redeemed? Well, then, the Word of God is very clear and very plain on this matter. Almost immediately after man became the slave of sin and Satan, by the sin of Adam, God gave him a promise of a redeemer. In Genesis three-fifteenth, God said to Satan, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It, that is, her seed, Christ, shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The seed of the woman in this passage has direct reference to Christ. In Galatians four, four, But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Again we have Christ foreshadowed as the great redeemer in the Paschal Lamb of Exodus twelve. Israel was in bondage to Pharaoh, slaves in Egypt under the whip of the cruel taskmasters. Servants to a tyrant of a master. They were helpless, and as far as themselves were concerned, hopeless. Their only hope was in God. He became their Redeemer, and their Redeemer was mighty, more than a match for Pharaoh. God redeemed them by the blood of the Lamb. The Lamb was the type of Christ, the Lamb of God which beareth away the sin of the world. Israel's Lamb was without blemish and a nail of the first year. Notice that, without blemish and a nail of the first year. pure and strong, as the male speaks of strength. Was not this true of the Lord Jesus Christ? He was wholly harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. He was without blemish, as Peter says in First Peter one, eighteen and nineteen, for as much as he know, ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Christ also was the male of the first year. Speaking of his strength, we not only needed a pure redeemer to deliver from sin, but a strong redeemer to deliver from Satan. We referred to Satan as a strong man armed, but the Lord Jesus is stronger than he, able to bind Satan and deliver his good. Israel was redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. They marched forth the people redeemed of the Lord, out from under the talisman of peril, saying goodbye to their cruel, Crew bondage, no more to hear or feel the cash master's whip, free from servitude to such a master. There was a blood-bought freedom, a liberty at the cost of the Lamb. God's power in redemption was seen in the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, after which Israel sang redemption songs. Now we will seek to show how all this finds its fulfillment in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Man today is a slave to a greater extent than Israel, and in bondage worse than theirs by far, a captive in chains, a prisoner behind bars, guarded by Satan, lest he escape. What shall we say to these things? Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered? But thus there the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away. and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered. For I will contend with him that contend is with thee, and I will save thy children. You read that in Isaiah forty-nine twenty-four. God has contended with Satan, and at the cross paid the price of our redemption. And those who are saved can say we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. It is a blood-bought freedom, a costly liberty that every child of God enjoys. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. whom we have redeemed from the hand of the enemy, according to Psalm one hundred and seven, too. Christ also had delivered us from the bondage of the law. We could not keep it if demands were beyond our reach. As transgressors we were under the sentence of death, but Christ not only fulfilled the law in his life, keeping its every precept, but blessed be God, he bore its curse in his death. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Read that in Galatians three thirteen. While hanging on the cross, the Lord Jesus bore the curse that should have been ours. The sentence of death was carried out in him. And as previously mentioned, God sent forth his son, made of a woman made under the law, to redeem them who were under the law. The outcome of which is that we might receive the adoption of sons, no longer a servant but a son, no longer under a schoolmaster but under a father, no longer in bondage but enjoying liberty, no longer under law but under grace. This is true of every child of God, for if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Free from the law, oh happy condition, Jesus have bled and there is remission, cursed by the law and bruised by the fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all. This is another aspect of what Christ did for us upon the cross. That is, you'll find it in the book of Ruth. We have spoken of two things concerning the Redeemer, his purity and his power. We will now mention his right to redeem. As pointed out, a near-kinsman, or a relative, had the right to buy back, set free the possession of his kinsfolk by paying the required amount. If an Israelite sold himself to be a slave, his brother, or one near-of-kin, could free or redeem him by paying the ransom price. Now Ruth was a Moabite, Dr. Gentile, in the place of distance and outside the pale of blessing. Her condition, as well as ours, is described in Ephesians two twelve, that at that time you were without Christ, being alien from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ruth admits she is a stranger, a handmaid or bond slave, unworthy of recognition and in need of grace. Let us notice briefly this man Boaz and his attitude and actions toward Ruth. His name means, in him is strength. He also was a mighty man of wealth. He also was a relative of Ruth. We here see his ability to redeem strong and rich, also his right to redeem, for he was near the kin unto her. And as we have pointed out, why he was a near kinsman or a relative, and alone had the right to buy back, to purchase or set free his relative by paying the required amount. Boas also was willing to redeem, which is plainly seen in chapter three. How beautifully all this finds its fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ. We have already mentioned his purity and his strength, as suggested in the Paschal Lamb of Exodus twelve. Here again his might, his strength is seen. For can it not be said of our divine Boas, in him his strength? He also is the mighty man of wealth. Think of those words in second Corinthians eight, nine. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. And again in Colossians one sixteen, for by him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. Was Christ not rich? Yes, and still is. Rich in his father's love, rich in his father's glory, rich in material work. For the worlds are his. Has he not then the ability to redeem? Yes, and furthermore he has the right. He is our kin's man. He is related to us in the sense that he became man, took upon himself our likeness. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death, He might destroy him that at the power of death that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage. For barely he took not upon him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. You read that in Hebrews two, fourteen, seventeen. And again we read in Philippians two, six, eight, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God. but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. These scriptures make it plain that our Lord Jesus Christ is our kin's man-redeemer. By his incarnation he possessed the right to redeem. And in that same stoop we see his willingness. What brought him down to die on Calvary's rugged cross? was it not his willingness to redeem, to save you, the man of wealth stooped to the depths of poverty, that we might enjoy the riches of redemption? Let us think for a moment what this redemption does. In Hebrews nine, fifteen we read, and for this cause he is the mediator of the new covenant, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament or first covenant, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. This text makes it clear that the redemptive work of Christ affected the transgressions of the past dispensation, the remission of sins that are past. Romans three twenty-five. Now let us look at this redemption as it concerns us in this hour day. What are some of the blessings it brings? In Titus two fourteen we read, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity. Here we see redemption from sins. freedom from that he is monstered by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. You will notice that little word all, which means past, present, and future sins, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. What a blessing this is. Who would not want it? Notice also Psalm one hundred and three, four, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercy. who satisfy at thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle. What a cluster of blessings is here. Instead of a wasted light with its attendant sorrows, we have a profitable life with its accompanying delight. Let us look at another thing we are redeemed from in First Peter one, eighteen, nineteen. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things of silver and gold, from your vain conversation received from tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot. What a lot of vain conversation there is today, empty preaching, teaching and talking. Others are in bondage to traditions of their fathers, a certain doctrine, creed or religion they have been reared in that finds no foundation in the Word of God. the work of Christ redeems, delivers, liberates from all such the traditions of men. Read that in First Peter, one, eighteen and nineteen. Notice also Galatians three, thirteen, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. How blessed is this? Free from that guilt that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. As those met all the required conditions and satisfied all parties concerned in redeeming Ruth, so Christ met all the requirements of the law and satisfied it, and the Holy God who gave it. What a redemption is ours, but let us go on. That same precious blood that freed us from sin, Satan, and the bondage of the law also bought us. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are gods. The price of purchase has been paid. I am his, spirit, soul, and body, a temple for God to dwell in. He has purified unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. Sonship is also included in the work of redemption according to Galatians four five to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Think of all the intimacy of this relationship, the abounding joys and privileges for the child of God. Happy is the soul that knows it and realizes he is justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Now before we close, let us see how this redemption affects the future. In Hebrews nine-twelve we read of eternal inheritance. This redemption invades the eternal ages, carrying me on to eternal blessing, to be enjoyed in a new body and a new heaven and a new earth. We read of the redemption of the purchased possession. This as reference to our bodies, according to Ephesians one-fourteen, and when our bodies have been delivered from corruption and all the redeemed changed into his likeness, then creation will feel the effects of that redemption according to Romans eight, twenty-one, twenty-three. because the creation itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and prevaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption to which the redemption of the body. The redemption embraces that eternal bliss where God shall be all in all. Let me ask you, friend, will you be there when the eternal bursts of praise roll down the corridors of heaven, when the song of redemption will be on every tongue and in every heart inhabiting that blessed abode, as we read in Revelation, and they sang a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals that are off, for thou wilt slain and hath redeemed this of God, by thy blood that of every kindred tongue people and nation. Job could say, I know that my redeemer liveth. and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroyed his body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, the old nineteen twenty-five and twenty-six. He knew the Redeemer and could call him my Redeemer. How about you? How blessed to know he is mine. Not my neighbors or friends, but mine. The one who died for me, then like him I will be. My Redeemer, oh, what beauties in that lovely name appear! None but Jesus in his glory shall the honored title wear. My Redeemer, thou hast my salvation wrought. Shall we pray? Our Father in heaven, we ask thy blessing upon thy precious word. We thank thee for our Lord Jesus what a wonderful Redeemer he is. We thank thee for everyone who knows him here tonight. Those who do not grant that they may come to an acquaintance with Christ this very moment. So bless thy word as we commend it to thee. in our Lord Jesus.