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Grace Evangelical Free Church
Romans 3:24: Redeemed
June 7, 2015
Romans 3:24: and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus
Everyone is in need of redemption. Our natural condition was characterized by guilt: “all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt: “being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).
But what does it mean to be “redeemed” and what are the benefits of God’s redemption? To
determine the Biblical answer, we look to:
 Historical Context: Romans 1:1 identifies the author of the Book of Romans as the
Apostle Paul. Romans 16:22 indicates that Paul used a man name Tertius to transcribe his
words, written between 56-58 A.D. Paul was excited about being able to at last minister
in this church, everyone was well aware of that fact (Romans 1:8-15). It was written from
Corinth just prior to Paul’s trip to Jerusalem to deliver the alms that had been given for
the poor there. He had intended to go to Rome and then on to Spain (Romans 15:24). His
plans were interrupted when he was arrested in Jerusalem. He would eventually get to
Rome as a prisoner. Phoebe who was a member of the church at Cenchrea near Corinth
(Romans 16:1) most likely carried the letter to Rome. The Bible’s standard of human
righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior,
and every word. The Book of Romans can be divided into four sections: Righteousness
Needed, 1:18 - 3:20; Righteousness Provided, 3:21 - 8:39; Righteousness Vindicated, 9:1
- 11:36; Righteousness Practiced, 12:1 - 15:13. Paul points out again that God did not
demand that men have their lives straightened out before coming to Christ. But now that
we have come to Christ, we need to live our lives offered to God as a living sacrifice to
Him precisely because of the redemption He first provided for us, keeping our eye on the
righteousness which has been imputed to us. In short, our highest desire is to worship
Him in our actions and reactions as both a sign of appreciation to God and as a living
witness to our family, friends and acquaintances. We cannot please Him by living
according to this world’s standards, including its pleasures.
 Grammatical Usage: “Justified” in the Greek is, “Dikaioo” meaning, “to declare,
pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be”; “redemption” is
“apolutrosis” literally meaning, “a releasing for the payment of a ransom” combining the
concepts of forgiveness and justification indicating both the liberation from the guilt and
doom of sin and the introduction into a life of liberty or ‘newness of life.’”
 Literal Application: “and are declared righteous (returning to our original creative intent
– including relationship with our Creator) by his grace as a gift, through the ransom and
new life that is in Christ Jesus,”
 Contextual Interpretation: The word “redeem” means “to buy out.” The term was used
specifically in reference to the purchase of a slave’s freedom. The application of this term
to Christ’s death on the cross is quite telling. If we are “redeemed,” then our prior
Reverend Tony Raker
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Grace Evangelical Free Church, 718 E. Queen Street, Strasburg, VA 22657
[email protected] / www.graceevfreechurchva.org
condition was one of slavery – in our case, slaves to the sin nature. God has purchased
our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin or to the Old Testament law which
was but a temporary avenue to God until the advent of Jesus Christ and his final
redemption of a sinful creation (recall the struggle of Hebrew Christians on this point).
This metaphorical use of redemption is the teaching of Galatians 3:13 and 4:5. Related to
the Christian concept of redemption is the word “ransom”. Jesus paid the price for our
release from sin (Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:6). His death was in exchange for our
sinful life. In fact, scripture is quite clear that redemption is only possible “through His
blood” (that is, by His death - Colossians 1:14), which is why John 14:6 is so vital for us
to understand and then proclaim. The “grace” mentioned in our verse is NOT defined as
“unmerited favor”. It is more than that as unmerited favor indicates that someone would
look the other way or give a gift in spite of a situation or condition. God is incapable of
this kind of activity. Why? To do so would involve a compromise…in His case, a
compromise with evil and God cannot compromise with evil. The “grace” of God cannot
conflict with His righteousness. This is the dilemma which the death of Jesus Christ
resolved (Psalm 85:10). Redemption is a legal transaction – a ransom – in this case,
Jesus Himself.
 Scriptural Comparison: The benefits of redemption include:
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Everlasting life (Revelation 5:9-10);
Forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7);
Righteousness (Romans 5:17);
Freedom from the law’s curse (Galatians 3:13);
Adoption into God’s family (Galatians 4:5);
Deliverance from sin’s bondage (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:14-18);
Peace with God (Colossians 1:18-20);
Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
To be redeemed, then, is to be forgiven, holy, justified, blessed, free, adopted, and
reconciled. See also Psalm 130:7-8; Luke 2:38; and Acts 20:28.
 Conclusion: The streets of heaven will be filled with former captives to sin who, through
no merit of their own, find themselves forgiven and free. The slaves to sin have become
saints. No wonder they sing a new song—a song of praise to the Redeemer who was slain
(Revelation 5:9). We were slaves to sin, condemned to everlasting separation from God.
Jesus paid the price to redeem us, resulting in our freedom from slavery to sin, and our
rescue from the eternal consequences of that sin. So lift up your countenance! The
struggles we have now cannot rob of us of our joy, they will fade away as the seconds
tick by on the clock, yet we have only unspeakable joy and provision ahead of us thanks
to the redemption of our God!
Reverend Tony Raker
Grace Evangelical Free Church, 718 E. Queen Street, Strasburg, VA 22657
[email protected] / www.graceevfreechurchva.org
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