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One of the most important words in the Bible is beautifully captured in one theological word—Redemption. The redemption of the man following his fall from grace to grass is a major Biblical theme that runs through the pages of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The fall of man was set in motion when Adam (Man’s Federal headship) disobeyed the commandment of God when he listened to the voice of an outlaw spirit, Satan, who is God’s major adversary on earth.
The Lord had created Adam, a free moral agent with the authority to make his own decisions and choices and to obey or disobey the voice of God. To be sure, God did not create Adam a robot that is programmed and ordered around the beautiful garden of Eden. Indeed, He created Adam with his own free will. More importantly, Adam was also created in the image and likeness of God – Gen. 1:26.
The Lord had commanded Adam, saying, “of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat for in the day that you shall eat of it, you shall surely die.” – Gen. 2:16-17. As said earlier, Adam had full authority to obey or disobey God having been created as a free moral agent by God. Unfortunately, Adam and his wife, Eve, opted to disobey the commandment of God and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil following Satan’s deception.
Adam and Eve lost their authority in the garden and became slaves of Satan following their disobedience. God came and sent them away from the beautiful Garden of Eden. God also pronounced judgment on the man, the woman, and the devil who deceived them. By his disobedience, Adam also ushered into man’s bloodline the reign of sin and physical and spiritual death. Apostle Paul captures Adam’s fall thus: “Therefore just as through one man sin entered the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all have sinned” – Romans 5:12.
However, the gracious God had a plan for man’s redemption even before the foundation of the world. Immediately after the fall, God disclosed His redemption plan for man in Genesis 3:15 which says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between her seed and your seed. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” God’s redemption plan will be actualized through the seed of a woman (Jesus) who will be man’s substitutionary sacrifice. Jesus, the second Adam will undo the harm that the first Adam caused humanity.
According to Amos, the Lord does nothing unless He reveals His secrets to His servants, the prophets. It is on this note that the Lord revealed His detailed plan for man’s redemption through Prophet Isaiah. God gave Isaiah detailed prophetic revelation concerning His suffering son who will be man’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Isaiah writes, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and by His stripe, we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5.
Isaiah’s prophetic revelation was actualized on the cross of Calvary where the Son of God Jesus became the substitutionary sacrifice for man’s redemption. According to Apostle Paul, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of His love in whom we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14. The Lord Jesus was born into the world for one purpose – to die on the cross of Calvary for man’s redemption. This was necessary to satisfy God’s justice because without the shedding of blood there is no remission of our sins. – Heb. 9:22.
In all, we need to continually thank God for our redemption and the indescribable gift of His glorious Son Jesus Christ – the rock of our salvation. Following our redemption, Jesus has made us “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people that we may proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
April 10, 2022 – Pastor Emmanuel Madueme
