How to Be Free from Guilt

Many people are afraid to come to Christ because they believe He will shackle them to a list of religious rules. They recognize that repenting and trusting in Jesus means giving up their former carefree lifestyle. But according to the Bible, Christians are the ones who are truly free.

In our study of the wonderful words that describe the significance of Christ’s sacrificial death, we have looked at atonement and propitiation so far. Now, it is time to examine the word “redemption.”

Again, a thorough look at usages of this word in the Old Testament illumines our understanding of the New Testament reality. Repeatedly, God uses the word “redeemed” in the Old Testament to refer to the Exodus, when He rescued His people Israel from slavery in Egypt. (You can read the entire story in the book of Exodus in the Bible.)

Another occurrence of the word redemption appears in Leviticus 25:25-34, where God gives instructions for when a poor person in Israel, out of financial necessity, had to sell his land. A near family member was expected to buy back (“redeem”) his poor brother’s land so that it would remain in the family.

From these examples, as well as many other references*, I want to suggest two contextual aspects of the meaning of redemption. First, redemption includes the idea of “buying back” or a “ransom.” Second, redemption involves rescuing from bondage. Therefore, we can observe in Scripture that redemption is when Jesus buys us back in order to rescue us from bondage.

I am referring to the bondage of sin. “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). Sin is pleasurable for a little while, but in the end it leaves us shackled and miserable. Lying and stealing lead to distrust and stricter laws. Sexual immorality tears apart homes and leaves irreparable damage. Various sorts of addictions, from alcohol to gluttony to selfish ambition, bind us to an irreversible course of futile striving for the satisfaction we crave. To live without Christ is to live bound and imprisoned.

Furthermore, our vain attempts to try to be good bind us to religious works that can never help us. You see, God requires absolute moral perfection as reflected in His Law (the Ten Commandments), but when we try to live up to that standard we constantly fail and must try harder. God must punish those who break His Law. The many world religions are a reflection of humanity’s attempt to do enough religious works to earn God’s favor and so escape His judgment. That sort of religion is indeed shackling.

Wonderfully, though, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13). Jesus perfectly fulfilled God’s Law, because He is God in human form (John 1:1). Then He paid the price of our sin when He hung on the tree, or died on the Cross. The payment for sin, the punishment we deserve for our crimes against God’s Law, is death in Hell (Romans 6:23), but Jesus took our punishment, the curse of the law, and paid our fine! Now, having risen from the dead, He offers true liberty to those who repent and trust in Him (Mark 1:15; Acts 16:31; I Corinthians 15:3-4).

The Bible says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). If you are not a Christian, submit to Christ and accept His gift of redemption so that you may be truly free from the deceitful enticement of sin and the futile pursuit of religious works. If you are a Christian, don’t go back! The world may glitter, but true freedom rests in Christ. Tell your depressed, bitter coworkers, neighbors, and friends that Christ sets free! He redeems.

*See Ex. 15:13; 2 Sam. 4:9; Neh. 1:10; Job 6:23; Ps. 25:22; 26:11; 44:26; 55:18; 69:18; 72:14; 103:4; 119:134, 154; 130:8; Is. 44:21-22; Jer. 15:21; Gal. 4:5; Tit. 2:14).

Read an overview of the whole series here.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

Photo by Jenny Venturo