Redemption — A Work of Grace

Romans 3:24

We trace our redemption by Christ to the free and sovereign grace of God in Him. Whenever I mention the grace of God, I commonly use the adjectives “free” and “sovereign” to describe it because few in these days of religious darkness and delusion understand that grace is of necessity both free and sovereign.

It is the free grace of God because grace, if it is not altogether free, is not grace. God’s grace is, like His love, unmerited, free of all conditions, merit, and clear of all motives in the creature. It is sovereign grace because it is bestowed entirely according to the will of our great, Divine Benefactor (Romans 9:13-18). The foundation and basis of our redemption by Christ is God’s free and sovereign grace. We are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Grace of God

That redemption which is in and by Christ Jesus is the work of God’s free and sovereign grace! The gift of Christ is a free grace gift (1 Corinthians 9:15). His being sent and delivered up to death are owing to the grace of God. It was “by the grace of God he tasted death for everyone,” for everyone of the sons of God (Hebrews 2:9). This cannot be attributed to any merit or desert in those for whom Christ died; since we were without strength, ungodly, wicked, the chief of sinners, and enemies in our minds by wicked works. We contribute nothing to the work of Christ in redemption, not even by our faith. Our faith in Christ is the fruit and effect of redemption, not the cause! We receive the atonement by faith; but we do not make atonement by faith! Read Romans 5:10-11.

Mercy of God

We trace our redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ to the everlasting mercy of God. Mercy, which is no other than the love and grace of God exercised toward such miserable creatures as we are, gives rise to this blessing of redemption: God first resolved to have mercy on sinful men. Then He determined to redeem and save them by His Son. It is through the tender mercy of our God that Christ, the Dayspring from on high, visited and redeemed His people; and so performed the mercy promised to us (Luke 1:68, 69, 72, 78). Therefore, God is said to save men according to His mercy. Mercy is glorified in their salvation and redemption by Christ. We, therefore, ought to sing of mercy to praise the Lord our God and give thanks unto Him for it (Titus 3:5; Psalms 107:1, 2; 136:23, 24). It was by the love, grace, and mercy of God to sinful men that His will was determined and His resolution fixed to redeem us.

Purpose of God

We trace our redemption by our blessed Substitute to the eternal purpose of God. It was according to that eternal purpose He purposed in Christ, “who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” In order to redeem us from our vain conversation with His precious blood our Savior was set forth in the decree and purpose of the triune Jehovah to be the propitiation for sin. God appointed Him to be the Redeemer and Saviour; and appointed us, not unto wrath, which we deserved, but to obtain salvation by Him as “vessels of mercy afore prepared for glory.”

Wisdom of God

Being moved by His love, grace, and mercy to redeem and save His elect, His wisdom found the way to accomplish the work in total consistency with His justice. A council was held in which God was in Christ, forming a scheme of peace, reconciliation, and redemption; in which He has “abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence,” laying help for us upon One that is mighty. Christ was and is the only person fit to be our Redeemer. The only means by which the holy Lord God could be “a just God and a Savior,” the only means by which He could accomplish redemption for us was by the substitutionary, penal sacrifice and death of His dear Son in our place for the satisfaction of His holy justice.

Don Fortner

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