Useful Bible Studies > Colossians Commentary > chapter 1

The redemption that we can receive through Christ

Colossians 1:14

‘Redemption’ means that someone has paid the price to free a slave or a prisoner. However, Paul is using the word to describe how God frees a person from the devil’s control (1:13). Now that person belongs to God’s holy nation (1 Peter 2:9), and Christ rules that person’s life.

Paul says that in Christ: ‘we’ have redemption. By the use of the word ‘we’, Paul shows that he includes both himself, and the Christians at Colosse. In fact, all true Christians have received this redemption, whether or not they have ever been slaves or prisoners. This redemption may not free a slave or prisoner in this world; but it gives people a better freedom than anything that this world can offer (1 Corinthians 7:22).

This freedom is the fact that God has forgiven a person’s sins (wrong and evil thoughts, words and deeds). We are all guilty of many wrong and evil deeds (Romans 3:23). The Bible declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin (Galatians 3:22). It is as if sin controls us like slaves (Romans 7:14-23).

We cannot rescue ourselves. Only God can save us from sin, because only God can forgive our sins. All our sins are against God because, by means of our sins, we offend against his holy law (Exodus 20:1-17; James 2:10-11).

God wants to forgive us (Ezekiel 18:23), but there is a price for our evil deeds. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. That is why Christ died: he died for us (Romans 5:6). He accepted the punishment for our sins so that we can receive true freedom (John 8:36): a right relationship with God (Romans 5:15-17). So the Bible urges us to turn from our sin (Acts 3:19), and to invite Christ into our lives (Revelation 3:20).

Next part: Christ is the ruler of all that God created (Colossians 1:15)

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© 2019, Keith Simons.