Redemption

Redemption, the defeat and healing of Sin, is not something that only involves individual persons. Christians believe that the God who created the universe is working to redeem the entire world from the brokenness of sin. In the context of Christianity, redemption is about restoring, repairing, renewing what was broken by Sin and returning it into its original, perfected condition. Redemption is a bit like the way people restore antique cars, tractors, houses, and all kinds of things, to make them like they were brand new.

The Christian understanding of Redemption is grounded upon several core beliefs: one is that God created everything, and everything God created is good: meaning perfect, wonderful. This is why the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2 is considered “Paradise;” it is simply a glorious place where everything is as God meant it to be. How and why Sin is so destructive is a big topic for another day; for now, let’s just say that Sin disrupted what God made perfect.

Another core Christian belief is that God wants to fix, repair, restore, redeem Creation from its broken condition. Redemption is what the Covenant with Abraham and Israel was about; it’s what the prophets spoke about; it’s what Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection brought about.

Finally, Christians believe that God’s redemptive work will come to an eventual completion, that there is a particular end-result we anticipate. Today’s reading from Revelation 21 speaks of this eventual day. We don’t know when, but we fully expect that one day God will return Creation to its original, perfect condition; and in fact, it will be even better because the problem of Sin will have been dealt with once and for all. We don’t know everything about what the complete redemption of the world will look like, but it appears that heaven and earth will be as one, new creation; that God will dwell among us again as in Eden. We will all live in such perfect understanding and trust of God and each other that there will be no more strife and conflict and disruption of what God made good. This is our expectation not only for life eternal in heaven but also for life on earth.