Redemption is a beautiful blessing from God. Peter summarized, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). This particular word translated “redeemed” (from lutroomai) refers to being set free from bondage by some sort of payment – ransomed. This Greek verb is found in only two other places (Luke 24:21; Titus 2:14). Peter revealed three important realities about our redemption in these verses.
First, Peter revealed from what we were redeemed – “aimless conduct.” This term, also translated “vain conversation” (KJV), “vain manner of life” (ASV) and “futile way of life” (NAS), can refer to any life lived apart from God, but it is especially suggestive of the life of idolatry, which is often connected with futility (cf. 1 Kings 17:15; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Jeremiah 2:5, 8; Acts 14:15; Ephesians 4:17). This God-opposed way of life was “received by tradition from your fathers,” which means it was according to their family’s tradition. When people choose family first over God’s will, the result is inevitable: souls are lost, enslaved to sin and stand in need of redemption.
Second, Peter revealed by what we were not redeemed – “corruptible things.” The word “corruptible [perishable, ESV]” means subject to decay, perishable or mortal. It is from the same word used earlier, when Peter declared his readers’ faith was “much more precious than gold that perishes” (1 Peter 1:7). Gold and silver were usually used in ransoming slaves. A first century slave in the Greco-Roman world could be redeemed for a price ranging from the equivalent of sixty-six days’ wages to 233,333 days’ wages (Rogers and Rogers 596). However, when the Lord comes in Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), no amount of gold, silver or anything of this world will be able to pay the price for our redemption!
Third, Peter revealed by what we were redeemed – “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19)! Christ gave Himself as the “spotless lamb” of God (John 1:29). Christ’s blood is precious because: (1) it cleanses the conscience (Hebrews 9:14); (2) it gives access to God (Hebrews 10:19); (3) it continuously cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5); (4) it gives victory over Satan (Revelation 12:11) and (5) it, as here, rescues us from a sinful way of life (1 Peter 1:19).
Jesus died for all humanity (Hebrews 2:9), but only those who come in spiritual contact with His cleansing blood will be redeemed (Revelation 1:5). Baptism is how and where that contact takes place (Romans 6:3-4). Is redemption your reality?
Works Cited
Rogers, Cleon L., Jr. and Cleon L. Rogers, III. Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, The. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.
