Colossians 1.14-The Christian Experiences Redemption and Forgiveness of Sins Through Their Union with Jesus Christ
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday March 29, 2015
Colossians: Colossians 1:14-The Christian Experiences Redemption and Forgiveness of Sins Through Their Union with Jesus Christ
Lesson # 18
Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (NASB95)
“In whom” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (2) relative pronoun hos (ὅς), “whom.”
The relative pronoun hos means “whom” and refers of course to the Lord Jesus Christ since this word agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with its antecedent which is the masculine singular form of the noun huios (υἱός), “the Son,” which appears at the very end of Colossians 1:13.
The relative pronoun hos functions as the object of the preposition en which is a marker of close personal association and thus would mean, “in union with.”
Therefore, the prepositional phrase “in whom” indicates that the Colossians were experiencing redemption, specifically the forgiveness of their sins through their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
“We have” is the verb echō (ἒχω), which means “to experience” a state or condition indicating that the Christian “experiences” the redemption and the forgiveness of sins because of Jesus Christ and specifically by means of His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
The first person plural is an inclusive “we” or literary plural which is used to include both the author and his audience and indicating that Paul is referring to both himself and the Colossian church.
The present tense of this verb is a stative present used to signal an ongoing state indicating that the Christian exists in the state of experiencing redemption and the forgiveness of sins through their union with Jesus Christ.
The present tense can also be interpreted as a gnomic present which would indicate that the Christian “as a general timeless fact” or “an eternal spiritual truth” is experiencing redemption, the forgiveness of sins through their union with Jesus Christ.
“Redemption” is the noun apolutrōsis (ἀπολύτρωσις), which means, “to buy back a slave thus making him free by payment of a ransom, the act of release or state of being resulting in release or redemption” (Luke 21:28; Rom. 3:24; 8:23; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:7; 1:14; 4:30; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; 11:35).
“The forgiveness of sins” is composed of the following: (1) noun aphesis (ἄφεσις), “the forgiveness” (6) noun hamartia (ἁμαρτία), “of sins.”
The noun aphesis means “forgiveness” since it pertains to removing the guilt and punishment resulting from sin or breaking God’s laws and speaks of the act of freeing the sinner from guilt and punishment due to committing sin or in other words, breaking God’s laws.
The noun hamartia is used with reference to mental, verbal and overt acts of personal sin from the perspective that these acts miss the mark of the absolute perfection of God’s character, i.e. His holiness.
Colossians 1:14 In union with whom, we, as an eternal spiritual truth, are experiencing the redemption, specifically the forgiveness of our sins. (My translation)
As we noted, in Colossians 1:13, the apostle Paul communicates to the faithful believers in Colossae that the Father delivered them from Satan’s power.
This took place at the moment of their conversion when they exercised faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
He also reminds them that simultaneous with this act, the Father transferred them to His Son’s kingdom who He loves.
Now, here in Colossians 1:14, Paul continues to describe for these faithful believers in Colossae what the Father did for them by stating that they are, as an eternal spiritual truth experiencing the redemption, namely the forgiveness of their sins because of their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
The apostle is teaching that “in union with Christ, we, as an eternal spiritual truth are experiencing the redemption, specifically the forgiveness of our sins.”
In other words, the Christian’s union and identification with Jesus Christ is the reason why they are experiencing this redemption and specifically experiencing the forgiveness of their sins.
During the dispensation of the church age when a sinner exercises faith alone in Christ alone, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit places that person in an eternal union with Christ.
The Spirit at conversion identifies the believer positionally with Christ in His crucifixion, death, resurrection and session.
This results in making the believer a permanent member of the royal family of God, a new spiritual species and eternally secure (Mark 16:16; John 7:37-39; 14:20; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21).
This is called the “baptism of the Spirit.”
To be identified with Christ means that the Holy Spirit has made the justified sinner identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also means that the Spirit ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This does not mean that the believer becomes the second person of the Trinity, but rather it means that God views the believer as having been crucified, died and buried with Christ two thousand years ago as well as raised and seated with Him.
So in Colossians 1:14, Paul is teaching the Colossians that they are presently experiencing redemption, namely the forgiveness of their sins as a result of their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
One of the results of our Lord’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross is that He redeemed the entire human race out from the slave market of sin.
“Redemption” refers to that aspect of Christ’s finished work on the Cross-that “purchased” all of humanity out of the slave market of sin.
It is appropriated through the non-meritorious decision to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Redemption is one of the three major doctrines of Soteriology: (1) Redemption: inward (2) Reconciliation: manward (3) Propitiation: Godward.
The doctrine of redemption refers to the fact that Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross were a substitutionary ransom for the benefit of each and every member of the human race.
These unique substitutionary deaths redeemed the entire human race out from the slave market of sin in which each and every member of the human race was born physically alive but spiritually dead.
Redemption results in the forgiveness of sins (Isa. 44:22; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12-15).
Redemption of the soul in salvation leads to redemption of the body in resurrection (Eph. 1:14).
There are many references in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus Christ “purchasing” the entire human race out of the slave market of sin by means of His voluntary, substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28; Acts 20:28; Romans 3:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:20; 7:23; Galatians 3:13; 4:4; Colossians 1:14; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:11-16; 1 Peter 1:17-19; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 14:1-5).
In Colossians 1:14, the apostle Paul defines redemption as the forgiveness of the Christian’s sins.
Redemption and the forgiveness of sins are directly related to each other since the former means that Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross purchased the entire human race out of the slave market of sin in which they commit mental, verbal and overt acts of sin.
This slave market is Satan’s kingdom.
Remember in Colossians 1:14 Paul taught that the Colossians that they were transferred from Satan’s kingdom and into Christ’s kingdom at the moment of their conversion.
Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross not only purchased the Christian out of the slave market of sin but were the payment for these sins.
The transaction was not between Christ and Satan but rather between Christ and the Father.
The Son’s death on the cross propitiated the Father meaning that His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross satisfied the demands of the Father’s holiness which required Him to judge these sins and the sinner.
Therefore, forgiveness of sins is available to everyone in the human race because of Jesus Christ accomplished at the cross for them as their Substitute.
Only the sinner who exercises faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior will appropriate the forgiveness of their sins and experience being redeemed out of the slave market of sin.
Primarily, forgiveness is an act of God, releasing sinners from judgment and freeing them from the divine penalty of their sin.
The apostles proclaimed that this promise of the forgiveness of sins is appropriated through faith in the Lord Jesus because in Him is the fulfillment of all the promises that were made through the Old Testament prophets (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Acts 2:14-41; 10:34-44; 13:16-39; 26:1-18; 2 Corinthians 1:18-20).
This forgiveness of sins is based entirely upon the merits of the Lord Jesus and His finished work on the cross and for Christ’s sake sins are forgiven (Romans 4:1-17; 11:6; Galatians 2:16; 3:5-9; Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:5-7).
The believer is no longer under judgment because of his faith in Christ at the point of salvation (John 3:18; 5:2).
The believer is no longer under condemnation because of his union with Christ through the baptism of the Spirit (Romans 8:1; Colossians 2:13-14).
God remembers the believer’s sins no more because of the merits of Christ and His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths (Psalm 51:1-9; Hebrews 8:12; 10:17).
