If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:8-10).
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7).
Redemption is not a common word. It is not mentioned in our culture anymore. And it is not often mentioned in the church, either. Yet it is the core concept and idea of our faith as followers of Jesus. To get a better idea of what redemption means, we have to think about the idea of restoration. Restoration and redemption are tied to the idea of being brought back from a place of slavery. When mankind committed the first sin (and all the sins subsequent to that one) his soul was sold to the sin. God, however in His great wisdom, reserved the right to bring us back through a sacrifice—the sacrifice of an innocent soul, namely His son, Jesus. Through God’s prophecy to Eve in Genesis 3, the devil’s head was destined to be crushed by the son of man, Jesus. So, on the cross, Jesus went into the devil’s domain, hell, and crushed his head through His obedience to God’s plan—death on the cross.