The terms repentance and redemption are two of the common words you can find in the bible. There are just so much meaning and weight these terms hold that open the eyes of every Christian. Hence, let us get to know what they truly are and how significant they are in the Christian community.
Repentance
Repentance has two equivalent Hebrew terms in the Old Testament. The first one is the word namchan that pertains to the act of turning around or changing one’s mind. The second term is sub that is equivalent to the words “return,” “search,” “turn,” and “restore.” On the contrary, the New Testament contains the word metanoia which is a Greek term that has a literal meaning of “to change the mind.” Thus, repentance basically pertains to the changing of a person’s mind about a particular thing. It is always associated with the person’s method of thinking.
So, what does it really mean to repent? To repent means to walk away from sin and come back to the Lord. It happens the moment you accept and believe that Jesus is the son of Almighty Father, instead of rejecting Him. You will achieve spiritual awakening, which will change your life forever. Moreover, there are many verses in the Bible that mentions the term repentance or repent like the following:
“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:38
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” – Revelation 3:19
“Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.” – Acts 8:22
Redemption
The meaning of redemption is “repurchase” or “a ransom.” It is an integral concept in different religions, especially in Christianity. Hence, it pertains to the freeing people from sin based on the Christian theology. Redemption is a metaphor for the thing accomplished via Atonement; thus, there is a metaphor that lies behind the death of the son of God. It is believed that Jesus died in order to free people from sin and death. The price of the ransom is the life of Jesus.
Adam and Eve’s original sin in the Genesis 3 is believed to be the very first transgression recorded in the Bible. There has been a lot of mischief that happens after they were banished from the Garden of Eden. But after Jesus died, everyone was saved from sin. When people are redeemed, they release and become better version of themselves. The moment God freed Israel from slavery; He granted them a brand-new land and made them a new nation. When people are redeemed, they are no longer imprisoned by sin and death and they will have a brand-new identity through Christ. They will become a part of the kingdom of the Lord.
The Bible contains many verses that refer to redemption. Thus, listed below are the verses in the Holy Scripture that talks about the subject:
“He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend [is] his name.” – Psalms 111:9
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” – Titus 2:14
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” – Acts 3:19
“and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:12-14
“and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—“ – Colossians 1:20-22
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