God's Unmerited Favor in the Redemption Process
God's unmerited favor, often termed grace, is central to the Christian understanding of redemption. Redemption itself signifies the purchase back of something lost through the payment of a ransom [3]. This concept is deeply rooted in biblical language, with names like Geuel and Pedaiah meaning "God's redemption" and "redemption of the Lord," respectively [1, 4]. The New Testament Greek term for redemption, apolutrosis, consistently carries the idea of a price paid [3].
The Bible presents redemption not as an afterthought or a remedy for an unforeseen problem, but as part of God's eternal foreordination [7]. The atoning work of Christ, which effects this redemption, was foreordained and foretold in the Old Testament [5]. It is through Christ alone that atonement is achieved [5]. This act exhibits the grace and mercy of God, as well as the love of God and Christ [5]. For instance, Romans 5:8 states that "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" [5].
The unmerited nature of this favor is emphasized throughout scripture. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9 that salvation is "not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" [8]. This means that faith, conversion, and eternal salvation are not the product of human abilities or merit [8]. Similarly, justification is described as being "freely by his grace" [10]. The "free love and favour of God" is the moving cause of justification, wonderfully displayed in a sinner's standing before God [10].
Redemption is specifically applied to "Zion and her converts," referring to the church, rather than the entire world [6]. It is a spiritual redemption, delivering individuals from the captivity of sin, Satan, and the law [6]. This redemption is described as plenteous and eternal [6]. The cost of this redemption is not corruptible things like silver or gold, but the precious blood of Christ [11]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on 1 Peter 1:18 highlights that it is believers who are bought by Christ's blood, not heaven itself, as heaven is an "inheritance" given to sons by God's promise [11].
The concept of God's unmerited favor also extends to His faithfulness in rewarding the good works of His people. While humans have no inherent right to claim reward, as a servant only does what is their duty, God has promised to reward the good works of His people out of His own grace [9]. This promise, rather than human merit, ensures that God would not be unrighteous were He not to reward His people's works [9]. The gifts and calling of God are described as "without repentance," indicating their irrevocable nature [2]. This underscores the steadfastness of God's unmerited favor in the redemption process.
Sources
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Geuel — God's redemption”
- Romans “Romans 11:29 (KJV) — For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Redemption — The purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom. The Greek word so rendered is apolutrosis, a word occurring nine times in Scripture, and always with the idea of a ransom or price paid, i.e., redemption by a lutron (see Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45). There are instances in the LXX. Version of the Old Testament of the use of lutron in man's relation to man (Lev. 19:20; 25:51; Ex. 21:30; Num. 35:31, 32; Isa. 45:13; Prov. 6:35), and in the same sense of man's relation to God (Num. 3:49; 18:15). There are many passages in the New Tes”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Pedaiah — redemption of the Lord”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Atonement, The — Explained -- Ro 5:8-11; 2Co 5:18,19; Ga 1:4; 1Jo 2:2; 4:10. Foreordained -- Ro 3:25; 1Pe 1:11,20; Re 13:8. Foretold -- Isa 53:4-6,8-12; Da 9:24-27; Zec 13:1,7; Joh 11:50,51. Effected by Christ alone -- Joh 1:29,36; Ac 4:10,12; 1Th 1:10; 1Ti 2:5,6; Heb 2:9; 1Pe 2:24. Was voluntary -- Ps 40:6-8; Heb 10:5-9; Joh 10:11,15,17,18. Exhibits the Grace and mercy of God. -- Ro 8:32; Eph 2:4,5,7; 1Ti 2:4; Heb 2:9. Love of God. -- Ro 5:8; 1Jo 4:9,10. Love of Christ. -- Joh 15:13; Ga 2:20; Eph 5:2,25; Re 1:5. Reconciles the justice and mercy of God -- Isa 45:21; ”
- Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 1:27: Zion shall be redeemed with judgment,.... The blessing of redemption by Christ is the source and foundation of the other blessings of grace, before mentioned, the little remnant are favoured with, as justification, pardon of sin, and conversion, Isa 1:18, Isa 1:25 it is of a spiritual nature; the redemption of the soul is a deliverance from the captivity of sin, Satan, and the law, and is plenteous and eternal; the objects of redeeming grace are "Zion" and her converts; not the world, but the church is redeemed by Christ; for by Zion is meant, not a place, but peopl”
- 1 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Peter 1:20: God's eternal foreordination of Christ's redeeming sacrifice, and completion of it in these last times for us, are an additional obligation on us to our maintaining a holy walk, considering how great things have been thus done for us. Peter's language in the history corresponds with this here: an undesigned coincidence and mark of genuineness. Redemption was no afterthought, or remedy of an unforeseen evil, devised at the time of its arising. God's foreordaining of the Redeemer refutes the slander that, on the Christian theory, there is a period of fo”
- Ephesians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ephesians 2:4: Here the apostle begins his account of the glorious change that was wrought in them by converting grace, where observe, I. By whom, and in what manner, it was brought about and effected. 1. Negatively: Not of yourselves, Eph 2:8. Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation, are not the mere product of any natural abilities, nor of any merit of our own: Not of works, lest any man should boast, Eph 2:9. These things are not brought to pass by any thing done by us, and therefore all boasting is excluded; he who glories must not glory in himself, but in the”
- Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 6:10: not unrighteous--not unfaithful to His own gracious promise. Not that we have any inherent right to claim reward; for (1) a servant has no merit, as he only does that which is his bounden duty; (2) our best performances bear no proportion to what we leave undone; (3) all strength comes from God; but God has promised of His own grace to reward the good works of His people (already accepted through faith in Christ); it is His promise, not our merits, which would make it unrighteous were He not to reward His people's works. God will be no man's debtor. ”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 3:20: Being justified freely by his grace,.... The matter of justification is before expressed, and the persons that share in this blessing are described; here the several causes of it are mentioned. The moving cause of it is the free grace of God; for by "the grace of God" here, is not meant the Gospel, or what some men call the terms of the Gospel, and the constitution of it; nor the grace of God infused into the heart; but the free love and favour of God, as it is in his heart; which is wonderfully displayed in the business of a sinner's justification before him: it appe”
- 1 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Peter 1:18: Another motive to reverential, vigilant fear (Pe1 1:17) of displeasing God, the consideration of the costly price of our redemption from sin. Observe, it is we who are bought by the blood of Christ, not heaven. The blood of Christ is not in Scripture said to buy heaven for us: heaven is the "inheritance" (Pe1 1:4) given to us as sons, by the promise of God. corruptible--Compare Pe1 1:7, "gold that perisheth," Pe1 1:23. silver and gold--Greek, "or." Compare Peter's own words, Act 3:6 : an undesigned coincidence. redeemed--Gold and silver being li”