But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Hebrews 9:11-12 

Redemption has got to be one of the most beautiful words in all of history. The idea of redemption is to regain something that was formerly lost. It is the paying of a ransom in order to retrieve someone who has been taken captive. Redemption involves recovery, vindication, and absolution.

As we receive the redemption of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we experience all of the benefits that come with that faith. Absolution means that we are cleared of all guilt, obligation, and punishment as a result of our sin. Today’s passage speaks of this wonderful redemption and refers to it as eternal redemption.

We have a choice as to what we believe about redemption. There is eternal redemption, as spoken of in our passage, secured by Jesus’ blood on the cross for all who believe or we can view redemption as a combination of Jesus’ redemptive work and something else that we add. This is the view that says, “We must trust in Jesus for our salvation and then we must…(fill in the blank).” This would not be eternal redemption rather this is conditional redemption. This would be the type of redemption that has not been secured by Christ rather it is a spiritual position that must be earned.

I wonder how many people who claim to be believers in Christ actually believe that their redemption is dependent on their performance in this life? The idea of conditional redemption can be seen in all of the works-based religious systems and philosophies. But our passage describes a redemption that was wholly accomplished by Christ and requires no additional effort on our part. It is for those who will simply believe (trust) in Christ for their salvation. Consider this passage in The Amplified Bible: 

He went once for all into the Holy Place [the Holy of Holies of heaven, into the presence of God], and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, having obtained and secured eternal redemption [that is, the salvation of all who personally believe in Him as Savior].

                                                                                                       Hebrews 9:12 (AMP) 

This message of good news could not be expressed with any more clarity. Yet, there are believers who live daily without any kind of security and for some of these believers, they do not know where they stand in relation to their eternal position in Christ. They are, in effect, unaware of their identity in Christ and, by extension, their standing with God. I believe this is what Paul was saying as he warned those who were combining Jesus’ atoning sacrifice with works of the Law:

You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 

                                                                                                            Galatians 5:4 

The work of redemption on the cross of Jesus Christ includes absolution. This is the idea that all guilt, obligation, and punishment for our sin has already been paid and that vindication has come to those who believe. This point cannot be overstated. To ignore the completed work of Jesus on the cross by adding works is to completely ignore the reality that Jesus has secured eternal redemption for “everyone who believes.” Otherwise, our redemption would not be secured and it certainly would not be eternal.

The idea of conditional redemption undercuts the security and confidence that all believers in Jesus Christ should possess (2 Corinthians 3:4-6). Conversely, understanding and receiving eternal redemption by placing our faith in Jesus as the sole means for our salvation will mean that we can proclaim with Paul: 

…for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

                                                                                                            2 Timothy 1:12b