The word redemption is a religious awareness referring to mercy and forgiveness for sins committed by individuals. Individuals are also protected from damnation and dishonor after they are redeemed through accepting Jesus as the path to the beginning of a new life-redemption. Christians use these conceptions, redemption and salvation, interchangeably. Christians define this concept, redemption, as the deliverance of Christians from sin (Osborn, 1993). Redemption was made achievable when the son of God (Jesus Christ) died and resurrected to mark the beginning of a fresh era free of sinners and sin since one had a chance of asking for mercy and forgiveness.
The book of Isaiah 53, it says that he has taken away our diseases and borne our infirmities, but we accounted him incapacitated, struck down by God, and afflicted. He was ill-treated for our transgressions, trodden for our iniquities; upon him was the sentence that made us in one piece, and by his bruises we were healed. This explains the reason why Jesus had to die (Lagrange. 1938). He had to die so as to fulfill the will of the lord since the people had abandoned the Lord-Hosea 1.
Jesus engages in a conversation with Cleopas where he learns that the inhabitants had hopes in him to redeem Israel- Luke 24:13. Christopher Wright says, ‘‘religious conviction does not save anybody, but God does; ’’ other religious are not clear on how this concept-redemption- is achieved because they do not tell the story of God on how he has done to save people. ‘The distinctive mania about Christianity as a religion is that it explains how God accomplishes this objective –God’s saving work in Jesus.
The gospel of Jesus Christ declines that anyone can be saved in any other way except by Jesus Christ and his gospel-Article five of the 1999 declaration. The bible is firm that no one will be saved without individual conviction in Jesus-even genuine worshipers of other religions will not be saved without personal faith in Christ. It is clear that redemption can only be achieved through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is used as a path towards redemption, but religions cannot bestow this concept to someone (Osborn, 1993)
How the above views help in shaping the understandings of justice and mercy.
Many believe that a life of good works by striving to live as Christ would have us live. This has contributed incalculably in the creation of a world that is friendly to live in since evil activities are extremely curbed and not given a chance to survive. Redemption has contributed a lot in creating awareness on the importance of understandings justice and violence.
Christians believe that, no man knows the father except through the son (Mt 11:27). This means that the only link to God is Jesus Christ.
Fackenheim believes that we must cling to God’s mercy because then we can hope that mercy can be awakened. We celebrate not only festive occasions but also the disasters avert all so that mercy is brought forth. God’s mercy is brought forth in our thought and lives, not by guilt but through praise of that mercy. Our Christian life is aggravated by the mercy, the loveliness of God.
The understanding of justice and mercy has improved tremendously - people have come to appreciate and learn the benefits of practicing these concepts (Lagrange, 1938). People can Cleary differentiate the correct from wrong, value for existence and justice, mercy and forgiveness. We should be geared up to forgive those who wrong us and be merciful unto them since God sacrificed Jesus so as our sins could be cleansed through him (Osborn, 1993). If God took this path, who are we not to do the same? We should show mercy to our neighbors as God did. People have become aware of the consequences that come a long when you do something right or wrong. If you don’t accept Jesus as the savior of your life, then get prepared for the Day of Judgment since justice will be of paramount importance. This helps in stressing the importance of justice for all, thereby creating a society that is free of crime. It is clear that the religious view of redemption and Jesus has helped a lot in shaping the understandings of justice and mercy (Lagrange, 1938). One gets to learn of what is expected of him after receiving Jesus Christ in his/life (Osborn, 1993).
Works cited
Lagrange, Marie. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Westminster, Md.: Newman Bookshop, 1938. Print.
Osborn, Eric Francis. The emergence of Christian theology. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1993. Print.
