Redemption (theology)

Redemption is an essential concept in many religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The term implies that something has been paid for or bought back, like a slave who has been set free through the payment of a ransom. Salvation in Christianity Redeemer (Christianity) In Christian theology, redemption (Απολύτρωσης) refers to the deliverance of Christians from sin and its consequences. Christians believe that all people are born into a state of sin and separation from God, and that redemption is a necessary part of salvation in order to obtain eternal life. Leon Morris says that "Paul uses the concept of redemption primarily to speak of the saving significance of the death of Christ." In the New Testament, redemption and related words are used to refer both to deliverance from sin and to freedom from captivity. In Christian theology, redemption is a metaphor for what is achieved through the atonement; therefore, there is a metaphorical sense in which the death of Jesus pays the price of a ransom, releasing Christians from bondage to sin and death. Most evangelical Protestant theologians and denominations reject Origen's argument that God paid the ransom price of redemption to Satan. The term salvation refers to the overall process of being saved, which includes redemption especially but also encompasses other aspects of the Christian faith such as sanctification and glorification. A concept similar to redemption in Indian religions is called prāyaścitta, which is not related to the theological sense of sin, but to expiation and personal liberation from guilt or sin. However the end goal of a being is moksha or liberation from karma, resulting in the end of the cycle of birth and death. By attaining moksha, the Atma (self or soul) merges back into Paramatma (God), just as a wave merges back into the ocean. Pratikramana Like other Indian religions, redemption is more closely related to expiation, but also expects absolution. Pratikramana (lit.