In Colossians 1:4, How Are Redemption and Forgiveness Connected?

Summary

---

Grace in Focus – Episode Summary

Episode: In Colossians 1:4, How Are Redemption and Forgiveness Connected?
Date: June 24, 2026
Hosts: Katharine Wright & Ken Yates
Length: 13 minutes

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the distinction and connection between “redemption” and “forgiveness” in Colossians 1:14, aiming to clarify important theological terms central to justification and sanctification within Free Grace Theology. Hosts Katharine Wright and Ken Yates answer a question from listener Bo, unpacking the nuanced relationship between these two biblical concepts, why these distinctions matter, and how understanding them shapes Christian assurance, sanctification, and daily living.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Question and the Importance of Distinction

• [00:59] The question from Bo, originating in a GES Zoom class: Are redemption and forgiveness in Colossians 1:14 the same or different, and how are they connected?
• Main Insight: "These are not the same thing. In the New Testament, redemption means to be set free." — Ken Yates [02:45]
• Katharine: GES emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between justification, eternal life, redemption, and forgiveness. “They are different benefits and they are different words. They mean different things in their context.” [03:24]

2. Contextual Meaning of Redemption and Forgiveness

• Redemption:

  • Defined as being set free by the payment of a price, with an analogy to slaves being set free in the U.S. through payment.
  • “Redemption means I was enslaved to something and a price was paid to set me free.” — Ken Yates [05:00]
  • In Colossians, redemption refers specifically to being set free from the power of sin in the present, not just future salvation.

• Forgiveness:

  • Primarily related to fellowship with God (cf. 1 John 1:9), not merely judicial acquittal.
  • "When we receive forgiveness, we have fellowship with God... our sins are forgiven as believers, then we receive the forgiveness of sins and we have fellowship with God." — Ken Yates [07:03]

• Distinction:

  • Redemption: Set free from enslavement (the power of sin, now).
  • Forgiveness: Restored fellowship with God, sins are not counted against the believer.

3. Why the Distinction Matters

• [04:47] Some may accuse this of “slicing the baloney too thin,” but the hosts stress the significance for interpreting key Scriptures and for the believer's practical life.
• “If this is not dealing with how I’m saved from the lake of fire, but I look at it like, ‘Oh, he’s just telling me how to go to heaven,’ then I’m gonna miss what he’s telling me as a believer. What happened to me right now?” — Ken Yates [07:49]

4. Practical Application & Biblical Context

• Romans 6 Parallel:

  • “This is a big discussion in Romans, chapter six, where Paul says, you’re enslaved to it, but you’ve been set free in Christ.” — Ken Yates [09:09]
  • Redeemed believers are no longer slaves to sin and thus can live victoriously.

• Analogy for Clarification:

  • Judge analogy: A judge sparing someone from execution (eternal life), paying their bail (redemption), and adopting them (fellowship)—each is a distinct act. [10:40]

5. Implications for Christian Life

• Sanctification:
  • “Because of that, we can live a victorious Christian life.” — Katharine Wright [10:05]
  • Not all believers do walk in this freedom, but all have been set free from sin’s power in their “inner man.”
  • “Every believer has the new inner man and he has been set free from the power of sin... The forgiveness of sins is something different.” — Ken Yates [12:16]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:24] Katharine Wright: “We strive to have these conversations where we’re making distinctions... They are different benefits and they are different words.”
• [05:00] Ken Yates: “Redemption means I was enslaved to something and a price was paid to set me free.”
• [07:03] Ken Yates: “When we receive forgiveness, we have fellowship with God.”
• [09:09] Ken Yates: “He broke the power of sin. If we are united with him as believers, we have been set free from that slavery.”
• [10:05] Katharine Wright: “Because of that, we can live a victorious Christian life.”
• [12:16] Ken Yates: “Every believer has the new inner man and he has been set free from the power of sin. The forgiveness of sins is something different.”

---

Important Timestamps

• 00:59 — Introduction of listener question about Colossians 1:14
• 02:45 — Distinction established: redemption ≠ forgiveness
• 03:24 — Importance of defining theological terms and context
• 05:00 — Explanation of “redemption,” historical analogy
• 07:03 — Forgiveness, fellowship, and 1 John 1:9
• 09:09 — Romans 6 parallel: power over sin
• 10:40 — Judge analogy to explain distinctions
• 12:16 — Implication for believers: inner man set free
• 12:39 — Call to “search the scriptures” and reflect

---

Conclusion

The episode affirms that redemption and forgiveness, while deeply related in Christ’s work, carry distinct meanings. Redemption in Colossians 1:14 is not simply forgiveness “restated,” but refers specifically to freedom from the power of sin. Forgiveness concerns restored fellowship with God. By understanding these distinctions, believers gain both assurance and clarity to live in the freedom Christ provides, grounded in the nuanced teaching of Scripture and Free Grace Theology.

---

Transcript

[Ken Yates]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace evangelical society.

[Radio Host]

Colossians 1:14 mentions forgiveness and redemption. What is the connection? Are they the same or distinct? What is Paul describing in this verse? Reverend Friend, we thank you for joining us right here on Grace in Focus. This is a radio broadcast and podcast ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org you can read and research many of our thousands of articles at that website. Also information about our magazine, our bookstore and our online seminary. Make sure and watch our videos also at YouTube grace evangelicalsociety. Once again, our website faithalone.org and now with today's question and answer discussion, here are Katharine Wright and Ken Yates.

[Katharine Wright]

And we have a question from BO today. Right?

[Ken Yates]

Yes, and I just want to put a plug in. This comes from ges, has a couple Zoom classes during the week. I don't know how many. We got some that are like, concentrate on the ladies. And then we have some that's just for anybody who wants free for all. Right? So if you're interested in attending a Bible study with GRACE folks, contact the office and they'll probably have you get in contact with us and we'll give you the times you have a three or four options during the week. So just let us know. And this question came up on one of our Zoom classes and it was from Bo. It deals with Colossians, chapter one, verse 14. Now, it's not a complete sentence here, verse 14, but Paul says, in whom talking about Christ, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. And the question is, what does Paul mean by those two things, redemption and forgiveness? And how are they connected? Because some would read this and conclude, well, they're the same thing. Yeah, we have redemption through his blood. And some might add, that is the forgiveness of sins. And the Greek phrase is what we call appositional. You state something and then you say it again. And a lot of people think that if something is an apposition, it's just another way of saying it. So is the forgiveness of sins the same thing as redemption?

[Katharine Wright]

No.

[Ken Yates]

And that's exactly right. And that was Beau's question, because those are not the same thing. In the New Testament, redemption means to be set free. Go ahead.

[Katharine Wright]

Well, yeah, I think to back up just a little bit more, this is something that we at GES try to. We strive to have these conversations where we're making distinctions, right? We're trying to show that justification is not the same thing as receiving eternal life. And receiving eternal life is not the same thing as Redemption. And redemption is. Is not the same thing as forgiveness of sins. We're trying to make these distinctions because they are different benefits and they are different words.

[Ken Yates]

Right.

[Katharine Wright]

They mean different things in their context. And so. And the reason, you know, and some people are going to accuse us of maybe slicing the baloney too thin here, but it does matter, because a. Just defining our terms is significant. But when you get into certain passages and we see, like Bob Wilkin, our boss, wrote his book on the 10 most misunderstood words. And the word salvation, for example, is one you hear us speak about a lot where it depends on the context. And it matters because sometimes that salvation, the word is being used and it's conditional. So that's a distinction.

[Ken Yates]

If we hold fast.

[Katharine Wright]

Yeah. If we hold fast or. Yeah. Or women are saved in childbearing or, you know, there's a million examples. And so these nuances matter. But also, just to see the full scope of what Christmas death does for us.

[Ken Yates]

Yeah. Because these things are both said to be the result of his death.

[Katharine Wright]

Right.

[Ken Yates]

So this is important stuff.

[Katharine Wright]

It's extremely important. And I guess maybe just one more just foundational thought in my mind is that Christ's death did more than atone for our sins. It also is the basis for which, when we believe in him for eternal life, we receive that, but also everything else flows from that sanctification truth. And that is where we're headed with here. And so this is not just all saying the same thing.

[Ken Yates]

Yeah. And we would challenge all of our listeners. Just. Just go to Colossians 1:14. You may never have thought of this before. Is Paul just repeating himself? Yeah, you've been redeemed.

[Katharine Wright]

You're going to heaven.

[Ken Yates]

And certainly that's the way many people in evangelical churches would look at this. Right. Redeemed. Redeemed. How I love to proclaim it. You know, I'm going to go to heaven. My sins have been forgiven. I'm going to go to heaven. And so this is just Paul. Just what? Just saying it in different ways. But as Bo asked and our Zoom class, we discussed this. That's not what's going on here. To be redeemed is the word, means to be. Now here it's the noun. The verb does occur in Titus 2 and First Peter as well. The verb does. But here it's the noun. Redemption means I was enslaved to something and a price was paid to set me free. Okay. I mean, probably in the United States, we've all heard stories of back when slavery was legal. You. You hear that? There were slaves, for example, that were able to earn money and they bought their freedom or, or their slave owner paid for them to be set free or whatever the case may be. That's what the word redeemed means or redemption here. Okay, so Paul says, in Christ's death, we have redemption, we have been set

[Katharine Wright]

free, which is different from receiving eternal

[Ken Yates]

life, and it's also different from the forgiveness of sins.

[Katharine Wright]

Right?

[Radio Host]

We will return to our program content shortly, but we're taking this break to let you know that Grace and Focus is shortly going to be transitioning to digital delivery only. We've appreciated this fine radio station, and being part of its lineup has been a privilege indeed. But we're going to say goodbye to this time slot and make room for another ministry right here. You can continue to listen to Grace in Focus. Just pick the time of day anytime 247 and find us on Spotify, Apple, and many other podcast outlets.

[Ken Yates]

GES has done a fair amount of work where we argue that the forgiveness of sins deals with fellowship with God. That when we receive forgiveness, we have fellowship with God. For example, in First John 1:9, if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And earlier he talked about our fellowship is with the Father. And, and so when we confess our sins, our sins are forgiven as believers, then we receive the forgiveness of sins and we have fellowship with God. But here, the forgiveness of sins, if it deals with fellowship with God, Paul is saying, when we believed in him, we receive the forgiveness of sins, we are in fellowship with God. Well, that's not the same thing as being set free. So what is it that Paul is describing here? And as Katherine just said a few minutes ago, the reason this is important is, first of all, if this is not dealing with how I'm saved from the lake of fire, but I look at it like, oh, he's just telling me how to go to heaven, then I'm gonna miss what he's telling me as a believer. What happened to me right now, right now I have redemption as a believer. I have been redeemed right now, and I have been forgiven of my sins. And let's just use those two definitions that I talked about just a minute ago. Is Paul saying that I've been set free from something. When I believed in Jesus, I was set free from something. And I'll just tell you right now what I'm almost positive he means is I've been set free from the power of Sin, I no longer have to serve it. That's not telling me I'm going to heaven. That's telling me that if I am a believer in Jesus Christ, if there's anybody who's listening this, and you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you have redemption. The price has been paid for you to be set free from slavery to

[Katharine Wright]

sin here and now.

[Ken Yates]

Here and now. And this is a big discussion in Romans, chapter six, where Paul says, you're enslaved to it, but you've been set free in Christ. And matter of fact, he uses some of the same terminology that he uses in Colossians about being free, circumcised, and being baptized into Christ. And so let me just summarize what I think he means by that. That when Christ died upon the cross, because he talks about his blood, he broke the power of sin. He died on the cross because of sin, but when he rose, he broke the power of sin. And if we are united with him as believers, we have been set free from that slavery. Just like I gave the example, someone purchasing a slave, we have been purchased here and now.

[Katharine Wright]

And because of that, we can live a victorious Christian life.

[Ken Yates]

Right. And if you look In Colossians chapter 1, that is the context here. In Colossians chapter 1, verse 10, it says that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, and then he goes on being fruitful in every good work. Well, how can I do that? Because I've been redeemed. I've been set free from the power of sin. I no longer have to serve it.

[Katharine Wright]

So is it fair? I mean, all analogies break down to some point. But I've heard analogies similar to this, where the idea of, let's say, you know, you have a criminal and he comes before the judge, that judge could save his life, saying, okay, let's say it's a death sentence. Okay, you won't be killed. But then let's say that judge then puts down the money in order to release you from prison itself. That would be a separate thing.

[Ken Yates]

Right.

[Katharine Wright]

And then let's say that judge then took you home and adopted you. That would be a separate thing. We're trying to make distinctions. And so, yes, the moment you believe in Jesus for eternal life, you receive eternal life, you're gonna live forever. But in addition to that, he also paid the price for you to be set free from the power of sin as you now live.

[Ken Yates]

Right. And I would take it a step further. He's talking about what we would call the inner man. Yes, the inner man no longer serves sin. When Paul says, when I sin, it's not me doing it, it's not who I seed. Yeah, the seed that's within me. When you became a believer, you were set free from the power of sin. If you want to use the word new nature, I don't think that's really the biblical way of doing it. But the inner man, whatever it is, you can walk. We'll say walk by the spirit that now dwells within you. You've been set free. You've been set free.

[Katharine Wright]

That doesn't mean you will. That's right, because that's important to distinction. Not all believers will, but they have the ability.

[Ken Yates]

Right. Every believer has the new inner man and he has been set free from the power of sin. The forgiveness of sins is something different. The forgiveness of sins is when I believed in Jesus Christ, all my past sins have been forgiven and now I'm in fellowship with God. So there's a distinction there.

[Katharine Wright]

Yeah.

[Ken Yates]

Hopefully this causes our listeners to search the scriptures to see what is the difference between redemption and the forgiveness of. Well, we hope you enjoyed it. And until we have our next episode, remember, keep grace.

[Radio Host]

We invite you to check out our Monday, Wednesday and Friday five minute YouTube videos at YouTube Grace Evangelical Society. You will love the content and learn a lot. Maybe you've got a question or comment or feedback. If so, please send us a message. Here's our email address. It's radioaithalone.org that's radioaithalone.org Please make sure your question is as succinct and clear as possible. That would be a great big help on our next episode. What is replacement theology and how does the Old Testament disprove it? Come back and join us again. And in the meantime, let's keep grace in focus.

[Ken Yates]

The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.