Redemption before and after

Though God exists outside of time, along the timeline He established when He created the cosmos including the earth and created man on it there was a specific point in time when He accomplished the redemption, the payment of the sin-price, in saving those He had decided to save, here called “the elect”. The point, as recorded in Jn 19.30, was when Jesus, on the cross, proclaimed “it is finished!”

Before redemption:

• God deferred the punishment of the sins committed by the elect (Rm 3.25).
• Separation from God was emphasized, such as at Mt. Sinai (Ex 19.18-24, 24.2; Dt 5.4-5, 5.22-27), and through the Mosaic Law which established a single place Israelites were obligated to go to in order to present offerings and sacrifices to the Lord (Dt 12.5-7, 12.10-14, 12.26-27, 16.2, 26.2).

After redemption:

• God completed the punishment of all the sins of the elect, past and future, by Christ’s single, once-for-all sacrifice. Rm 3.24, 6.10; Heb 9.24-28
• Those redeemed[ Note 1], after being regenerated by God and consequently responding by faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, have personal access to God enthroned in Heaven (Heb 4.16).

Note 1: A brief description of being “redeemed” is this: being justified by God judicially considering a person’s guilt paid by Christ’s death and giving them credit for Christ’s perfectly meritorious life (2 Cor 5.21, 1 Pet 3.18); consequently considering that person blameless (Eph 1.4, Col 1.22), adopting them as His child (Rm 8.14-17, Gal 4.5), viewing them as held closely in His and Christ’s grasp (Jn 10.28-19), guaranteeing them permanent continuous benefit of His love (Rm 8.37-39), and thus given them personal access to Himself enthroned in Heaven (Heb 4.16).