Redeemed

1Peter 1:17-18 And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers 

‘And if you call on the Father …’ if you call on God through Christ and profess to be obedient children, pass your time here in reverence and fear.

‘Without respect of persons’ God cannot be anything but infinitely impartial in His dealings with all men. He cannot prefer one above another nor bless one above another when all meet the same terms and love Him with all the heart. The seeming preference of God between two men is based upon the attitude and disposition of the men toward God and conformity to His plan. Naturally, God cannot bless two men the same when one is in obedience and the other in rebellion. God will bless the ones more who conform more fully to His holiness as He is allowed in their lives to do to them according to His will.

Here it is clear that all judgment of God will be according to every man’s work (1Pet. 1:17; Matt. 16:27).

‘Redeemed’ the Greek word lutroo meaning to procure the life of a captive or a slave by paying a price (Heb. 9:12). The price here is not silver and gold, but the precious blood of Christ (1Pet. 1:18-19; Matt. 26:28; Eph. 1:14; Col. 1:20; Acts 20:28). Silver and gold, the most valuable medium of commerce among men, bear no proportion in their value to the souls of men to be redeemed. Nothing but the precious blood of Christ could pay the ransom price for the soul.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:13-14). The blessing of Abraham was that of being justified by faith, of having God as a friend to the extent that a whole nation was healed by prayer (Gen. 20), and of having all the good things of this life that could come to a human being through the gospel (Gal. 3:69).

‘Vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers’ empty, foolish, unprofitable and vain traditions and rituals. The Jews had added innumerable religious burdens and empty ceremonies which they held to be essential to salvation and handed down to generations, much like people do today in keeping religious activities (traditions Matt. 7, 15:9; Col. 2:8) because they believe it to be what a Christian should live according to, instead of the obedience to God’s Word to be a doer of the Word (Jas. 1:21-25) who lives without sin (Rom. 6; 1Pet. 2:21-23; 1John 3).