The Blessing of Redemption

Introduction

Review last week:

Election. God choosing.

For Holiness

Out of Love

To be sons

READ Ephesians 1:6–10 “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”

Now, we see the perspective of God the Son in Salvation. (v. 7-10)

How many know this: Salvation is an act of the Trinity. I know we do not preach on the Trinity very often. However, we should take the time to acknowledge that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Therefore, in salvation, all three persons of the Trinity are working in unity with one another. We covered God the Father’s role. Now, we see Paul give credence to the role of God the Son in salvation.

His role as Paul describes here can be boiled down to one, singular word: Redemption.

The role of Jesus Christ in our salvation is that He redeemed us.

By way of introduction, I want to define this word because it if of the upmost importance.

Redemption: the act of exchanging one thing for another (specifically for the purpose of paying a debt)

i.e. This word was used in Roman government in the “slave trade” (a very popular industry).

20 million slaves, and if one wanted freedom, it required a relative to bring the master money, and purchase the slave, then legally set him free.

Redemption can be demonstrated this way: The story of the little boy and the boat. (Little boy built model boat, lost it in water. Saw it later in the store, had to come back and buy it. “You are twice mine now, for I have made you AND I have bought you.”

That’s exactly what Jesus has done for us! We see that in what Paul is describing here...

I. The Beloved of Redemption

v. 6

v. 6 refers to Him as “the Beloved”. Who is this? Jesus (what a place to start!)

Matthew 3:17 “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus’s role as the Beloved Son of God is to be the “Redeemer” as stated in His name...

Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

His name is (Yeshua) in the original, it is the same name we see in the OT “Joshua”. His name is literally that of the “redeemer”. His entirely defined purpose is to be the savior of His people.

It must be known to us that Jesus is the one doing the redeeming. His entire purpose and goal for coming into the world was that very thing.

For us to have a complete picture of what Christ did for us, the OT provides for us many types and shadows of Jesus’s work on the Cross.

One of the best shadows is the role of the “kinsman-redeemer” (The kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who, according to various laws of the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need.)

The story of Ruth and Boaz begins when Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, return to Bethlehem from Moab where they had been living. Naomi’s husband and both sons, one the husband of Ruth, had died, leaving the women penniless and without a male protector. Upon arriving in Bethlehem, Naomi sends Ruth to glean in the fields of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Naomi to whom they, through a series of divinely appointed circumstances, appeal to as their “redeemer.” Boaz gladly accepts, and willingly takes Ruth as his wife, and together they bear a son named Obed who became the grandfather of David, the forefather of Jesus.

In Ruth 3:9 (“And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.” ), here we see a beautiful picture of the needy lady, unable to rescue herself, requesting of the kinsman-redeemer that he cover her with his protection, redeem her, and make her his wife. In the same way, the Lord Jesus Christ bought us for Himself, out of the curse, out of our destitution; made us His own beloved bride; and blessed us for all generations.

Jesus is the true kinsman-redeemer of all who call on Him in faith.

This is what Paul is describing for us!

II. The Blood of Redemption

v. 7 - “through His blood...”

We see the “what” of what Christ did… but just as important is the “how”.

God did not just step into time and space and snap His fingers to declare all those trusting in Him as righteous. To do so would have violated His own righteous holiness and justice. Because all the sin committed by you and I STILL needed to be paid for by someone.

If it were left unpunished, that would violate who God is as a perfect, righteous, holy judge.

Therefore, to reconcile us back to Himself, there had to be someone punished for our sins.

We see types of this in the OT, with the sacrificial system - The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)…

The people of Israel would bring their sacrifices to the Tabernacle/Temple. The Priests would slaughter these animals, and the blood would be collected. Then, one of the final pieces of that ceremony would be the “scapegoat.”

The priest would take two goats, one would be slaughtered and his blood would be places on the alter as a sacrifice. Then, the other would be grabbed by the head and the blood of the sacrifice would be placed upon him. This was done to symbolically show Israel’s sins being placed on this animal. Then, that goat would be taken out to the backside of the desert, so far that he could never return, and let loose. This goat was Israel’s “escape goat”.

Now, we see two-thousand years removed from the Cross that this was a picture and shadow of what was to take place through the life of Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who was without spot or blemish - He never sinned. It was Jesus who was the sacrificial lamb - He was slayed for our sins. It was Jesus who took upon Himself the sin of the world - not a picture or a shadow… no, Jesus was the substance.

What we see on the Cross is a culmination of thousands of years worth of shadows and types played out through laws and ceremonies, now the real thing has come. It was never the blood of bulls and goats that could save man from his sins, only by the precious blood of Jesus can anyone be saved.

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

1 Peter 1:18–19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

We will sing this song with the angels, but the best part is ours because we are “twice his,” having been created by him and then being redeemed by his blood!

III. The Benefits of Redemption

v. 7-9

The foremost of the benefits or blessing that arise out of the ashes of Christ’s sacrifice for us is forgiveness.

On the “Day of Atonement”, Israel would symbolically have their sins atoned for - however, that was only temporary for one calendar year.

Once the year was up, they had to do it all over again.

However, when Christ came, that practice completely ceased. When He cried on the Cross, “tetelestai” “It is finished.” He meant it!

Not another drop of blood needed to be spilled for the forgiveness of sin. Complete and total forgiveness lies within the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Some religions practice things weekly that they think “reinstate” their forgiveness each week. (Eucharist)

This is not necessary, Christ only had to die one time, and that one time was sufficient.

1 John 2:12 “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.”

Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Colossians 2:13 “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

Therefore, we have worth before God. Is there anything I did or do to deserve God’s goodness to me? Absolutely not.

Because of the free forgiveness of sin, God accepts every believer as His own son. Therefore, we ought to accept ourselves in this way as well.

There is victory in Christ - we are children of God, we ought to live with that attitude and disposition about ourselves. Our Father is the King of Glory, and we have something to feel good about.

Not only has he bestowed forgiveness to us, but also discernment.

If forgiveness is what God takes away, then discernment is what God gives to us in redemption.

v. 7 “wisdom and prudence” (understanding)

How many can agree? “I need a little wisdom in my life”

Quote: “Wisdom is the knowledge which sees to the heart of things, which knows them as they really are … understanding [is that] which leads to right action.”

God, in His mercy, has not only given us forgiveness and then just said, “ok go out and brace the world to your own devices with no guidance or help.” No, God doesn’t desire for us to be ignorant of the treasures of this life in Him. God in His love, has equipped us with the tools to procure a life that is honoring to Him.

He’s given us means of grace to grow in grace and renew our minds as the days go by: His Word, prayer, fellowship of believers, worship, preaching, singing, outreach, all these things are graces that God has given to each of us in our walk.

IV. The Basis of Redemption

v. 9-10

Why has God done so much for us? Why has He blessed us with every spiritual blessing? Why has He chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, made us holy, adopted us as sons, redeemed us through His blood, lavishly endowed unto us His forgiveness, and even imparted unto us a measure of wisdom and prudence to understand Him deeper?

The answer is so that in the culmination of all of these things, He can gather all things unto Himself.

What is all of this driving toward? The ultimate culmination of the glory of Christ - His Kingdom.

The time of the “gathering” spoken here is the Kingdom of Christ, the Millennial Kingdom. The thing that Jesus is coming back to set up. That is the “dispensation” or administration of the “fulness of time”.

The Kingdom of Christ is what all of the wheels of history are churning toward.

This is the time and season where everything, the world, history, every thing in itself will come to a close.

Philippians 2:10–11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Hebrews 1:8–13 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?”

Satan will be destroyed (John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” )

Revelation 20:3 “And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

He is coming to separate the sheep from the goats, the just from the unjust, and ultimately the saved from the lost. This is a watershed issue, you either fall on one side or the other. You will die one day, and you will either die in Christ or outside of Him. My message to you this morning is this, get in the ark, look upon the serpent-staff, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the Bridegroom is coming, and just as He warned in Matt. 25, we do not know the day nor the hours. So, we must be ready for His return at any minute.

Put your faith in Jesus today, and all of these things will be added unto you.