Redemption In Christ - PM
Redemption In Christ
(Ephesians 1:1-7)
Introduction:
The apostle Paul, a Jewish Rabbi convert to Christianity, has been overjoyed
With the spiritual blessings that has been granted him and all that believe
That he takes time to write to the Christians in Asia
Wanting them to know who they are in Christ Jesus and the blessings they have.
Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wants us to know
That when you are in Christ Jesus, you are somebody
And he wants you to know that all spiritual blessings are yours in the heavenly places.
And the reason these blessings are yours is because you have been “Redeemed”
By the blood of Jesus Christ.
And when you have been washed by the blood of Christ, you can sing with the hymnist:
“Sweet is the song I am singing today, I’m redeemed.”
“Trouble and sorrow have vanished away, I have been redeemed.”
So, Paul, as a prisoner in his own home (Acts 28:30), writes to the Christians
At Ephesus, and we called it the book of Ephesians.
Now, this letter was so important, that it did not just go to the church at Ephesus
But it went to all the churches in Asia. It was a circular letter.
It was such a powerful letter that in some of the oldest manuscripts,
The phrase “at Ephesus,” is not in there.
And if you were reading this from some of the old manuscripts
Where Paul says… (verse 1 – to the saints who are at Ephesus…)
That was blank.
This was a circular letter, you would put in the name of the congregation where you were.
Point:
To church at (Ephesus, Smryna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea)
This was a letter that Paul wanted every child of God to read.
Because this letter tells you who you are in Christ Jesus.
And one of the things it tells us, is we are redeemed by the blood of Christ.
And because you have been redeemed, all spiritual blessings are yours
And Paul says, this is a good reason that you should praise almighty God.
In fact, Paul writes about the spiritual blessings and the redemption
Through the blood of Christ being so intrinsically connected
That when you actually read verse 3 through 14 in the Greek text
All those verses are actually one sentence.
The blessings are intrinsically connected to our redemption.
And the blessings are…
Spiritual, not Material
Heavenly, not Earthly
Eternal, not Temporary
And they are ours, in the heavenly places
Read: Ephesians 1:1-7
What Paul wants us to appreciate is at one time we were all servants to sin.
(Sin) –
The missing of the mark
That transgression of the law
That disease in which we have no cure
That ugliness that God does not like
(Reference) – Isaiah (64:6) Your righteousness (best) as filthy rags
You cannot be covered by your own righteousness,
But you need to be covered by the righteousness from above.
Point:
And when you are trying to be saved by works, you are establishing your own righteousness.
And your righteousness will not cover your sins.
It is going to take sinless blood to cover your sins.
You have to have the right covering to cover your sins.
Even from the beginning, you had to have the right covering.
Illustration: (Story of the fall) / Trying to cover ourselves
(Genesis 3:7 (they sewed fig leaves) / Genesis 3:21 (God made skins)
Take off your fig leaves. God has His own covering.
Question:
So, how do we get this covering that comes from God?
How do we obtain this covering that hides our shame (pardons our sins?)
How do we receive this covering that causes us to be justified in God’s sight?
Well, the way you stand justified (clothed/covered) before God
Is by the blood of Christ.
(Reference) – Romans 3:21-24 (…through the redemption which is in Christ)
Point:
That’s why Paul says in Ephesians 1:7
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace…”
So, what does it mean to be redeemed in Christ?
(Define) – Redemption – to be bought back / purchased out of
Illustration: Slave market (bought out of slavery)
Somebody has to pay the price to buy us out of the slave market.
Point:
Right after man sinned, God instituted the killing of animals.
(That’s how God made the skins) – He killed animals.
Blood had to be shed
And the shedding of the blood was a (type/figure) of a time
When Christ would shed His own blood for the sin of the world.
So, when nobody can pay the price, God pays the price.
Jesus redeemed us. Bought us back.
We are twice the Lord’s.
Story: Little boy made a boat / lost it / bought it back
(Boy) – You are twice mine. (Mine, because I made you/bought you.)
We are twice the Lord’s
We are His because He made us. And we are His because He purchased us.
Bought us out of sin. He has delivered us from darkness
Translated us into the kingdom of His own Son.
Conclusion:
(Reference) – Ephesians 1:7 (Redemption)
We are redeemed through the blood of Christ.
And it is through His blood…
That I can stand with my sins covered
That I receive a pardon from my sins (not because I am innocent)
That I am brought near to God
That I have access to all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places
And I don’t have to ask for the blessings. God’s already given them to me.
I just need to utilize the access and power that I have in Christ Jesus.
Story: Hetty Green
Hetty Green died in 1916 and left an estate valued at over $100 million.
She ate cold oatmeal because it cost money to heat it.
Her son had a leg amputated, because she was looking for a free clinic.
She was wealthy, but she chose to live like a pauper.
Strange? Certainly!
Crazy? Perhaps, but you could not prove it.
Foolishly, she hastened her own death with a apoplexy attach
While arguing about the value of drinking skimmed milk!
Hetty Green is the picture of too many Christians today.
You have unlimited wealth at your disposal, and yet you live like paupers.
But In Christ, I have access to ALL Spiritual Blessings in the Heavens
Because I have been Redeemed By The Blood of Jesus.