We Are the Redeemed

INTRODUCTION

Illustration: Have you ever had a debt that was wiped clean because someone else Paid it in full?

Last Saturday Justin and I after we dropped our kids off for Adventureland went through the McDonalds drive up- We ordered coffee and a couple sandwiches. They voice over the speaker said _ that will be $9.28 Please pull up tot he window. We had a debt to pay. It was held against our account . We owed McD for our breakfast. We drove up and went to hand the teller our money and she said your debt has already been paid in Full, Somebody already paid what you owe. your breakfast is free. We didn’t do anything to earn that payment. But someone Out of their own kindness, who was in line in front of us decided to pay our debt. ,because they chose to.

We had nothing to do with that decision. In fact we weren’t even part of the decision process. We were just the recipients of someone else’s grace.

In eternity past- before the foundation of the earth was even established, God the Father Sovereignly planned for the church.

He began the act of saving lost sinners before the earth was even created.

He Chose you, in Christ, to be blameless and holy like He is holy.

and He predestined you to be adopted into His family that comes with an eternal inheritance.

Last week we walked through this in Ephesians 1:4-6

Ephesians 1:4-6 he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved

Not only did God the father begin the work of our salvation, But in verse 3 we see that He also chose to give His followers every spiritual blessing before any of us were ever on this earth.

This means that all of God’s favor has already been given to us in its entirety.

All of God’’s grace is already upon us,

and all of God’s blessings are already ours.

This means that we do not have to earn God’s favor in order to receive His blessings in our life.

He has already Given us every spiritual blessing.

Our favor with God is NOT dependent on our actions in this life, because He has already given us every spiritual blessing, and if God has already given us everything there is nothing left for us to earn.

God the Father Planned the Church

Transition: And now we move from eternity past - where God takes His plan and puts it into motion through the life and death of His Son Jesus Christ.

BIG IDEA: God the Son Redeemed the Church.

“Ephesians 1:7 IN Christ we have redemption through His blood , the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of God grace."

As the Church - We Are the Redeemed (v. 7)

Paul explains to us that the only way we can be blameless and Holy Before a perfect God is if we are “in Christ” “in the sinless, perfect Son of God, who has redeemed us. “

To be In Christ means that we are totally dependent on who He is for our salvation

Christ is the center of God’s salvation plan.

Christ is the answer to the sinners greatest need.

Christ is the climax of the story of Mankind.

In Christ WE CAN HAVE REDEMPTION through His blood.

God’s Plan to redeem mankind is only through the blood of HIs son Jesus Christ.

This means there is no other way to come to God but through Christ. There is no other way to gain eternal life but through Christ.

Christ is the answer to our hopeless and helpless world.

Paul uses the word redeemed to describe what Jesus does for the sinner-

Through Jesus God Offers redemption for the sinner

Redemption carries with it such a wonderful theological meaning.

The word root word redeemed is used multiple times throughout the scriptures to depict a debt that has been paid in full.

Redemption means “to purchase and set free by paying a price in full.”

In the 1st century Roman Empire it is estimated that there were over 60 million slaves who were indebted to their masters. These slaves would be sold and traded at the market place like a piece of furniture. They had no rights and they had no freedoms of their own.

They were the property of their masters. and had no way to earn their own freedom. Even their best work was not enough to pay their debt. They had no way of escaping the bondage of slavery unless someone else could pay their debt .

If someone loved a slave enough, they could go to the slave auction and purchase the slave and set them free. If their debt was paid in full ,The slave no longer had the bondage over him. He no longer was a servant of a master but a free man . He was given new life that was free. He was redeemed, because His debt was paid in full.

When Justin and I pulled up to pay- They wouldn’t take our money because our debt had already been paid in full. Someone who we didn’t know, care enough about us to pay our debt. We had nothing to do with that decision. We were just the recipients of someones grace.

That’s what Redemption means - Our debt was paid in Full, We were redeemed- We owe nothing more because someone else had already paid our debt.

Our text this morning tells

`Ephesians 1:7 In Christ, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our debt OF SIN,

When Christ redeemed us with His own blood, He paid our debt in full and this brought with it God’s forgiveness.

Hebrews 9:22 “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

Romans 6:23 - tells us that every one of our sins requires death.

UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO PAY THE DEBT OF SIN -BUT WITH YOUR LIFE.

Our Sin Requires eternal death- That’s the cost to pay your debt in full.

You are in Desperate Need of a Savior because the cost is more than you could ever pay!

Knowing how great the cost for sin would be- God in His love for you in eternity past, made a plan to redeem you, to pay your debt in FULL!

Jesus is the culmination of God’s plan!

when He came to earth He gave His life to ransom You- He paid your debt in full with His own life to redeem you to set you free.

Through JESUS GOD offers the sinner Forgiveness

Forgiven means -to cast away never to be remembered again.

When Christ died on the cross ,

He paid the complete debt you owed for your sins.

He gave his blood to redeem you.

You were bought with a price. And with that ,your debt was wiped clean.

Every debt of sin against you was paid in full.

Every sin was forgiven completely.

So Why would God choose to redeem me?

Why would God choose to forgive all the things I have done to hurt him?

“ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE”

Through Jesus -GOD OFFERS THE SINNER HIS GRACE--

Grace means to give unearned favor and kindness

It’s because of God’s Grace that He redeems us.

and its because of His grace that He forgives us.

Notice it doesn’t say as a result of His grace. but according to His Grace- God’s grace does not depend on our actions towards him, but on who He is -apart from us.

Grace is unearned favor and unearned kindness.

Grace is the opposite of Karma

- Karma says what goes around comes around.

- Karma says you get what you deserve.

- Grace is getting what You don’t deserve.

But God’s Grace Is him redeeming us from the slave market of sin,

It’s God giving us eternal life when we deserve eternal death.

When God came to the slave market of sin- He paid the full price to purchase you.

He didn’t purchase you to be His slave.

He didn’t purchase you because of how you looked, or because of anything you had done for Him in the past or would do for him in the future.

God redeemed you , he bought you out of Slavery only to set you free .

This is the glorious thing about Grace- You did nothing to earn God’s favor and you don’t have to do anything to keep it!

Grace is God giving you what you don’t deserve. He is offering you forgiveness not because of who you are or what You can do for Him, but because of who He is.

Illustration of Grace.-

In 1987, an eighteen-month-old Baby named Jessica fell into a twenty-two foot deep well in her Backyard. The community desperate to save her, did everything they could.

Jessica was less than 2 years old, and there was nothing she could do except to cry out for help. She was utterly helpless. Her life rested entirely in the hands of the ones trying to save her.

The Rescuers labored nonstop to save this baby. After 55 hours they finally reached her and the nation watched as they pulled her from the well. Everyone around the nation breathed a sigh of relief as they saw Jessica freed from her bondage. She was rescued and set free. She was no longer Hopeless and Helpless but was free!

The headlines in the paper were not about Jessica: they did not say “Baby Jessica over come all odds and climbed her way out of the 22 ft. hole. Jessica is the hero of the day!” Thats not what they said

Jessica was not the hero of the story. The Heroes were the ones who rescued her.

Just like baby Jessica- , when it comes to our salvation, we’re utterly powerless and hopeless just like the baby in the well. There is nothing we can do to escape our fate of eternal separation from God in Hell. It’s what we deserve.

Romans 3:23 " all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Do you understand that this means you?

The Bible tells us that we as mankind, are a rotten sinful creature and there is nothing else for us to do but sin. It’s who we are by nature.

Outside of Christ you are in Bondage to sin.- You are a slave to sin and there is no way for you to do anything but sin- because your entire life is against God.

In fact Romans 6:23 tells us that the price of that sin is your life.

Your sin requires a payment of eternal death.

In order for you to have freedom from the penalty of sin - Your debt has to be paid in full.

and this is what God’s Grace is:

“At just the right time, when we were still utterly hopeless, Christ died for you” (Romans 5:6).

The only Part baby Jessica had in her rescue was falling into the well, and being in desperate need of someone else to save her.

Your only part in Salvation is being a slave to sin and in desperate need of redemption.

God alone has the power to redeem you. God alone has the ability to save you.

In the story of redemption, Christ is the only hero. he paid your debt completely, with His own blood , He satisfies the debt of sin that is held against you -and only through his grace you can be set free.

Romans 5:8-9 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Because of God’s Love for You- Jesus willingly Came to Redeem you!. He shed His perfect blood to pay for your wicked sin.

Christ paid your debt with His own life.

He gave himself up so that you could be free.

When Paul says that you are in Christ i thats why he can confidently say that it brings spiritual blessings with it,

In Christ you have been set free from the law,

In Christ you have been set free from your slavery to sin

In Christ, You have been set free from the power of Satan and the influences of this world.

IN CHRIST YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVE

In Christ, You have been given an eternal Inheritance in Heaven.

AND It’s only through the shedding of His perfect blood that all of these blessings become fully yours.

Ephesians 1:7 “In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace which He lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight”

We owe a debt that we could never pay, Christ paid our debt that he did not owe.

The Blood of Christ is sufficient to pay your debt in full,

Your debt of sin can not be redeemed by good behavior or good works, but only by death

Your debt of sin can not be redeemed by religion, but only by death

Your debt of sin can not be redeemed by baptism, but only by death

Your debt of sin REQUIRES the shedding of Blood in order for your debt to be paid in full.

The Holy Perfect God has a ledger of your sins that are held against your account and unless it is paid in full by the blood of Christ Jesus ,You will be held accountable for eternity.

Conclusion: Christ Brings Salvation (vv 8-10)

Why did God chose to redeem us even though we don’t deserve?

Titus 3:5-6 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Again we see the wonderful truth that God chose to save you because of His own Grace- Its all about God and nothing about what You have done.

In Acts 16 a man asked Paul What must I DO TO BE SAVED.

“Believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salvation is simple: Believe that jesus is God and You will be saved.- There is nothing else to do because God in His mercy and Grace has already paid your debt and wants to set you free. All you have to do is accept it and believe in the work of Jesus.

Believe that Jesus is God God

Believe that Jesus Has the power to pay your debt

And Believe that Jesus Has ability to pay it in full. regardless of who you are are what you have Done.

Wrap up

Christians:

If you are in Christ - you have so much to be thankful for-

- In eternity past God chose to Redeem You because of His grace.

- God chose to send Jesus Christ to pay your debt because of His grace,

-God chose to save you and give you an eternal inheritance in heaven because of His grace.

If our vision as a church is to make and equip disciples of Jesus.

The gospel must be central in each of our lives.

It must permeate every part of your life

Lost:

If you are sitting here this morning and you have never trusted Christ to be your redeemer-You are still a slave to sin and there is nothing you could ever do yourself to pay its price.

If you are asking the question this morning WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

The answer is this- Believe on the name of the LORD jesus Christ and You will be saved.

God’s Grace has already done everything to save you- All you need to do is to accept His free gift by believing in His Son.

WE ARE THE REDEEMED!

Pray