Redemption

Ephesians 1:7–8 NKJV

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

We continue examining the intricate details of what Paul refers to as spiritual blessings in heavenly places. We are peering into the divine plan and purpose of God concerning those who we can refer to as His people.

There is a people of God. God’s has a people who are is own, They are known by God. Paul called them the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus inn verse 1. And as we are finding God has by the counsel of His own will purpose

1 Chosen this people (not because they are holy but rather with design to make them holy)

2 He has predestined them to be adopted to himself - To be His own children and to receive all the benifits of sons of God.

“fear not little lambs for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”

He has done this to the praise of His glorious grace. What glorious grace it is because this people of God did not find themselves worthy of such spiritual blessings in fact they found themselves entirely unworthy of any blessing from God. Wretched sinners not even worthy to be slaves in God’s household much less children.

He made us accepted in the beloved when we were altogether unacceptable

How does God do this? How can the God of justice and righteousness do this thing which seems totally unjust. If justice was executed we all would get what we deserve which is eternal damnation in hell.

Paul shows us how God in His infinite wisdom and insight, brought about His purpose and divine will according to His good pleasure which was to lavish grace on poor undeserving sinners and at the same time not only did He maintain His righteousness and justice he manifest it making a eternal display of of His righteousness, justice and the riches of His grace.

How?

A plan that was born in the mind of the Almighty. That...

Ephesians 1:7–10 NKJV

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

How does God take sinners who if they get justice would burn in hell and make them His own children who inherit the kingdom and still be a righteous Judge?

He does it through what the Bible refers to as redemption.

I mentioned before that this passage from 3-14 which is one great long sentence in Greek lays out the plan and purpose of God through all persons of the Trinity.

It begins with blessing the Father who chose us before that foundation of the world and predestined us to adoption

Moving now to the work of the Son as the way that this grace has be communicated to us by His work on the cross and God’s purpose to unite all things in Christ in heaven and in earth

And finally the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.

Today we begin to look at the work of the Son.

We look at redemption. What is it? And how is it communicated to us?

What is Redemption?

The word means to be released or freed by payment or ransom.

So the first question is released or freed from what?

Some have suggested that God bought us by paying a ransom to Satan. But there is no Biblical support for this whatsoever and it has been rejected by the vast majority of the church.

So what are we freed from?

In the scriptures there are at least three things that that we are freed or released from. The first one is found here in our text

Ephesians 1:7 NKJV

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Our sins or more specifically here our transgressions or trespasses bind us in guilt and sentence us to condemnation or judgement. So this redemption frees us from the guilt and condemnation of our sins. This is accomplished through payment of the penalty of our sin. So we are freed by payment. But not a payment to Satan but rather a payment to the a just God who because of His righteousness and justice demands that the penalty of sin be paid.

The second thing that we are freed from is found in

1 Peter 1:18–19 NKJV

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

So we were redeemed from aimless conduct, or in other translations it is futile ways or empty way. This refers to our sinful empty meaningless lives. This is what we are being redeemed from everyday. When we engage in sinful lifestyles we are living aimless futile lives but we have been redeemed from sinful living.

Romans 6:6–11 NKJV

6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So we have been freed from living sinful futile lives.

The third thing that we are released from is future focused

Romans 8:22–23 NKJV

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

our passage in Eph. also points to this furture redemption.

Ephesians 1:13–14 NKJV

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

So we will be freed from this body and receive the purchased possession of our inheritance.

So our redemption is passed present and future. Passed forgiven of our sins freed from guilt present freed from sinful futile living and future freed from this body and this sinful and corrupt world to receive the purchased possession of our inheritance.

How Do We Receive Redemption?

Ephesians 1:7 NKJV

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

It is in Him

There is no other way to have redemption which means there is no other way to receive all the spiritual blessing in heavenly

Ephesians 1:3–6 NKJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

There are not many roads that lead to God. There is only one way. It is straight and narrow. Christ the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Christ. There is no other way.

2. Through His blood

This refers to the work of Christ on the cross. His death is the only means of redemption.

As we read in 1 Pet we were not redeemed with silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ.

redemption is the work of Christ and Christ alone. We cannot purchase our own redemption with our own good works. His precious blood is the price of our redemption, nothing else will suffice.

3. It is according to the riches of His grace

Redemption is not earned or bought. It is received as God grace. Meaning unmerited gift or favour of God which God lavishes on us. This is God purpose the wisdom and insight of His great plan to take undeserving sinners and bless them with all spiritual blessings, adopting them as His own children. God justice is satisfied by the blood of Christ. The wisdom of God and the power of God is made known through His grace and mercy.

There is no other way to have redemption but the invitation is to whosoever will come and receive that grace of God. Christ is the only way. Repent and believe.