Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Text: Ephesians 1:7
THE IMMEASURABLE WORTH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
Paul did not just possess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Each time he speaks of the Person of the Lord Jesus and the salvation He offers, he waxes eloquent. But to Paul, that was most natural. The work that Christ wrought was not something that anyone should ever take lightly, or for granted.
“We have redemption” (“apolutrosis”)
Paul chose a very rich word to describe the salvation that is to be found in the Lord Jesus.
1. The picture of a slave being bought
This word “redemption” is used when a person wishes to buy a slave. Of course a price has to be paid in order to purchase the slave.
2. The purpose of purchasing the slave
In other circumstances, one purchases a slave so that he could serve his new master. In this redemption, the focus is not the ransom, but the result of the purchase.
a) The slave has obtained his freedom.
b) Whatever landed him in that plight, slavery has now been put right. He has been redeemed.
It is not difficult to see ourselves as sinners enslaved by habitual sins. But the picture changed the moment Jesus the Christ becomes our Redeemer. He sets us free from the chains of our sins!
CHRIST- THE MESSIANIC REDEEMER
When Paul ascribed to Jesus the word “Christ”, he had in mind the oracles of the ancient prophets who foretold the work of the Messiah. One of the most inspiring of those prophecies may be found in the writings of the prophet Isaiah.
“You make His soul an offering for sin…
By His knowledge, My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.”
ISAIAH 53:10C, 11B
This plan of redemption was planned out of the riches of God’s grace. But it took no one less than Jesus the Messiah to fulfill God’s redemptive plan.
THE PRICE PAID
What was the price of God’s redemptive plan? The cost is the incalculable worth of the blood of Jesus! And it is only through this great price paid, that we were able to obtain “forgiveness of sins”. The terrible price Christ paid was tenderly captured in the following text. We must never take our redemption for granted, nor our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities,
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.”
ISAIAH 53:5