We Are the Redeemed
Ephesians 1:1-14
Tom carried his new boat to the edge of the river. He carefully placed it in the water and slowly let out the string. He marvelled at how well the ship he built moved in the water. Tom sat in the warm sunshine and enjoyed the boat. Suddenly a strong current caught the boat. Tom tried to pull it back to the shore, but the string broke. The little boat raced away down the river.
Tom ran along the sandy shore as fast as he could. Soon his little boat slipped out of sight. All afternoon he searched for the boat. Finally, when it was too dark to look any longer, Tom sadly went home.
A few days later, on the way home from school, Tom spotted a boat just like his in a store window. When he got closer, he could see - sure enough - it was his!
Tom hurried to the store manager, “Sir, that is my boat in your window. I made it!”
“Sorry son,” the manager replied, “someone else brought that boat in this morning. If you want it, you’ll have to buy it for one dollar.”
Tom ran home and counted all his money. He had exactly one dollar! When he reached the store, he rushed to the counter; “Here’s the money for my boat!” As he left the store, Tom hugged his boat and said; “Now you’re my boat twice. First I made you, but then I lost you. I found you again, and I bought you back!”
Fanny Crosby, blinded by an illness at 6 weeks of age, would grow to write over 9,000 poems and hymns. One of her many hymns begin this way:
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.
Last week, we looked at this passage in the first chapter as read that God chose us. Before time began, we were chosen to be the children of God. Even though He chose us, we still have to make the choice of following Him.
This morning, as we continue our walk through the first fourteen verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, today I want to talk about the reward that is available, through Christ, for those who have chosen to follow God. If you have made that choice, today you are a member of the redeemed!
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary has several different definitions for the word redeemed. Each one more than describes what Christ does for a person who repents of their sins:
1 a. to buy back b. to get or win back
2. to free from what distresses or harms: as a: to free from captivity by way of payment of ransom b: to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c: to release from payment or debt d: to free from the consequences of sin
1. We have Redemption (Ephesians 1:7)
“…redemption through his blood…”
As it has already been said, those of us who have accepted God gift of salvation have received redemption from their sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We were chosen to be redeemed. Christ died to save us from eternal death in Hell. We were redeemed through is shed blood.
How were the Jewish people in the Old Testament redeemed? What did they do to pay for their sins? God had them offer guilt and sin offerings of animals. He required them to do so.
Abel was murdered by Cain because God found favour with Abel’s sacrifice of the “firstlings of his flock.” (Gen. 4:4-5) After the flood receded, Noah sacrificed animals to the Lord. (Gen. 8:20,21)
The sacrificial system reaches its climax with the nation of Israel. God commanded the nation to perform several different types of sacrifices. According to Leviticus 1:1-4, certain procedures had to be followed. The animal being offered had to be spotless and without defect. Next the person who had brought the animal to the priest needed to be identified with the animal. The person, or priest, then had to kill the animal. If this was done in faith, then forgiveness of that person’s sins was available.
Another example of sacrifice was performed on the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 16 records how forgiveness and redemption of sins was illustrated through this rite. The high priest was to take two male goats for a sin offering. One of the goats was sacrificed as a sin offering for the people of Israel (Lev. 16:15), while the other goat was released into the wilderness (Lev. 16:22-22) The sin offering provided forgiveness, while the other goat provided the removal of sin.
How have we been redeemed once and for all? Because Jesus died for us as the final atoning sacrifice for our sins, we have eternal redemption through the blood He shed for us. We no longer have to offer sacrifices, but simply accept the sacrifice of Jesus.
2. We have Forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7)
“…the forgiveness of sins…”
Not only have all of our sins been paid for through Jesus, but we also have received the gift of total forgiveness from God through Jesus.
In Isaiah 43:25, God says that He is the One “who blots out your transgressions, for [his] own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” We cannot absolve ourselves of sin; only God can. He does this, so that we may be pure and blameless in His sight, thereby bringing glory to Him. Once He forgives us, He forgets all our sins.
How should this knowledge change the way we live and think? If God does not remember our sins, neither should we. We are free of guilt and condemnation!
Years ago, Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote a song that describes what I am trying to say. The chorus of this goes this way:
I am free from the fear of tomorrow,
I am free from the guilt of the past,
For I have traded my shackles for a glorious crown,
I am free, praise the Lord, free at last!
Forgiveness is a gift from God. It is a portion of His grace. What you have been freely given, you should freely give away. Jesus said in Matthew 6:15 that if we do not forgive others, neither will God forgive us.
When the first missionaries arrived in Alberta, they were savagely opposed by a young chief of the Cree Indians named Maskepetoon, but he responded to the Gospel and accepted Christ. Shortly afterward, a member of the Blackfoot tribe killed his father. Maskepetoon rode into the village where the murderer lived and demanded that he be brought before him. Confronting the guilty man, he said,” You have killed my father, so now you must be my father. You shall ride with my best horse and wear my best clothes.” In utter amazement and remorse his enemy exclaimed, “My son, now you have killed me!” He meant, of course, that the hate in his own heart had been completely erased by the kindness and forgiveness of the young Indian chief.
3. We have Wisdom (Ephesians 1:8)
“…with all wisdom and understanding…”
God gives us the gifts of wisdom and understanding, but not the kind of wisdom that comes from the world. It is the wisdom that allows us to continue to walk in His ways. It is the wisdom that allows us to know His will for our lives. Only the redeemed have this type of knowledge.
James 1:5 says that if we desire God’s wisdom, all we have to do is ask and believe, and God will give it to us generously. Which king in the Old Testament asked God for wisdom? Did he receive it?
It has been said, “You don’t have to be listed in Who’s who to know what’s what.” We have this wisdom and understanding of God’s ways, so that we can know personally and fully the God whom we worship, without being led astray by the teachings of the world.
4. We have Knowledge (Ephesians 1:9,10)
“…he made known to us the mystery of his will…”
See Colossians 1:26-27. Paul writes of this “mystery,” which is “Christ in you, the hope for glory.” We have Jesus living inside us, and we can know Him completely and worship Him in full knowledge of Who He is and what He has done.
Conclusion
The greatest thing about being “redeemed” from our past and our sins is that we have an eternal inheritance waiting for us. There is a portion of Fanny Crosby’s song “Redeemed” that has been omitted from our hymnbooks. It completes the first verse. Listen as I read her words:
I know there’s a crown that is waiting,
In yonder bright mansion for me,
And soon, with the spirits made perfect,
At Home with the Lord I will be!
Today, God is speaking. I believe that in the heart of every believer there is a newfound hope. There is a reason to go on. We have found the sweet peace that only comes from the forgiveness of sins. We are the redeemed, and like Fanny Crosby, we have a home waiting for us with the Lord.
However, there are those who have never accepted the gracious gift of salvation the Lord offers to all. Redemption is not good living and church attendance. It is not about what we do to make ourselves look good in the eyes of others. Redemption is Christ Jesus reaching down to us, and having Him change us.
As I said last week today the day of salvation. Christian singing group Phillips, Craig & Dean released a song with the words “The greatest song of all is the song of the redeemed; a lost sinner’s now made clean, lift your voices loud and strong!” That song is available for all to sing all we need to do is accept the gift He is offering. Will you do that this morning?
