Redemption: Free from Guilt
Ephesians 1:7
As I read publications, articles, and blogs today, many caution preachers and pastors in regard to using particular theological terms. These writers warn of a disconnect between the world around us and those within the church. The church has long used particular words and phrases that the world cannot understand, and are in fact foreign to them. These words and phrases have been categorized as “Christianese” – words the church uses but the world does not understand.
While I agree that we must adequately connect with the world around us if we are to reach the unsaved with the Gospel, I see a great tragedy among the church today. In our modern day we see an abandonment of theological terms that hold great significance for the believer. Rather than shying away from their use, we need to understand these terms, along with the ability to share their significance in a way the world can understand. In the coming weeks I want to preach a series on: Understanding Christianese.
The first term we will deal with is redemption. This is a word that has special meaning for the believer, and is found throughout the Bible. It is easily defined as being set free from bondage through the payment of another. Simply, one who was enslaved was set free by someone else purchasing their freedom. Now, according to Dr. Ray Pritchard from Keep Believing Ministries, there were three words used in the New Testament to define redemption. Agorazois a secular term and has the idea of purchasing something from the marketplace. Exagorazo carries the idea of going into the slave market, purchasing a slave, and removing one from that arena. Lutron means to deliver from captivity; set free from bondage. Together these reveal – one is purchased, removed from the slave market all together, and set free from the bondage of slavery. The word in our text is the word Lutron, not just being purchased and removed from the arena of bondage, but set at liberty from our bondage.
Before we get into the beauty of redemption, we must all understand our particular need for redemption. Adam was the first human created by God. He and his wife Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, free from sin, enjoying unhindered fellowship with God. Through disobedience they sinned before God and plunged the entire human race into sin. Because of their sin, all are born in sin and separated from God. The end result of sin is eternal death. Rom.3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Rom.3:10 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Rom.6:23 – For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Clearly all who live in this life stand in need of redemption. We all are born enslaved by sin and need one to purchase our freedom, setting us free from the bondage and condemnation of sin. As we begin our series, I want to examine the aspects of redemption within the text as we consider – Redemption: Free from Guilt.
I. The Plan of Redemption – In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. As we use this single verse for our text, we quickly discover the plan of redemption. However, for clarity, whom does Paul reveal our redemption is founded in? That is answered in V.3. Eph.1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Our redemption is provided and settled in God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. In this we need to consider:
A. The Will of God – Paul was well aware that God had a plan to provide for the redemption of mankind. In order for one to fully appreciate and understand redemption, we too must understand the will of God in this glorious and gracious process. We have already settled that redemption became necessary with the first of God’s creation. As Adam sinned in the Garden, sin and death entered the human race. Because of that we all have need of redemption. It is important for us to understand that redemption was never an after-thought with God. He did not discover Adam’s sin and set about to find a solution to humanity’s sin problem. In fact, God already knew, long before Adam breathed his first breath, that humanity would be plunged in sin and stand in need of a Redeemer. This plan of redemption was put in place before the foundation of the world. Christ was a Lamb slain in the plan of God before Creation. Through the Law, sacrifices were offered to provide limited atonement for sin, but they could not fully satisfy the righteous demands of holy God. These sacrifices were repeated year after year. In order for redemption to be made, there had to be a perfect sacrifice. God Himself would become that sacrifice. That leads us to:
B. The Work of Christ – Our redemption was made possible through the person and work of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father. We must remember that redemption always involves a payment being made. We will look at that further in a moment, but Christ the Lord fulfilled the work of redemption as He died on the cross, bearing our sin and enduring the righteous judgment of God we all deserved. Our redemption and reconciliation to God was secured through the finished work of Christ. We are not redeemed by the blood of bulls and goats, or through our own effort or merit. Redemption is not a by-product of church membership or baptism; it is obtained by and through the finished work of Christ alone! Heb.10:10 – By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.[12] But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;[14] For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
II. The Payment for Redemption – In whom we have redemptionthrough his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. We cannot forget that redemption always required a payment to be made. A price had to be paid in order to ransom one from bondage. Someone had to provide payment to liberate one from the bondage of slavery. This was true in a physical sense – the only way one captive in slavery could be released was for them to be purchased from the slave market. Once they were purchased by a new owner, they became the property of the new owner. He could keep them enslaved or set them free, whichever he chose. This principle remains in the spiritual sense as well. Due to our fallen nature, being born in sin, we were all enslaved to our sin. We were in bondage to sin and Satan. We had no hope of providing for our redemption. Our only hope was for someone who had the ability to provide the payment God required.
Many today do not like it, but God has always required a blood sacrifice. Blood had to be shed to atone for sin, resulting in redemption. Heb.9:22 – And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Paul declared that our redemption was secured through the blood of Christ. This was foreshadowed since the Garden of Eden. In their sin, Adam and Eve discovered their nakedness. Animals died, and blood was shed to provide a covering for their sin. The Old Testament sacrifices pointed toward the supreme sacrifice that Christ would make as He willingly died in our place to purchase our redemption. The holy, sinless Son of God became the atoning sacrifice for our sin. He shed His precious blood to appease the wrath of God and make atonement for our sin. Redemption came at a heavy price for Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Pet.1:18-19 – Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;[19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Pet.2:24 –Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
III. The Pardon through Redemption – In whom we have redemptionthrough his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. For those who are saved by the grace of God, experiencing redemption in Christ, a miraculous transformation takes place – our sin in forgiven through the payment of His precious blood. We were all guilty and condemned before God; there could be no question about that. Our sin caused separation from the Lord, and apart from redemptionit would bring eternal death and suffering. Our only hope was for one who was worthy to pay the debt we owed, but could not pay. Christ Jesus did that as He died on the cross. Those who come to Him in repentance and faith are saved by grace, having the sin and guilt of their past cleansed from their life, and all record of that sin removed forever. Through the payment Christ made, the saved by grace are set free from the bondage of sin and delivered from death!
He bore our sin upon the cross so we could be made righteous in the eyes of God. Our sin is removed as far as the east is from the west. God has thrown it into the sea of forgetfulness, choosing to no longer remember or hold our sin against us. Those who were once condemned and worthy of death are now viewed righteous by God and promised eternal life in Christ. The saved by grace are now acceptable in the eyes of God, cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness!
IV. The Provision in Redemption – In whom we have redemptionthrough his blood, the forgiveness of sins,according to the riches of his grace. Paul reminds us that our redemption is all a work of God’s marvelous grace. He extended unmerited favor to those who were undeserving. Christ provided for us that which we could never merit or obtain ourselves. Apart from the eternal plan of God, motivated and orchestrated by His good grace, we would all yet be in our sin and have no hope before God.
Redemption is truly beyond our ability to fully comprehend. We were guilty of sin and worthy of death. God knew, long before He ever created man, that sin would have to be atoned – a payment would have to be made for sin. He also knew that He alone was worthy to provide such a sacrifice. Before you and I ever sinned, long before we needed redemption, God had provided a Redeemer in the person of His Son. Christ Jesus came to this earth in the form of a man in order to die in our place. He took our sin upon Himself and gave Himself the ransom that provided our redemption. God would have been justified to have left us in our sin and demanded we pay the penalty for our sin, but in His grace He made a way for our redemption. Christ died so we might live. The innocent took the place of the guilty, tasting death for us, so we could escape death and live eternally with the Father. If that isn’t grace, I have never heard it explained. We cannot fathom the riches of God’s grace that provided our redemption in the sacrifice of Christ His only begotten Son. If you have nothing else to be thankful for today, you can rejoice in the grace of God that was extended to sinners! 2 Cor.8:9 – For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Conclusion: The year was 1829. A man by the name of George Wilson had been arrested, tried and convicted of murder and theft through the mail. Because his family was well known, when he was sent to prison, his family made appeal after appeal. Eventually the appeals reached the desk of the President, Andrew Jackson. After he reviewed the files and because he knew the family and their background, and for their account he offered not just clemency, but a pardon to George Wilson. They took the news into the prison. George Wilson refused the pardon. He said he didn’t want it because he was guilty and deserved to die. They told him he couldn’t say no to it because it was a presidential pardon. But he said he could and was saying no to it. This is a true story. He refused the pardon. That set forth a tremendous legal battle because that question had never been raised in American history. Eventually it worked its way up to the Supreme Court and the decision came down from Chief Justice John Marshall, who said, “A pardon is of no effect until it is accepted by the one for whom it is intended.” He went on to say, “Though it is almost inconceivable that a condemned criminal would refuse a pardon, if he does refuse it, the pardon is of no effect. George Wilson must die.” And die he did because he would not accept the pardon that had been offered. (i)
Christ the Lord provided for our redemption. He died in our place to secure our salvation. However, we must accept His atoning work on the cross for our sin, believing we are unable to provide salvation for ourselves, repent of our sin, and believe in His finished work by faith. Redemption from sin has been secured, but you must respond to the offer of grace. Have you come to Christ for salvation, being set free from the penalty of sin? If not, I urge you to respond in repentance and faith today!
i. https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/1995-03-26-redemption-free-at-last/
