Go! And Live Redeemed - Ephesians 1:7
Ephesians 1:7 (NLT): “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
Introduction – The Power of Redemption
Imagine standing in a slave market in ancient Ephesus. Chains clink. Bidders shout. A life—someone’s son, someone’s daughter—is sold for silver. Now imagine a stranger steps forward, pays the full price, and then turns to the slave and says, “You are free.”
That’s redemption.
That’s what Jesus has done for us.
He didn’t buy us to own us as slaves—He bought us to set us free from sin, death, and hell.
Paul, writing to the believers in Ephesus, gives us one of the richest summaries of the Gospel:
“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
In this single verse, Paul captures the heart of salvation:
God’s grace — His undeserved kindness.
Christ’s blood — the price paid.
Our redemption — the result.
Our forgiveness — the freedom we now live in.
1. The Riches of God’s Grace
Paul begins, “He is so rich in kindness and grace…”
The Greek word here for grace is “charis” — meaning undeserved favour, kindness given freely, not earned or merited.
Paul reminds us: God is not stingy with grace. He is rich in it. His grace is abundant, overflowing, inexhaustible.
Romans 5:20 (NLT): “But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.”
Where sin increases, grace increases more.
That doesn’t mean we take sin lightly—it means we take grace seriously. Because it cost the blood of Jesus.
John Piper once said, “Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.”
As believers, we don’t just receive grace to be forgiven—we receive grace to be transformed.
God’s grace is not a get-out-of-jail-free card—it’s a key that unlocks a new way of living.
When we grasp how rich His grace is, we stop trying to earn His love and start living in the power of His love.
A missionary once rescued a little orphan girl who had been abused and abandoned. She was fearful, withdrawn, and suspicious. When the missionary adopted her, she gave her a new name, a home, and unconditional love. It took time, but the child began to smile again.
That’s what grace does—it restores our soul, gives us a new identity, and teaches us to trust the heart of the One who redeems us.
2. The Price of Our Freedom
Paul continues, “He purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son…”
The Greek word for purchased is “lutroo” — it literally means to redeem by paying a ransom.
In the ancient world, this term described the act of buying a slave’s freedom.
In the spiritual realm, Jesus paid the ransom to release us from slavery to sin.
Mark 10:45 (NLT): “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The ransom wasn’t paid to the devil—it was paid to satisfy the justice of God.
Our sin demanded death. Jesus willingly took our place.
This is substitutionary atonement—the heart of the Gospel.
He didn’t die as a martyr for a cause. He died as a Saviour for sinners.
Charles Stanley wrote, “Jesus’ death on the cross was the payment for a debt He didn’t owe, to satisfy a penalty we couldn’t pay.”
That’s redemption. That’s the price of our freedom.
He shed His blood so we could walk free from guilt, shame, and condemnation.
We live in a world that promises freedom—freedom to do whatever we want. But sin’s freedom is slavery in disguise.
True freedom is not the absence of boundaries—it’s the presence of Jesus.
When you belong to Christ, you’re no longer chained to your past. The blood has spoken a better word over your life.
In 1829, a man named George Wilson was sentenced to death for mail robbery in America. But President Andrew Jackson granted him a pardon.
Astonishingly, Wilson refused it. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled that a pardon is not valid until accepted.
So George Wilson was executed—with a pardon unused.
Friends, the blood of Jesus has secured your pardon—but you must accept it. Redemption is offered, but you must receive it.
3. The Forgiveness of Our Sins
Paul concludes, “...and forgave our sins.”
The Greek word “aphesis” means to release, to send away, to let go completely.
God doesn’t forgive grudgingly or partially—He forgives completely.
When He forgives, He forgets. When He cleanses, He removes the stain entirely.
Psalm 103:12 (NLT): “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”
That’s infinite separation. East and west never meet.
God doesn’t just cover your sin; He cancels it.
Max Lucado beautifully writes, “God’s grace is greater than your sin. You can’t out-sin the grace of God, but you can refuse it.”
What a reminder! Forgiveness is not automatic—it’s received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:9 (NLT): “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
When we repent—turn from sin and turn to Christ—He not only forgives, He restores.
He wipes the record clean, writes “Paid in Full” across our life, and gives us a new start.
Some of you today are living forgiven lives with unforgiven minds. You still replay the guilt of what Christ has already erased.
It’s time to live free. When God says you’re forgiven, stop arguing with Him. The blood of Jesus has the final word.
4. The Purpose of Redemption: To Live Redeemed
Redemption is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning.
We are redeemed not just from something, but for something.
Titus 2:14 (NLT): “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.”
Redeemed people live differently.
Grace changes your identity, but it also transforms your purpose.
Tim Keller once said, “The Gospel is not just the ABC of the Christian life; it’s the A to Z. We never move past the Gospel, only deeper into it.”
To live redeemed means every part of your life is now under His Lordship.
Your words, your work, your worship—all flow from gratitude for the cross.
In a world obsessed with self-fulfilment, God calls us to Christ-fulfilment.
Your purpose is not to make your name known, but to make His name known.
You are redeemed to reflect the Redeemer.
The Gospel Presentation:
Let’s be crystal clear about what this redemption means.
Humanity was created for fellowship with God—but sin severed that relationship.
Every one of us has sinned. We’ve broken God’s law.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus Christ—fully God, fully man—came into our world, lived a sinless life, and died a sacrificial death on the cross.
His blood paid the price for your redemption.
He was buried, and on the third day He rose again—victorious over sin, death, and the grave.
That’s not mythology—that’s history. That’s not religion—that’s redemption.
Through repentance and faith, you can receive forgiveness, freedom, and eternal life today.
5. The Response: Go! And Live Redeemed
Paul’s Gospel is not just to be understood—it’s to be lived.
If you’ve been redeemed, go live like it.
If you’ve been forgiven, forgive others.
If you’ve been set free, stop living chained to what Jesus already broke.
Galatians 5:1 (NLT): “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
To live redeemed means:
You walk in gratitude, not guilt.
You serve in love, not legalism.
You share the Gospel, not out of duty, but out of delight.
Invitation to Salvation:
Maybe today you know about Jesus, but you don’t know Him personally.
You’ve heard the Gospel—but you’ve never received the gift.
Friend, your Redeemer lives—and He offers you forgiveness today.
Turn from your sin. Put your trust in Jesus. Let His blood cleanse your heart and make you new.
Pray simply:
“Lord Jesus, I believe You died for my sins and rose again.
I turn from my sin and trust You as my Saviour and Lord.
Redeem me, forgive me, and help me live for You from this day forward. Amen.”
Conclusion – The Redeemed Life:
You were not cheap to save.
The blood of Jesus was the highest price ever paid for the lowest sinner ever found.
So don’t live as though you’re still in chains.
Walk in the freedom, joy, and power of the Redeemer’s grace.
“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
Go! And live redeemed.
Benediction:
May the Lord Jesus Christ, your Redeemer and Friend,
fill you with the joy of your salvation,
keep you in His grace,
and empower you to live as one who is forgiven, free, and faithful.
In His glorious Name—Amen.
