Redeemed – Eph 1:7-12
Steve Simala Grant – July 22, 2001
Our passage this morning jumps into the middle of a long section of praise to God for His great blessings. The first section, vss. 3-6, elaborates on the blessings we have in God the Father, and this second section elaborates on the blessings we have in God the Son. Next week we’ll look at the blessings in God the Holy Spirit. Paul began with a cosmic perspective, reminding us that God chose us before the creation of the world, and that He adopts us into his family. This section comes to an historical point – the death and resurrection of Christ – and praises God for the blessings we have through Jesus’ sacrifice.
Read passage.
1. Redemption and forgiveness
2. Grace lavished
3. Mystery revealed
1. Redemption and forgiveness. (vs. 7)
The section of praise to God the Son begins at a familiar place – the cross. The cross of Christ is where our redemption was purchased, it is what makes forgiveness possible. The phrase “through his blood” is the reference to the cross – and is so much more. The idea of “blood” was a familiar one to a culture where sacrifices were common, and is part of the background to this verse. The idea is that by pouring out his blood for us, Christ made it possible for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be “bought back” from our slavery to sin. Why blood? It was considered the essence of life – the emphasis of the phrase is on Jesus’ total sacrifice – the giving of his entire life – and the cost of that sacrifice.
And it is through this blood of Christ that we have redemption. The idea of “redemption” is a bit of a stretch for us to really understand today. It is the idea of being set free, of being bought back out of slavery or prison, and restored. Many of us have absolutely no idea what it means to be enslaved – to be stripped of any personal rights, dignity, or freedom. To become property of another – no longer human but merely a thing to be used, abused, or neglected entirely at the whim of someone else who “owns” you. We can’t imagine what it means to literally have shackles on our ankles, which limit our ability to move farther than the short chain might allow. We have heard about slavery, but in general it is probably so far removed from our own experience that it is difficult for us to grasp the complete helplessness and despair. To know that there is not a single thing we can do for ourselves to change our situation.
But if you can imagine what it means to be enslaved – if you can sense a bit of the horror and helplessness – then we can start to understand what redemption is. It is the idea of someone, in this case a perfect stranger, appearing out of nowhere and paying the debt, assuming the responsibility, in fact exchanging places with you and I in the shackles. Being redeemed means that someone from the outside has come to us in our helplessness and set us free.
That is the essence of the cross of Christ. Because of our sin, we were enslaved. We were trapped. We were helpless. Without dignity, without humanity, without hope. And then God. And you know, the Gospel – the good news – is as simple as that: we were lost, but God… And so Jesus came to rescue us. He came to liberate us. He came to set us free. He redeemed us – buying us back from the slavery to sin and enabling us to be free to be in relationship with God.
The irony about our slavery to sin is that many have gotten so used to it that they think it is normal – even a good place. After a while of living in the garbage dump, the smell sort of becomes unnoticeable, a half-eaten sandwich discarded days ago becomes a feast. We become accustomed to it, and never think that we might be missing out on so much more that is freely offered. This is where your job and my job comes in as witnesses for Christ – we need to go to the places where people are enslaved, and by our words and our lifestyle demonstrate that there is so much more freely available in Christ.
So I need to ask you – are you free? Have the shackles fallen, have you accepted the liberty offered you, have you ran as fast as possible from the place where you were trapped? “In him we have redemption.” If you haven’t, I proclaim to you this moment that freedom is offered to you – right here and right now. Christ is alive and wants to set you free. What you must do is believe – have faith – and then experience true freedom.
If He has set you free, have you wandered back to your old master and picked up where you left off? That is what happens when we are freed by Jesus but continue to live sinful lives – we voluntarily return to slavery. We are no longer stuck there – because of Jesus we can come and go as we please – but sometimes we are enticed back by empty promises. If that is descriptive of where you are at spiritually this morning, I beg you to come home. Leave the slavery behind, and experience God’s great freedom and redemption. You are missing out on so much.
How does this freedom come? It comes in the form of forgiveness. (read verse). We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The slate is wiped clean, the balance owing reduced to zero, the guilty verdict changed to not guilty. All of the things that we have done that are wrong, all of the things we have failed to do that are right, are wiped away in one act of God in Christ. And you and I are set free. I’m not sure it is possible to say enough about forgiveness. Any time you and I realize our sinfulness, it is tempting to be overwhelmed by it and to despair. But the offer of God is forgiveness. The promise of God is forgiveness. When we recognize our sinfulness, all we need to do to get rid of it is give it to God – confess it, repent of it, and then we have forgiveness. And then we know freedom from the destructiveness of our sin.
That is the Gospel – simple, yet powerful beyond our imagination. In Christ we have redemption and forgiveness. We can be free.
2. Grace Lavished
The second thing I want us to notice this morning is the description that follows this incredible truth about freedom and forgiveness: it is all “in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Our redemption is all about God’s grace. Its all about God. There is nothing in any of us that merits this. We can’t earn it, we can’t “luck out” and receive it accidentally. It is all about the choice that God made to come to us while we were in slavery and set us free. All we can do is accept our freedom.
When Simon Bolivar led the nation of Peru to independence from Spain in 1824, they pleaded with him to become their first president. He refused. He said that his work was the work of liberation. Others were better suited to the task of governing. But still they wanted to honor him. So they offered him a gift of 1 million pesos. And he accepted the gift on one condition. He asked that he might supplement that gift with monies from his own estate, and then use all of that money together to purchase the freedom of the 3,000 individuals in Peru who were still slaves to other men. And he did exactly that. And when they asked him why he did it, this is what he said: "It makes little sense to free a nation unless all its citizens enjoy freedom as well."
That is a picture of grace. None of those slaves deserved to be freed. None of them earned the money to set themselves free. It was completely the choice of another, completely the action of another, completely the resources of another.
How rich is God’s grace? Because that is the measure of forgiveness we have – our forgiveness is “in accordance with” or “to the measure of” the riches of God’s grace. Later on in Eph. Paul prays that his readers might have “power … to grasp how wide and long and high and deep” is God’s love. The riches of God’s grace are wider, longer, higher, and deeper than anything you and I can imagine.
Don’t you love the verb used here? He “lavished” on us. The word pictures abundance, celebration, extravagance. In brings to mind a royal feast, lacking in nothing, abounding.
What is our response to God’s grace lavished upon us? God has done all of this for us, with pleasure – how will you respond? Let’s work with the picture of a great royal banquet – the food and the atmosphere and the people and the music are all perfect. The Host smiles, hugs you, and leads you to a chair at His table, and though the experience of it all is more than a little overwhelming, He makes you feel loved, accepted, and at ease in His house. What is your response?
When you and I worship God, we are responding to the Host who has “lavished” grace upon us. Our gratitude flows, our adoration is expressed. What does it say to our Host if we do that without sincerity or enthusiasm? Further, what does it say when we sin? It is like throwing rotting, stinking garbage across the table and into our Host’s face. And then sometimes we complain and mutter about the mess that we caused and blame it on the Host, as if it was His fault! God has lavished His grace upon us. Let’s honor Him with our response. Let’s rejoice in all that He has done for us. Let us celebrate that God’s grace is freely given to us, and thus we have hope. Let us worship Him with our whole lives.
The verse says explicitly that God lavished all this upon us with all wisdom and understanding. One of the elements of God’s grace is this particular gift – wisdom and understanding in knowing how to live. Paul does not have in mind mere intellectual understanding, but rather understanding how to live in light of all God has done for us. He has given us the tools to know how to live for Him. He has equipped us to respond with our whole lives offered as worship and praise for the grace He has lavished on us.
3. Mystery Revealed
Verses 9 and 10 speak of yet another reason to praise God. READ. The concept of “mystery” here is that of something which was formerly hidden that has now come to light. It is the end of the suspense movie, where all the secrets are finally laid out, the loose ends tied up, and the “mysteries” all revealed. Do you notice that Paul doesn’t tell us what this mystery is?? He talks about it, describes it, tells us that it has been “made known to us”, but doesn’t say what it is! He leaves that until chapter 3:6. But we do know from here that it has to do with Jesus, and that it is of God’s “good pleasure”. And we know that it has to do with the end of time.
And that is the point I want to make from these two verses: that God is in control, and will work everything out in the end.
Do you ever feel that life is completely disorganized? In disarray? That everything is broken, that nothing will ever be complete or right or pure? That you have no control over your world? If so, you are not alone. In fact, if you don’t feel that way from time to time, it is probably just because you have adapted better to the same circumstances – life is still a mess, you’ve just learned to live with it.
Here is the hope we have in Christ: it will not always be that way. A time is coming when it will all change. Harmony will replace discord. Continuity will replace disjointedness. Order will replace chaos. That which is broken will be replaced, that which is impure will be made pure, the incomplete will be made complete.
Verse 10 tells us that ALL THINGS, in heaven and on earth, will be brought together under one head, even Christ. What this verse is telling us is that not only will we experience the harmony of the entire physical world, but the spiritual world as well. This is a cosmic reconciliation – a point when every created thing, in heaven and on earth, will be brought together. Finally, it will all make sense, will all fit together, will all be complete.
The concept behind the idea of things “brought together under one head” is of a column of numbers, finally all tallied up and accounted for. The bottom line is drawn, and everything is brought together in Christ. All the parts add up, the numbers fall in line, and the end result is “summed up” in Christ. Finally there will be a center, a finality, an organizing principle. A “theory of everything”.
Doesn’t that bring you hope?? God has it all in control, it is all in His hands, He has a plan to bring everything into line “when the times will have reached their fulfillment.” If you are at all like me, you long for that time to come soon. The struggles of our own lives threaten to overwhelm us, and we feel a need to understand what God is doing now. And that is normal – legitimate even! But often the answer comes back – trust me. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but I am in control, and I have promised you a future of hope. We have hope.
This isn’t the whole idea behind the mystery that is revealed, but I think it is a good part of it – that God has all of eternity firmly in His grasp, and will sum it all up in Christ at the appropriate time. And if we can trust Him with eternity, we can also trust Him with our present. God is in control.
God is in control, He has lavished His grace upon us, and He offers redemption and forgiveness. That is why we praise God the Son – forgiveness and redemption, grace lavished, and mystery revealed.
The phrase “to the praise of His glory” is what marks off the sections of praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. vss. 11-12 say: READ. vs. 11 is the same themes we have seen already, both last week and this week. But in closing I want you to notice vs. 12, and what it says about “the praise of His glory”: It says that “we” are to be for the praise of His glory. Our very being, our lives themselves, are to BE for the praise of His glory. Praising God is not only an action that we do on Sunday morning, it is a state of being before Him. And there is nothing that brings Him more praise than a Redeemed sinner on whom He can lavish His grace.
Betty Nordin – “God, Please Help Me.”
