Redeemed By The Blood Of Christ

You can be Liberated by the Power of the Blood (Eph. 1:6-7)

Up to this verse we have learned of ministry of God the Father in providentially planning, purchasing, and providing for the Church by predestinating the entire plan “in Christ” before the foundation of the world. Now in verses 7 thru 12 we will learn how God the Son Purchased (Redeemed) the church.

Each member of the church is redeemed by Christ’s blood (1:7) (Col. 1:14). Christ’s blood is potentially sufficient for all but only effective for those that Believe! We must believe the Gospel before God’s predestination can become an experienced reality in our own lives (1:13; Heb. 11:1). The Bible says Christ is the one:

“In whom we have redemption through his blood. . .” (1:7)

How is it possible that the blood of Jesus Christ has such power to redeem and cleanse us from all sin?

This is possible because of who Jesus is and what he did when He died on the Cross. First, Jesus was, is and always will be, absolutely sinless in thought word and deed. Secondly, Jesus was, is, and always will be “the LORD Jesus Christ!” Jesus is the LORD of LORDS! (Eph. 1:2; Rev. 19:16). “For by Him were all things created. . . and by him all things consist” (Col. 1:16-17). That is why he can take away the sin of the world (John 1:29; I John 2:2).

What Jesus did was bear the penalty due every sin that every one has ever committed or will commit and fully paid for it on the cross (Heb. 10:10, 12-14; Isa. 53:4-6). Jesus fulfilled every Old Testament type that taught salvation by the substitutionary death of a perfect sinless sacrifice in place of the sinner (Isa. 53:7-8; 10:11). Jesus can “take away our sins; because in him is no sin” (I Jn 3:5)!

Illustration: You can redeem (purchase) 10 pennies with 1 dime. Why? Because the government who has the authority to set the standard has made it so. You don’t argue about the standard you just believe it and submit to it and reap the benefits. You can redeem (purchase) 10 dimes with 1 dollar. Why? Because the government who has the authority to, has set this standard and made it so. You don’t argue with the standard that was set by those who had the authority to set it. You simply believe the standard and submit to it and reap the benefits. God has the authority to set the standard for forgiveness of sins. God declared the wages of sin, any sin, is death (Rom. 3:23). God set the standard for redeeming sinners destined for eternal damnation. God determined that if there should ever be a man that lived a perfect life in thought, word and deed, His life, (and thus his blood Lev. 17:11, 14), would be so valuable that He could literally redeem the life of every human being that ever lived! He could redeem every one because His redemptive value would be so high. But we must believe the standard that God has set.

WE ARE REDEEMED FROM SOMETHING

Redemption supposes captivity and slavery, and is a deliverance out of it. God’s elect by nature are in bondage to sin (that dwells in my flesh {Rom. 7:18-2}), Satan (Heb. 2:14), and the law (Gal. 3:13).

Through the grace of Christ we are redeemed from all sin: we are both forgiven and cleansed (I John 1:7).

Through the grace of Christ we are ransomed from the power of and bondage to satan and his hosts of wickedness.

And through the grace of Christ we are ransomed from the curse and condemnation of the law (Rom. 3:25). The last word in the Old Testament is “a curse” (Malachi). The last word in the New Testament is “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Rev. 22:21).

Every enemy of holiness and love has been fully dealt with by the grace of God on the cross of Christ! We are saved from death, hell, and the wrath to come (I Thess.1:10; 5:9-10; Eph. 2:1-5)!

We are redeemed from the lust of our fallen sin nature inherited from Adam as well a from the actual sins we have committed (Rom. 5:19; 3:23). We have been “bought with a price” (I Cor. 6:20) from the bondage inherited through original sin (Gen. 5:3; Rom. 5:12-19; Eph. 2:3).

We are redeemed from the power of satan. God was not paying a ransom price to the devil. That is not taught in the Bible. On the cross Jesus destroyed “him that had the power of death, that is the devil” (Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:14-15; Eph. 2:2). We were in bondage to satan because he held the “fear of death” over our guilty consciences like the executioner’s sword (Heb. 2:14-15).