In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.
Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)
Read: Ephesians 1
Consider: You may not know that in Old Testament times property and people could be bonded to another person in recognition of a debt. To ensure that this could be reversed, the Levitical Law (see Leviticus 25) made provision for individuals to redeem (buy back) their property or their freedom.
This idea of redemption is clearly in mind when the New Testament writers speak of Christ redeeming us through the shedding of his blood. The Blood of Christ therefore carries with it the idea that to be redeemed we must have been in slavery or captivity. This then raises the question – in slavery or captivity to what? From what are we being redeemed or set free?
Paul in his letter to the Romans puts it this way: But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:22). Read Romans 6 for a fuller understanding of how prior to believing we were slaves to sin and servants of satan. In Christ we have been redeemed (set free) to serve God.
You might be thinking: Have we not just been redeemed from one slave master, to serve another? Here is what Paul says in his Galatians 4:4-7 – But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘ Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. This means that although we are redeemed to serve God, we are adopted as his children and have become heirs with Christ.
Listen to what Peter says in his first letter: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:18-19). Peter refers to the life without Christ as ‘the empty way of life’. This reminds me of what Jesus himself said in John 10:10 – I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The Blood of Christ means that we have been redeemed (set free) from our former life to serve God, but as his children and heirs with Christ.
Pray: Father, we thank you that the Blood of Christ redeemed us and now we are your children and fellow heirs with Christ. May our love for you overflow with gratitude for what you achieved through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Amen
Every blessing
No Condemnation 