As we continued with GOD'S ETERNAL PLAN, we looked at part 2/3.
My notes are below:
PART 2: PRESENT – (Redemption)
Ephesians 1:6b-12
In order for God to bring His elect people into the inheritance that He has for them in the future He must redeem them. He must buy them. He must purchase them. And so we look at the concept of redemption.
What is redemption? Here's a theological definition: Redemption is an act of God by which He Himself pays as a ransom the price for sin which has outraged His holiness.
Redemption simply means: deliverance by the payment of a price. Two words in the New Testament are used in the Greek language for the word redemption. The first one is exagorazo (by payment of a price to recover from the power of another), and the part of the word agora (the place of assembly; market place). What exagorazo means is to buy out of the marketplace.
But there is another word and perhaps even a stronger word and that is the word that is used here; the word lutroo (to release on receipt of ransom; to redeem), and we also have the word apolutrosis which we translate redemption. Now that means to pay a price to free somebody from bondage.
FIVE ASPECTS OF GOD’S…
PRESENT PLAN – REDEMPTION
I. THE REDEEMER – JESUS CHRIST
“by which He made us accepted in the beloved One in whom we have redemption.” (Ephesians 1:6, 7a)
We have been accepted in the Beloved One; because we are in Christ; because by faith we are made one with Jesus; because we're His body; because we are Christ in the world, we therefore are acceptable to God in Him. And it is in Him that we have redemption. There's only one redeemer, beloved. And that’s the Beloved One.
“You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
Think of it this way: Christ wants us to have every good thing. And the Father loves the Son. And since the Father loves the Son, the Father will grant to the Son of His love the things the Son desires. And the thing the Son desires is that we have every good thing. And so they are ours in Him.
II. THE REDEEMED – US (vs. 6); WE (vs. 7)
“by which He made us accepted in the beloved One in whom we have redemption.” (Ephesians 1:6, 7a)
“Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity.” (Titus 2:14)
Those who are “in Christ” are the redeemed.
III. THE REDEMPTIVE PRICE – THE BLOOD
“…through the blood…” (1:7)
Jesus didn’t just cut Himself and bleed on somebody and redeem them. This is simply a way of saying that He poured out His life. It implies substitution.
The New Testament says He gave His blood. The New Testament also says He gave His soul. The New Testament says He gave His life. And the New Testament says He gave Himself. It all means the very same thing… He died for us. He was a substitute on the cross for us. We should have been there. We should die. We should pay the price. We should be able to do that on our own. That would be pure justice, but God's justice is mingled with His mercy. So God provided a substitute. And the substitute was Jesus.
“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:” (I Peter 1:18, 19)
IV. THE REDEMPTIVE RESULTS – 1. FORGIVENESS OF SINS; 2. WISDOM & PRUDENCE
What does it mean to be redeemed? What are the results?
There are two areas of results:
1. The forgiveness of sins:
“…the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (1:7)
“This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
Israel, in the Old Testament, understood this. On the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the day of national atonement for sin, there were two goats that were used by the high priest. The blood of one goat was sprinkled on the altar. The other goat, the other goat...the priest went up to that goat and put hands on that goat's head, and as it were, he laid all the peoples sins on the head of that goat. He confessed the people's sins on the head of that goat. And that goat was then taken out and sent into the wilderness where it could never find its way back again; it symbolized the taking of sin and sending it away where it would never ever be seen again.
It is the Greek word aphiemi which means to send away, never to return. How far does he send our sins? “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, they transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins; return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.” (Isaiah 44:22)
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” (Micah 7:18)
“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13, 14)
2. Wisdom and Prudence:
“Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;” (1:8)
Whenever God does something He abounds. He forgave us and now He gives us His plan. The first word, wisdom, is sophia, it has to do with wisdom in eternal things like life and death and God and man and sin and eternity and time. It's theological. But the second word is prudence (phronesis in the Greek) and it means insight into earthly things, day to day living.
As a Christian we not only have forgiveness--that takes care of the negative--but positively God gives us the equipment to understand Him and to walk through the world on a day to day basis.
How sad it is when we see those who are "in Christ" grow old without growing in wisdom. Wisdom is not a natural part of aging. In order to gain wisdom, we must follow the advice in Proverbs 2:1-6:
1. accept my Words;
2. store up my command within you;
3. turning your ear to widom;
4. applying your heart to understanding;
5. call out for insight and cry aloud;
6. look for it; and
7. search for it.
"...then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find knowledge of God."
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge..." Proverbs 9:10
If you want WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, and KNOWLEDGE, follow the advise above.
V. THE REDEMPTIVE REASON – “THE MYSTERY” – HE WILL GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, BOTH WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN, AND WHICH ARE ON EARTH.
God thinks so highly of those who are “in Christ” that He has given them the secrets of the universe.
"Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself." (Ephesians 1:9)
Why did He do this? Why this incredible revelation? Why this amazing reality of salvation and redemption?
In order that… “In the dispensation of the fullness of times, (that means the millennial kingdom and right on out into eternity, when time is filled up, when the end comes, when the kingdom arrives, and eternity comes, the new heaven and the new earth) He will gather together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are in earth even in Him." (Ephesians 1:9, 10)
God is redeeming in order that He might gather everything to Himself. Christ will gather the universe into unity. Right now the universe is splintered; it is scattered; it is splattered; it is divided; Satan rules; demons rule and the fight is on between God and the holy angels, but in time demons and Satan will be cast into the pit, in the Kingdom time, then released for a little time for their final fling and then they are sent to the bottomless pit forever. And God will call all things into one who are in Christ, and there will be incredible, eternal unity in Him; all things redeemed.
