Redeemed and Forgiven

Ephesians 1:7–8

In our previous study in Ephesians chapter 1, we looked at how we are holy, blameless, and adopted through God the Father. Now, in verses 7–8, Paul elaborates on the work of Jesus in our lives. He writes, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”

The significant word in this section is “redemption.” Unfortunately, that term has largely lost its original meaning, which, for Paul, would have been “‘buying back’ a slave or captive, i.e. ‘making free’ by payment of a ransom.” When hearing the word redemption, the original hearers of Paul’s letter would have envisioned the image of a slave market, which was a common sight in the Roman world.  

Paul’s imagery suggests a redemption that is similar to the freeing of those bound as slaves in a great slave market. Jesus came to the slave market of this world, paid a price—His shed blood—and bought us. He redeemed us and freed us for useful service to Him. When we were slaves in the slave market of sin, God could not use us. Once our liberty was purchased by the Messiah, we were free to be profitable to God and slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). Our relationship with Messiah, then, is the source of our purpose in life.  

Does that mean non-Christians cannot have a purpose in life and cannot achieve anything worthwhile? Heaven forbid! But we are not talking about a sense of achievement or feelings of fulfillment in human terms. We are talking about finding God’s ultimate, eternal purpose for our lives. Many human activities and achievements can give us a temporary sense of well-being and happiness, but they do not bring eternal satisfaction and reward (2 Timothy 4:8). Only the work God accomplishes through us brings lasting fulfillment and has eternal value. That is what Paul is talking about.

Paul goes on to tell us that, in Messiah, we have the forgiveness of our sins, which were once our slave chains binding us to our enslaved condition. Our guilty awareness of those sins makes us hide from God, from each other, and even from ourselves. It reminds us of Adam and Eve hiding from God after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). Sin brings shame, withdrawal, and denial. The memory of our sins makes us feel intolerable to ourselves and others. The shame of sin makes us suspicious of others, lonely, and often leads to despair. When Jesus comes into our lives, His light dispels the darkness of our sin. 

How does this Man forgive the sins of others? How can He set our guilt aside while still remaining righteous? Paul’s answer: “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses” (verse 7). That is how it happens. His blood paid the price for our redemption. In the same way that the blood of the first Passover lamb redeemed the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, now, Yeshua, Jesus our Messiah, the ultimate Passover lamb, has redeemed us from slavery to sin. So, Paul can write in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.”

His blood bought our freedom from enslavement to sin. His blood, spilled on a Roman cross, removed our guilt. That was the work of the Son. The cross is not a pleasant thing. Though people wear crosses to identify themselves as Christians, the cross was an instrument of death, like an electric chair today. Blood might be an abhorrent subject for some people. There are many who even faint at the sight of it. Yet, God insists upon blood before there is forgiveness. There is no other way. Scripture is clear: “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). 

Therefore, with great gratitude, we accept His work of redemption, the forgiveness He “lavished upon us” (Ephesians 1:8).