THE BLESSING OF REDEMPTION Keith Underhill

EPHESIANS 1:7

Governments are always setting goals. The Kenya Vision for 2030 is a vehicle for the transformation of the country into a rapidly industrialising and globally competitive middle income nation by the year 2030. It is not sufficient to set the goal; steps have been planned to achieve it. We ask, ‘What is the situation in Kenya now? What is needed to attain the goal?’ For example, in north Kenya the basic problem is infrastructure, so one of the first steps must be to build roads to develop trade. Similarly God has made His eternal plans, “before the foundation of the world”, and His goal is to adopt us as His children by making us to be holy and blameless before Him in love (1:4- 5). But it does not just happen because God says so, as one great obstacle must be cleared – sin. This is the blessing of redemption.

1. WE NEED TO BE REDEEMED FROM TRESPASSES
We cannot receive the full blessing of heavenly glory while we remain in our trespasses. Remember the wedding guest who did not have proper garment, and who was thrown out (Matthew 22:11-13). To ‘trespass’ literally means to fall from the proper path, God’s path. All are guilty and conscience testifies to this fact. That you are a trespasser may not be a big thing to you. You say you do not feel guilty, but nor does a driver over-speeding feel guilty until he sees a policeman! Peter did not feel guilty until he came face to face with Christ in the boat and the great catch of fish (Luke 5:8). Perhaps you say that none are free from trespasses... ‘but you do not do the really big evils like murder, and you do much good!’ Could you use these defences in court if you were accused of over-speeding? Could you defend yourself by claiming that most drivers over-speed, that you try to be courteous and that you have never been a drunk driver?
A trespass is not just something you do and perhaps regret, for it has serious consequences. You become guilty of breaking the law, you are liable to prosecution, then to condemnation, and finally to imprisonment. Now think of a terrorist who realizes he is doing wrong, and wants to change, and even is willing to surrender. But he will almost certainly be arrested and condemned, unless there is an assurance of pardon. God has said as the Judge, “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). So how will you escape? We are like Israel as slaves in Egypt; how could they possibly release themselves? But what if God promises pardon...?

2. CHRIST REDEEMS US THROUGH HIS BLOOD ALONE
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses”
‘Redemption’ is to set free from bondage, usually by the payment of a ransom price. Like Israel, we are set free to belong to God and serve Him as a firstborn son (Exodus 4:22- 23). It is a very big idea involving all that happens to us to deal with our sins until we reach glory (1:14, 4:30). Here, just one aspect is brought forward, “the forgiveness of our trespasses”. To be redeemed means there is not condemnation, but release! A condemned traitor is pardoned from a life sentence; what a blessing! God Himself pardons us and says He has nothing at all against us to convict us (see Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 44:22, Micah 7:19).

How is this possible? The only answer is “in the Beloved” (v. 6), “through His blood” (v. 7, see Hebrews 9:22). There is no other way; it is the only way that actually redeems us. What if an Israelite, on the night of the Passover in Egypt, had laid out money, or signed a declaration to keep the law, but had not smeared the blood of the sacrificed lamb? The firstborn would have been slain as in all the dwellings of the Egyptians. It was only by the blood. On the Day of Atonement, one goat was offered as a sacrifice (Leviticus 16:15ff.), and another had the sin of the people of Israel confessed over it and was then sent away into wilderness never to return (vv. 20ff.). These two goats together beautifully illustrate that through the blood (death as a sacrifice) of Christ we are forever set free from our sins. What a cost! It shows how determined God was to redeem us from our sins!

Question: How do you know you are forgiven by God? There are many false answers to this question.
Answer 1 – ‘Because God is merciful’, some claim. God is truly merciful, and this mercy is seen above all in the giving of His Son. However, a problem remains: how can God forgive and remain just? The answer is in Romans 3:24-26.
Answer 2 – ‘Because I have repented’, others claim. Again, it is true that there is no forgiveness without repentance. But repentance by itself only opens you to judgment as you are confessing your sin which deserves to be punished.
Answer 3 – ‘The blood of Jesus Christ’- this is the only true answer. The song asks, ‘What can wash away my stain?’ and it gives the answer, ‘Nothing but the blood of Jesus’ (see also Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 5:9).

3. GOD REDEEMS US BY HIS GRACE ALONE
“According to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us”
Once again the grace of God is magnified as the only reason why such a blessing comes to anyone. Redemption, the forgiveness of our trespasses, is such a great blessing that it shows God’s grace is ‘rich’ and ‘lavish’ (or abounding).
Let us meditate on this blessing that it might cause us to rejoice.

• What did we deserve? Nothing good, only judgment from God, because God sees us as trespassers against His holy law. Are we better than Noah’s contemporaries? Or the Canaanites? If there is one thing God hates it is formal religion, hypocrisy, words without corresponding actions. Paul could never get over the fact that God had redeemed him (1 Timothy 1:12-16). Surely, all of us who are redeemed must ask, ‘Why me?’
  
• Who decided to send Christ for us? It was not any man who thought of this great plan but God. Remember it was the one and only Beloved Son whom God gave, whom He did not spare (Romans 8:32). As the plan of God, He gave freely out of pure love, and we cannot claim any merit. Christ was sent to do everything for us that we could not begin to do for ourselves.

• How can we measure His grace? Do not measure it by your own character, but by God’s. There were two bothers, John & Richard: Richard the ‘lion-heart’ was away fighting but on his victorious return he found the treachery of his brother. Richard forgave John as was his practice, but John himself would never have done that. To redeem sinners by forgiving their trespasses is what you would expect God to do. Do not measure grace by your ideas of forgiveness for perhaps you say that there are certain things that you could never forgive. And do not say that how much you are forgiven depends on how much faith you have. That also limits God’s grace.
Has God freely and fully forgiven you? How then can you live as if you are still in a prison cell awaiting execution! You do not expect a prisoner to be happy who is only waiting for the noose to be tightened around his neck. But if the prison door is opened and he is set free, no words will be able to express his joy! Have you come as ‘miserable sinner’ under condemnation or as one knowing the grace of God in Jesus Christ? If there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, ought not the sinner himself to be joyful?
To you who have never asked for forgiveness, what are you waiting for?

• ü  Is it because you do not greatly feel your need? If not it makes your situation worse, as many go to doctor too late because their disease is too far advanced.
  
• ü  Is it because you are not sure if God will forgive you? If God forgave the criminal in his dying moments, if the prodigal son was forgiven, if Saul as chief of sinners was forgiven, if most wicked Manasseh was forgiven...; if God sent His only Son, that is proof enough of His absolute willingness to save any and all who come to Him.
  
• ü  Is it because you do not know what to tell God? Tell Him you know you are a trespasser, you deserve condemnation, but you are putting your trust in the blood of Christ. If you were pleading before an earthly judge you would know what to say. Forgiveness is a blessing you may have now in Christ. God is rich in grace.