Ephesians Series - Part 5 - We Have Redemption Through His Blood Series

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

The One “in whom we have redemption” is “the Beloved” of verse six.

The verb “have” in Ephesians 1:7 is in the present tense and durative in action, making verse seven literally say, “in whom we are having redemption.” This means that the Christian’s redemption is an abiding fact from the past, through the present, and into the future. The follower of Jesus Christ can confidently say, “The Lord saved me in such and such a year, I am being saved today, and I will be saved in the future.”

The word “redemption” is the Greek word apolutrosis, ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis which is defined by Bible scholar Thayer in its verb form “to redeem one by paying the price, to let one go free on receiving the price”. He describes the noun form as “a release affected by payment of ransom, deliverance, liberation procured by the payment of a ransom.”

J. Vernon McGee comments that “Man has been sold under sin and is in bondage to sin. All one needs to do is look around to see that this is true. Man is a rotten, corrupt sinner and he cannot do anything else but sin -- he is a slave to sin. Christ came to pay the price of man’s freedom. That is what the Lord Jesus meant when He said: ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed’ (John 8:38)”

The story of redemption can be told in three Greek words:

1. agorazo, “to buy in the slave market” (I Cor 6:20, 7:23,30; 2 Peter 2:1, Rev 5:9); The Lord Jesus bought us while we were in the slave market of sin.

1 Cor 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

2. exagorazo, “to buy out of the slave market, to buy off, to buy for one’s self” (Gal 3:13, 4:5) The redeemed are the possession of the Lord Jesus forever and will never be put up for sale in any slave market again.

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

3. apolutrosis, “to liberate by payment of ransom” (Titus 2:14, I Peter 1:18) The redeemed experience a three-fold freedom: (1) from the guilt of sin, (2) from the power of sin now and (3) to be finally set free from the presence of sin at the Rapture.

1 Pet 1:18-19 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; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot;

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Ever since the fall of Adam, men, women, boys and girls have been enslaved to sin and are guilty before God.

What does the Bible have to say about guilt?

1. The whole world is guilty before God. - Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be guilty and brought under the judgment of God. (Rom 3:19)

2. All have sinned. - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)

3. The heart is a chronic liar. - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer 17:9)

4. There are no truly "good" people. - As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. (Rom 3:10)

What does the Bible have to say about sin?

Sins are actions by which humans rebel against God, miss His purpose for their life, and surrender to the power of evil rather than to God.

The most common New Testament word for sin is hamartia.- "to miss the mark"

illust:. Throwing a stone from UMBC to Columbia, MD. Some who have more strength than others may throw the stone further but no one will achieve this feat…all will “miss the mark”.

Another New Testament word for sin is, parabasis, meaning, a "trespass" or "transgression." This literally means, to step across the line. When a person sins, they step across God's standard of righteousness into willful disobedience.