Ephesians 1:7-10 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (8) which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight (9) making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ (10) as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (esv)
Looking through the spiritual blessings in Ephesians 1, I am grateful for the forgiveness of sin and the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. God has made a way for His people to be redeemed and forgiven and it has always involved the shedding of blood. (Lev 17:11) Rather than having to take on the wrath of God as the just punishment for our disobedience, He sent Jesus to take it on the cross and shed his blood on my behalf. What an amazing gift we have been given in Christ.
To be redeemed means that we were purchased back at a price. Many will say that Jesus was a good moral teacher or that he was someone to model our life after, but the truth is, it is the fact that He shed His blood which gives us the power of redemption. It isn’t because He was sinless (which he was), it was by His blood and was because of God’s grace.
Sin holds you and me in bondage but we are set free from our sins against God by the blood of Jesus. The plan of salvation is not something that was just created by a whim. God’s plan for salvation, which he prepared from the beginning, is done with wisdom and insight. (1Cor 2:7) It was planned and created to fulfill His purpose before the ages were set into place and is displayed by the abundant grace of God.
The salvation God had planned was a mystery before the coming of Christ. It was not revealed until the fulfillment of Christ and is now made known to the believers. (Col 1:26) The revelation of His plan was done according to His purposes and done so according to His good pleasure. In addition it was done at the time of His own choosing. (Galatians 4:4)
Vincent’s Word Studies: The connection of the whole is as follows: God made known the mystery of His will, the plan of redemption, according to His own good pleasure, in order to bring to pass an economy peculiar to that point of time when the ages of the christian dispensation should be fulfilled – an economy which should be characterized by the regathering of all things round one point, Christ. All of creation in heaven and on earth are brought together to completeness in Christ.
Today I find encouragement knowing that God is in control. When life becomes challenging, things around me seem to be in turmoil, or I simply don’t understand what the Lord is doing, I can find hope and confidence knowing that God knows. If the mystery of Christ in us was planned and purposed from before time and was to be completed at just the right time, I can know that whatever I’m going through isn’t a mystery to God. He isn’t looking down clasping His hands wondering what He’s going to do. Rather, He is in His rightful place loving me and guiding me each step of the way for His glory and my good. (Rom 8)
Lord, thank you for the gift of redemption and forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus. Amen