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REDEEMED
BY HIS BLOOD!
Eph. 1:7-12
7 In Him we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches
of His grace. 8
which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight. 9
He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind
intention which He purposed in Him. 10
with a view to an administration suitable
to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in
Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him. 11
also we have obtained an inheritance,
having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things
after the counsel of His will, 12
to the end that we who were the first to
hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
We
read that "in Him we have redemption" (v.7), but what needs
to be redeemed? What is in need of it? What is yet
unborn.*
(In Norwegian redemption and delivery is the same word).
When a human being shall leave the condition inside a mothers
womb, into a new existence, there has to be a redemption/delivery. And
something has to cause this delivery to start. The Word uses the same
words and notions when it speaks about being saved. It speaks about a
spiritual birth.
When a worldly human being becomes Christian, it happens by a
birth.
The Word speaks about being born again. It says that you
have to
be born again to be able to see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3), and also
to
enter into
the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5).
So, before this birth has taken place, you are spiritually in
totally darkness, like a fetus inside the womb. You have just about
the same sense, sight and understanding for the Kingdom of God as the
fetus has about life outside the womb. It is not possible to see
there, because the light cannot come through. If we could have
remembered the time when we were born, I think we would have
experienced it like if somebody just turned the light on in a dark
room.
When Jesus, stood on the threshold to this world, it says: “There
was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every
man.” (John
1:9).
The true
light!
Who
enlightens
every man! Listen to how the psalmist is praying in this psalm: “O
send out Your light and Your truth, let
them
lead me; Let
them
bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.” (Ps.
43:3).
The psalmist has seen his need! No one really cries for
the light before he realizes that he is in the darkness. Do you know
this cry? Has God answered those who cry? Yes! We know that these were
among
the many names Jesus had:
Light
and
truth.
Let Him lead you! Let Him guide you! Then you will arrive at Gods
Holy hill and to His
dwelling places.
The necessity of being born again! - How can we be
redeemed? “In
Him we
have
redemption,”
we read in v.7. And all of our sins are forgiven us by His blood. God
has given you the redemption in Him
This is the message: Jesus blood and forgiveness of sin which starts the
new birth and effects that you goes from death to life. It is worked by
God, by the Word when it reaches the heart and conscience with its
light. Then a person is born again! The person is being redeemed by
being enlighten of the redemption that has been given in Jesus Christ.
What do you read here in the Word of God? “In
Him you
have redemption!” As His blood has made atonement for the sin of the
world, so is His forgiveness made perfect for you. Let it work in your
heart! It is not you who should consider if this seems fair to you or
not. The only thing you can ask, is: Does the Word of God really teach
this. And if it does, you will see that also you are saved by Him.
When Paul testifies: “In Him we have redemption,”
he does not only mean the congregation, but all mankind. Because he
points out that this redemption has its cause in His blood - and
you probably know the Apostle Johns word: “My
little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may
not sin And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for
our sins:”
- and then he continues: “-
and
not for ours only, but also for those of the
whole
world.”
(1 John 2:1-2).
It is going to take
a whole lot to escape from this! We
shall follow this thread for a little bit - so what will it say that
he is the Advocate/Spokesman? In the book of Hebrews it says where
to and to whom the believers have come, contrary to those who lived
and live under the covenant of the law. Then we read: “And
to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the
sprinkled blood,
which
speaks
better than the blood of Abel.” (Hebr.
12:24).
What did you hear about the sprinkling blood? - That
it
speaks!
Jesus, our Spokesman, revealed to the throne in heaven, just as a
lamb which has been
slaughtered,
according to the book of Revelation. (Rev. 5:6).
You see, in His blood there is redemption also for you,
it speaks
your
case in front of the Father. Do you think that is enough? If that
would not have been enough, Jesus would not have been in heaven today!
When will you and I be content with what God has given us? He Himself
comes down to earth, lets Himself be slaughtered as a lamb, for the
atonement of sins. He is raised up on a cross on a hill, so that everybody
can see Him. And we go around wondering and asking: I wonder if salvation
is for somebody like me? “Believe,” Jesus said to Thomas, “and do
not be faithless!”
Those who say to their spouse: “I love you” and notices
that it is called in question, cannot exactly be fully joyful. But
we are exactly the same with the Lord, and He has not only
told
us - which should be enough - but He has visible evidence on the
cross of Golgotha. And we go on and on and "wonder if...!"
And then we go and try to walk this road that leads to
heaven, hopefully “better and better each day”. We show by this that
we really have not heard the voice that teaches us, that this road
is already walked for us and all the way into the holiness in heaven
where He has sat down by the fathers right hand.
Therefore it says:
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved, you
and your household."
(Acts 16:31). Notice that it only says one thing:
Believe
in the Lord Jesus!
As you heard from the Word that in Him you have the redemption
and in Him your whole house will be redeemed. The new birth is also
been made for them, only by this one thing, that the light comes
through into their darkness; the light, that God has given us a complete
salvation
in Jesus Christ.
Paul even say, that we were
predestined
to take part in this salvation, the
heritage
as he calls it in v.11.
So, God had planned out this salvation, and made it for
us, before we came into this world! And we had neither done bad nor
good. And then we think that everything has to do by what we do, our
works! - At least to some extent. No, it is only about what Jesus
did. There is only one bad deed - and mark: it is a
deed
- who shuts us out from all of this and locks it up for us with gates
of copper and iron, and that is
disbelief.
It turns away the Spirit of mercy who has testified to your heart.
God has a plan: "With
a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times,
that is, the summing up of all things
in Christ,
things in the
heavens
and things on the earth. In Him."(v.10).
This is how Paul speaks about it: "We
proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all
wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ."
(Col. 1:28). Not perfect
in yourself,
but perfect
in Christ.
In Him, we already have been given the redemption, by His blood, forgiveness
of sins. (v.7).
There is one thing you should notice in your heart and
mind, you who do not want to go astray; the forgiveness of sins is
always
connected to
the blood!
Yes, it even says: "And
according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed
with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
(Heb. 9:22). You have according to Gods own Word to you a safe foundation
to come to. But you have to get to
it
too. Because the forgiveness of sins is not that God will over and
over again decide to forgive you, "for
by
one offering
He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
"(Heb. 10:14).
Which are those who take their refuge in the salvation, the name of
Jesus!
How sweet
the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.
E.K.
Holy Bible New American
Standard version
Translator: Benedicte Holtan Smart |
