Ephesians 1:7

“in whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trepasses, according to the riches of His grace”

“In whom”: In Christ. “We have redemption”: This refers to deliverance. “Through His blood”: (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Peter 1:18).

The word "redemption" is the same word that was used in the ancient world for ransoming. man who is. prisoner of war or. slave; for freeing. man from the penalty of death. This word reminds us that all Christians were once "slaves" of sin (John 8:34), and that we were "powerless" to save ourselves. Hence Christianity finds itself condemning all those religious systems that advocate that man eventually saves himself, such as reincarnation. It took the blood of Christ to atone for our sins. Therefore "sin" is. very serious matter and it can never be trivialized.

Before we move on,. think Coffman had. good point when he said, “but one primary truth should be reiterated, namely that God in designing the creation of men with the express purpose of making men His sons through Christ would most certainly not have created men in such. manner that the highest happiness of them could be achieved in the service of Satan rather than in the service of Himself!” (p. 123).

“The forgiveness”: The following passages are beautiful expressions of what it means to be forgiven (Psalms 103:12; Micah 7:19; Isaiah 2:25).

Barclay points out that even the pagans were haunted by the sense of their own unforgiven sins. “Seneca is full of this kind of feeling of helpless frustration. He said of himself that he was. man not to be tolerated. Men, he said with. kind of despair, love their vices and hate them at the same time. What men need, he cried, is. hand let down to lift them up. All the plays of Aeschylus are founded on one text-‘The doer shall suffer'. Once. man had done an evil thing Nemesis was on his heels; and punishment followed sin as certainly as night followed day” (pp. 81-82). But we only have this "forgiveness", "in Him", and the only way "into Christ" is through faith and baptism (Galatians 3:26). At this point. number of Scriptures can be tied together: (1) "In Christ" we have access to the benefits of His shed blood (Ephesians 1:7). Baptism is necessary to enter "into Christ" (Galatians 3:26). Therefore, baptism brings one into contact with the benefits of Christ's blood. (Romans 6:3). The Church is purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). People are purchased and made to be. kingdom (Revelation 1:5). Therefore the church of Christ and the kingdom of God are the same relationship. (3) The church is purchased with the blood, and baptism puts one into contact with the benefits of the blood, therefore baptism is necessary to be. member of the blood bought body of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; Acts 2:41; Acts 2:47). (4) One cannot be saved without the blood of Christ. Baptism puts one into contact with the benefits of His death. Therefore one can't be saved without being baptized (Mark 16:16).

“Trespasses”: “Its meaning suggests the idea of stepping or falling aside from the proper and safe ground” (Caldwell p. 28). “Is that of crossing the line of right” (Lenski p. 367). When God says that sin is. trespass He is saying that there are acts and attitudes that we do not have the right to practice. What is sinful can never be called. “right”. “According to the riches of His grace”: “So abundant was God's grace” (Wey). “Through that full and generous grace” (Phi). “Therein lies the richness of God's free grace” (NEB). “The great opulence of God's affluence is freely and willingly shared with us even when our captivity has resulted from our own stupid, inane negligence and disobedience” (Caldwell p. 29).