EPHESIANS 1:3-14
4. God’s purpose in adoption is that we might live forever—live to the praise of the glory of His grace.
“That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus” (Eph.2:7; cp. Eph.1:18).
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(1:7) Redemption—Ransom: the third blessing—God has redeemed us and forgiven our sins. The word “redemption”
(apolutrosin) is one of the great words of the Bible. It conveys the idea of deliverance or setting a man free by paying a
ransom. For example, a prisoner of war or a kidnapped person is ransomed or redeemed; or a convicted criminal is freed from
the penalty of death. In every case the man is powerless to free himself. He cannot pay the penalty demanded to liberate him-
self from his situation or bondage. Note several significant facts.
1. Man has been captivated or kidnapped by several forces.
a. The force of sin. All men sin and cannot help but sin. Man is sold under sin. Sin has captivated him
(Ro.3:23; 7:14).
b. The force of corruption and death. The whole creation is corrupt (Ro.8:21). Everything wastes away; it
deteriorates, decays, ages, and eventually dies. Corruption and death have captivated man. (Cp. 1 Cor.15:42,
50; Gal.6:8; 2 Pt.1:4; 2:12, 19.)
c. The force of Satan. All unbelievers are under the power and influence of Satan. He has blinded their minds
to the gospel (2 Cor.4:4). He works in the children of disobedience (Eph.2:2). They are captivated by him
(1 Jn.5:19).
2. Three key ideas are included in the concept of redemption.
a. Man needs to be liberated, delivered, and set free.
b. Man is unable to liberate himself. He has no energy, no power, no ability to free himself.
c. God has redeemed man by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. God Himself has paid the ransom for man’s
release—the ransom of a life for a life. God gave His own Son so that man might be set free. Man has been
redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ (cp. Lev.17:11; Mt.20:28; Ro.3:24; 1 Cor.6:20; 7:23; Col.1:14;
1 Tim.2:5-6; Heb.9:15; 1 Pt.1:18f; 2 Pt.2:1; Rev.5:9; 14:3-4). This is extremely important to note: when a
man truly calls upon the Lord to save him, God buys him right out of the marketplace of this corruptible life
(Ro.10:13). God redeems him once for all, purchases and removes him from further sale. He is redeemed
eternally (cp. Gal.3:13; 4:5; Col.4:5).
3. God redeems man because of the riches of His grace (see note, Grace—Eph.2:8-9 for discussion). He loves man
with an unbelievable love—a love so great that it spurs Him to do whatever is necessary to save man.
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an
atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev.17:11).
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a
ransom for many” (Mt.20:28).
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Ro.3:24).
“For ye are bought [redeemed] with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spi-
rit, which are God’s” (1 Cor.6:20).
“Ye are bought [redeemed] with a price; be not ye the servants of men” (1 Cor.7:23).
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace” (Eph.1:7).
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col.1:14).
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave
himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Tim.2:5-6).
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the re-
demption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might re-
ceive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Heb.9:15).
“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” (1 Pt.1:18-19).
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought [re-
deemed] them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Pt.2:1).
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals the-
reof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue,
and people, and nation” (Rev.5:9).
“And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the eld-
ers: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were re-
deemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
These are they which follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among
men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb” (Rev.14:3-4).
DEEPER STUDY # 1
(1:7) Forgiveness: the word “forgiveness” (aphesin) means to send off, to send away, to release, to let go. The word for “sin”
(paraptomaton) means transgression, trespass, a falling by the way, or deviating from the way. All men...
• have transgressed the law of God.
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