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Jesus Brings Us Into God’s Family

Scripture: Ephesians 1:7-10

I. Jesus brings you into God’s family by redeeming you.

A. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood.” Jesus is the one who brings redemption from God directly to you. Redemption means to be set free from slavery upon the payment of a ransom. Jesus then has set God’s children free from slavery. Ephesians 2:1-2 says all of us at one time were slaves to sin: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.”

B. Verse 7 says that we have redemption through his blood. It cost Jesus His blood – His life – to set us free from our slavery to sin. There is a picture in Exodus 12 of what it means to be redeemed. The people of Israel were slaves to Egypt. But the Israelites were set free from their captivity when they were redeemed. They were set free by the blood of the Passover lambs. Jesus is our Passover lamb. His blood shed on the cross saves us from God’s wrath against our sin. Jesus’ blood is the ransom that redeems us and sets us free from God’s judgment against our sin.

II. Jesus brings you into God’s family by forgiving you.

A. In verse 7 we see that our redemption is linked to our forgiveness. Redemption means the forgiveness of our trespasses. We trespass when we cross boundaries that God has meant for us to obey or when we get off the path that God has designed for our righteousness. The good news of the Gospel is that God forgives trespasses. Because we Christians believe that Christ died on the cross for our sin we no longer have to pay any penalty for that sin. Our debt has been paid in full. It’s been covered by the blood of our Savior.

B. We Christians have a wealthy God. He’s rich. And our God is not stingy with His riches. What has He done with the riches of His grace (vs. 7)? Verse 8 says that He has lavished His riches upon us. He is extravagant with His forgiveness. God has given us His very best gift to forgive us: Jesus Christ. What more could God possibly give to you to forgive you? Nothing! He has given you the rich gift of Jesus with all wisdom and insight (vs. 8). In other words, God gives us His grace in spite of His wise insight into who we are and what it will cost Him.

III. Jesus brings you into God’s family by revealing God’s plan to you.

A. A mystery (vs. 9) is something that was previously hidden that has now been revealed by God. In the letter to the Ephesians, the mystery that the writer Paul is referring to is the fulfillment of God’s plan to save us and forgive us through His Son Jesus. While God’s plan has been revealed, the outworking of that plan has not yet been finished according to vs. 10. The plan is for the fullness of time. At the end of history on this earth God is going to unite all things in Jesus, things in heaven and things on earth (vs. 10). Are you living in unity with people in the church? If you are not, you are working against God’s plan. God’s plan is for everything to come together in Jesus, including God’s people. We must forgive if we are going to follow God’s plan for the universe to unite all things in His great Son Jesus.

Application:
Live in unity with other believers so that we can fulfill God’s plan to unite the world in Jesus.

Sources:
The letter to the Ephesians
Commentaries on Ephesians by Bryan Chapell, Peter O’Brien and Richard Coekin