Bless God for Redemption! Eph 1:7-8

Devotional

Day 1: Redeemed from Slavery to Sin

Redemption means release by payment of a ransom, and Scripture teaches that apart from Christ, every person is enslaved to sin—bound in will, heart, and mind, unable to choose what is truly good or holy. This spiritual bondage is not merely external but rooted deep within, so that we are both the prisoner and the prison, desperately needing God to intervene and set us free. The good news is that God, in His sovereign grace, steps into the slave market of our sin and pays the price to release us, giving us new hearts and new desires so that we can love and obey Him. [30:04]

Ephesians 1:7 (ESV)
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,"

Reflection: In what area of your life do you still feel bound or powerless to change? Ask God today to show you how His redeeming grace can set you free in that specific area.

Day 2: Redeemed through Christ’s Finished Work

Our redemption is not a work in progress or something we must complete; it is fully accomplished by Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as the full and final payment for our sin. The ransom was not paid to Satan or any other power, but to God Himself, the offended party, and it was paid with the precious blood of Christ. Because of this, there is no work left for us to do to earn our salvation—Jesus declared, "It is finished," and all who are in Him are secure forever, held fast by His unbreakable promise. [41:58]

Hebrews 10:14 (ESV)
"For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."

Reflection: When you are tempted to doubt your salvation or feel you must earn God’s favor, how can you remind yourself that Christ’s work is truly finished and complete for you?

Day 3: Redeemed with Full Forgiveness

Through the blood of Jesus, we receive not partial but full forgiveness of all our trespasses—our deliberate crossings of God’s boundaries. Just as the Old Testament scapegoat carried away the sins of the people, so Christ has removed our missteps and washed them away completely. When God looks at us, He no longer sees our muddy footprints outside His law, but the perfect steps of Jesus within it; this is why we can approach Him with confidence and gratitude, knowing our forgiveness is total and irrevocable. [54:01]

Psalm 103:12 (ESV)
"As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."

Reflection: Is there a past sin or failure you keep bringing before God in guilt? How might believing in your full forgiveness through Christ change the way you relate to Him today?

Day 4: Redeemed by Lavished Grace

God’s grace does not trickle into our lives; it floods us, overflowing beyond our need and pouring out in abundance. The measure of His giving is not our poverty but His plenty—He lavishes grace upon us in all wisdom and insight, so that our hearts are enlarged in worship and gratitude. This overwhelming grace not only sets us free from sin but also calls us to rejoice, to praise, and to live as people whose cups are overflowing with the goodness of God. [58:11]

Romans 5:20 (ESV)
"Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,"

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel most aware of your shortcomings? How can you let God’s overflowing grace reshape your self-image and your response to Him today?

Day 5: Lavished Grace Calls Us to Lavish Grace on Others

The grace God has poured into our lives is meant to overflow into our relationships with one another, especially within the church. As recipients of such abundant mercy, we are called to extend grace to others—even when we are hurt or wronged—so that the church becomes a living picture of God’s love and forgiveness. This is not always easy, but it is a powerful witness to the world and a reflection of the gospel that has changed our hearts, making us a people who choose love and forgiveness over bitterness and division. [01:04:12]

Colossians 3:13 (ESV)
"bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

Reflection: Who in your church family or community do you need to extend grace or forgiveness to today? What practical step can you take to show them the same lavish grace God has shown you?

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered around the glorious truths of Ephesians 1:3-8, beholding the breathtaking heights of God’s grace in our redemption. We began by reflecting on the reality that, apart from Christ, every one of us was enslaved to sin—not just in our actions, but in the very desires and inclinations of our hearts. Our problem was not merely external, but internal; we were both the prisoner and the prison. The Bible’s diagnosis is sobering: we were born with a sinful nature, unable and unwilling to choose God or righteousness on our own. This is why redemption is not just helpful, but absolutely necessary.

But God, in His sovereign mercy, did not leave us in bondage. He entered the slave market of our sin and paid the ransom Himself—not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Our redemption is not partial or pending; it is finished, accomplished fully at the cross. Jesus’ sacrifice was not a negotiation with Satan, but a satisfaction of God’s just wrath against our sin. The payment was made to God, the offended party, and in Christ, all of God’s wrath for our sin has been exhausted. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

This truth should fill us with deep confidence and gratitude. We are no longer slaves to sin, but belong to Christ. Our forgiveness is not partial, but total—every misstep, every trespass, every deliberate crossing of God’s boundaries has been washed away by the blood of Jesus. When God looks at us, He sees not our failures, but the perfect obedience of His Son.

And this grace is not doled out in small measure. Paul says God has lavished His grace upon us. Our cup is not merely full; it is overflowing. This abundance of grace is meant to enlarge our hearts in worship and to overflow into our relationships with one another. As a church, we are called to be a people who extend the same lavish grace to each other that we have received from God. In our imperfections, in our hurts and misunderstandings, we have the opportunity to display the beauty of the gospel by forgiving and loving one another as Christ has loved us.

Let us rejoice in our Redeemer, who has set us free from the power and penalty of sin, and let us be a community marked by overflowing, lavish grace.

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Key Takeaways

1. Redemption frees us from slavery to sin Apart from Christ, we are not merely people who sin, but slaves to sin—our wills, desires, and hearts bound to love darkness rather than light. Redemption is God’s act of entering our bondage and setting us free, not by external force, but by transforming our hearts and desires. This freedom is not the restoration of some neutral will, but the gift of a new heart that can finally love and obey God. [30:04]
2. Christ’s finished work secures our forgiveness The cross is not a partial payment or a down payment on our salvation. Jesus’ sacrifice is complete; He paid the full price for our redemption, satisfying God’s justice and absorbing His wrath. There is no more condemnation left for those in Christ—our forgiveness is total, and our security is anchored in His finished work, not our ongoing performance. [47:42]
3. God’s grace is lavish, not limited God does not measure His grace by our need, but by His own abundance. He pours out grace in overflowing measure, flooding our lives beyond what we can comprehend. This lavish grace is meant to enlarge our hearts in worship and to overflow into our relationships, making us a people who extend grace as freely as we have received it. [58:11]
4. Redemption changes our ownership and our community We are no longer slaves to sin, but belong to Christ. This new identity calls us to live as a people of grace, forgiving and loving one another even when we are hurt or wronged. The church becomes a living picture of God’s grace, a place where heaven meets earth as we extend to each other what God has lavished on us. [62:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:37] - Invitation and Hospitality
[27:32] - Prayer for Illumination
[30:04] - Redeemed from Slavery to Sin
[32:35] - The Reality of Our Sinful Nature
[34:37] - Human Will and the Need for Grace
[36:55] - God’s Promise of a New Heart
[39:11] - Why Jesus Was Born of a Virgin
[41:58] - Redemption Accomplished and Secure
[43:41] - To Whom Was the Ransom Paid?
[45:26] - Christ Satisfies God’s Justice
[47:42] - No Condemnation in Christ
[49:37] - Full Forgiveness for Every Trespass
[51:48] - Redemption Changes Our Ownership
[54:01] - The Law, Trespasses, and Forgiveness
[58:11] - Lavished Grace and Overflowing Worship
[62:29] - Extending Grace in the Church
[64:12] - The Church as a Picture of Grace
[66:51] - Closing Prayer and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 1:3-8 (ESV) — Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.

Observation Questions

According to Ephesians 1:7, what is the means by which we have redemption? What does Paul say is the result of this redemption?
The sermon described our condition before Christ as being “slaves to sin.” What does that mean, and how does Paul describe this in the passage? [[30:04]]
In verse 8, Paul says God’s grace is “lavished” on us. What words or images does the sermon use to help us understand what “lavished” means? [[58:11]]
The sermon mentions that our forgiveness is “total” and not partial. Where do you see this idea in the passage or in the way the pastor explained it? [[49:37]]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says that apart from Christ, we are not just people who sin, but “slaves to sin”—our hearts and desires are bound. Why is it important to understand our problem as internal, not just external? How does this shape the way we see our need for redemption? [[30:04]]
The pastor explained that Jesus’ sacrifice was not a negotiation with Satan, but a satisfaction of God’s justice. Why does it matter who the payment was made to? How does this affect our understanding of the cross? [[43:41]]
Paul says God “lavished” grace on us. The sermon said our cup is not just full, but overflowing. What does this say about God’s character and how He gives to us? [[58:11]]
The sermon described the church as a place where “heaven meets earth” because of the way we extend grace to each other. What does it look like for a church to be a living picture of God’s grace? [[01:02:29]]

Application Questions

The sermon said that before Christ, we were both the prisoner and the prison—our hearts were bound to sin. Can you think of a time when you felt stuck in a pattern of sin or wrong desires? How did God’s grace begin to change you? [[30:04]]
The pastor said, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Do you ever struggle with spiritual insecurity or doubt about your forgiveness? What would it look like to rest in Christ’s finished work this week? [[47:42]]
The sermon emphasized that God’s forgiveness is total—past, present, and future. Is there a sin or failure in your life that you have trouble believing is truly forgiven? How can you remind yourself of the truth of the gospel in those moments? [[49:37]]
Paul says God’s grace is “lavished” on us, not given in small measure. In what areas of your life do you tend to think God’s grace is limited or runs out? How can you begin to see and receive His abundance? [[58:11]]
The pastor challenged us to extend the same lavish grace to others that we have received from God. Is there someone in your life—maybe in this church—who has hurt or disappointed you? What would it look like to forgive or show grace to them this week? [[01:02:29]]
The sermon described the church as a place where we “lavish grace on one another.” Can you share a time when someone in the church extended grace to you? How did that impact your faith or your sense of belonging? [[01:04:12]]
The pastor said that our new identity in Christ means we belong to Him, not to sin. What is one practical way you can live out your new identity this week—in your family, work, or relationships? [[51:48]]

Sermon Clips

The truth of our spiritual reality apart from Christ is that our problem was not outside of us, it was inside of us. That we were both the prisoner and the prison. That our bondage was not situational but spiritual, rooted in what we loved, desired, and chose. And this is what the Bible means by slavery to sin. [00:30:34] (33 seconds) #SinSlaveryTruth

Spiritually speaking, the Bible is telling us that we were standing in the slave market of our sin, and only God could pay the ransom to set us free. We needed to be redeemed from the power of sin. [00:31:21] (18 seconds) #DivineRansom

The good news is that this does not destroy our human freedom, it restores it. It does not destroy it, it restores it for the first time. Because of Christ, we are free to love and obey him from the heart. And that's why redemption is such good news. [00:38:57] (20 seconds) #FreedomRestored

If you're in Christ today, you should reject spiritual insecurity. And there are so many different religions that claim to be Christian that don't teach the word of God, and they would cause you to go look at yourself after you sin and say, "Oh no, now what must save?" When the reality is, if you are in Christ, the work has been done for you and there is nothing left that remains. [00:49:17] (29 seconds) #SecurityInChrist

If you've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you belong to Jesus. Redemption changes our ownership. We see in these few verses in seven and eight, right here at the end of verse seven, that we are redeemed with full forgiveness. [00:52:16] (19 seconds) #RedeemedBelonging

And here's what's even better news: when God looks at us, he no longer sees our missteps outside of the boundaries of his law. He sees Christ's perfect steps within the boundaries of them all. We have been purchased by the very blood of Jesus and our missteps have been washed away and we are forgiven. [00:56:15] (29 seconds) #PerfectSteps

This first and foremost causes us to stop and worship God for his lavish grace, to rejoice in the reality that we were in the slave market and he walked into the slave market and he purchased us with his blood. He took off the chains of our bondage to sin, he grabbed us by the hand, and he connected us to himself so that we would belong to him forever, never to go back into that slave market ever again in bondage to sin. Now we belong to Christ. [01:01:12] (30 seconds) #GraceOverflowing

We are a people who look at one another and recognize that because our cups are overflowing with what God has done for us, we allow all of that overflow to pour on one another. And isn't that good news for us today? Because what we find is that in the church, just like in our families, right, we end up hurting each other. And the enemy loves that. The enemy loves it when we hurt each other. [01:02:02] (31 seconds) #HeavenOnEarth

God has loved us. He has lavished grace upon us. Let's respond today in praise as we go out rejoicing in who he is and what he's done for us, setting us free from the power of sin, from the penalty of sin. And if we had more time in the sermon today, we'd talk about how one day we will be set free from the presence of sin. All of this is done through the redemption of the blood of Christ. [01:06:21] (26 seconds)

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