So if you'd like to follow along, I'm gonna be in Ephesians 1. Ephesians chapter 1. I'm gonna read verses 3 and verse 7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And verse 7. in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.

Now I've been talking about this. This is the blessings of Ephesians number four. And this one is gonna be about redemption. But all of these blessings are full of grace and truth. Because, or excuse me, proper English, this is because, you can't start a sentence with the word because, I don't know why. We just talk that way. But this is because all blessings come from him. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Election, the adoption of sons, being accepted by God, all come from God.

Oh, I like this. And all of these, all of these, all of these are in the below, in our Lord Jesus Christ. If it's in you, it's because it was given to you in Christ Jesus. Again, you understand, Paul starts here in these first six verses here. about the work of God, the Father. He chose us. And we started before the foundation of the world when he chose us. And he predestinated us unto the adoption of sons, which is right now where we are, where we are. Who's that? And Paul wrote this to the saints which are at Ephesus, which I'm not. But he wrote this, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, which by his grace, I am. And I hope by his grace, you are.

But here it is now. All those previous things were the work of the Father. Right now we get to the work of the Son. Oh, I like this. In whom we have redemption. through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. I'm gonna tell you something, folks. Nothing in this first chapter of Ephesians is according to your works. It's all according to his grace. It's all according to his grace and his mercy. His everlasting mercy. Oh, I like that.

And the first words are, in whom? And the question is, who's to whom? Well, he tells us. We have redemption through his blood. Who shed his blood? What, for us. And who it is in the last verse, wherein he hath made us accepted? In the beloved. And it's in the beloved we have redemption. In the beloved. He's the in whom, and that's the way it's written in the Old Testament and the New.

Psalms 119 verse nine says this. He sent redemption, what? Unto his people. God doesn't send redemption to everybody. He sent redemption unto his people. He hath commanded, what? His covenant forever. Oh, I like that too. Everlasting covenant, yeah. Holy and reverend is his name. Oh, I like that.

Psalms 130 and verse seven, let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy. There is mercy. And here it is, folks, I love this. I preached on this a while back. And with him is what? Plenteous. Redemption. Redemption.

Understand you'll get into Isaiah 45 somewhere right around there and he says The Lord of hosts is his name The Holy One of Israel and what else the Redeemer the Redeemer Redemption comes By our Lord Jesus Christ, and I'm gonna change that redemption came by our Lord Jesus Christ. Because you understand, this is in the past tense. In whom we, what? We have redemption. Through his blood. Blood's already been shed. Blood's not being shed. Blood already has been shed. Oh, I like that.

Chosen in Christ, brethren with Christ, accepted by God, He has redeemed us. And it is because he has redeemed us that we know of God's blessings for us, or even better, folks, to us. To us. Oh, I like that. This is a blessing, this is a gift. I said it last time. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights. And they come in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And this, the redemption, came by his Son. Oh, understand the Father gave us to Christ and Christ has redeemed us. Christ has redeemed us.

And that word means purchased. We've talked about this before, purchased. He bought us. He bought us. Oh, I like that. I remember that story about that little boy with the boat that Earl used to tell. He made a boat and then he lost it. Then he found it in a toy store. Later on, he went in and he bought it. He says, you're twice mine. I made you and I bought you. Oh, I like that. Just reminds me of that statement in there. Jacob have I formed, or Jacob have I created, I always get that backwards. Israel I have formed. We're twice his. By creation, sovereign creation, sovereign fiat, and sovereign love. His sovereign redemption, his eternal redemption, his plenteous redemption. He purchased us, he made us and he bought us. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Members of his body. He's the head. We're members in particular of his body. He bought us, he created us, he formed us. We believers are rebels and he has made us priests and kings under our God. I like that. You understand what we are? What believers are, are sinners who have been made saints. The saints at Ephesus. Oh. Right now, this is the beautiful thing about it, folks. Right now, we are his. He not only created us, he purchased us with his own body, with his shed blood, on the tree. And we are ransomed. That's what it means. And the word actually means this, ransomed in full in the Old Testament. We have redemption and it's a full redemption, not a partial. There's nothing left for you to do for redemption. It's done. It's done.

Because I'm gonna tell you something folks, the redemption was between the son and the father. It wasn't between us. Where'd he go? I'm getting ahead of myself, wait a minute. He made, paid, and made the full price for our redemption, for our purchase. Oh, I like that. Right now, believers, we are his. And I'm gonna tell you something. We have redemption. And that redemption, that word means deliverance also. Deliverance. You know that? Plenteous deliverance. Eternal deliverance. Oh, I like that.

This is the thing that people don't understand. We need to be saved from ourselves. You understand? We are, I'll say it, make it personal, I am my own worst enemy. I don't need any help to sin. I need to be saved from my sin. Oh, and there's a way, folks. Wait a minute, there's the way, the way, the way, the truth and the life, and it's through his blood. We have this redemption. Flat out, statement. Who? The saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. Believers know they have this redemption in Christ Jesus. We've been given to know. It's written in here. We've read it. I've preached it. Other people have preached it, you understand. This is the work of God the Father and God the Son. We have redemption in him, in him. What does it say? These next three words, through his blood. There you go. We have redemption because of his shed blood.

What did he say in John 10? The good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. What's that mean? Many shed his blood. He said it forward, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. We're looking back on it, the good shepherd gave his life for the sheep. What'd he say? I can lay it down, I got the power. And I can pick it up. He had the power for that too. Oh, I like that. And here's the thing, the good shepherd gave his life for the sheep. And where does the scripture tell us the life is? In the blood. In the blood. For the life is in the blood. Our life was in his blood. Oh, wait a minute. Our life still is in his blood.

What's it tell us? What's it tell us? Without shedding of blood, there is no remission. And you know what that means? Freedom. Freedom. Oh, I like that. Without shedding of blood, there's no redemption. There's no deliverance. And therefore, no freedom. But understand this, that being true, that without blood, there is no remission, I'm gonna tell you something, with the shedding of his blood, there is remission. There is remission. Oh, I like that. There's deliverance There is freedom from sin and death

Let me go back just for a second There's there for there's therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit I Don't care if you got a problem with that or not because it's true It says it on down in there Somebody doesn't seem to have a problem with something in verse four, but they do in verse one. I don't know why, but here's the truth. There's no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. You wanna know why? Because of his redemption. Because of his redemption. But listen here. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, what? Hath made us free. Free from the law of sin and death. Oh my.

What'd he tell Mary and Martha, was it? Lazarus' sisters? I am the resurrection, not only that, and the life, and the life. And he shed his blood, and he died, and he rose from the dead, and he gives us life. Paul's gonna go into that in much greater detail in Ephesians chapter two. But here it is. There is deliverance, there is freedom from sin and death in Jesus Christ our Lord. In whom we have redemption. Because here's the thing, folks. When he shed his blood, he shed his blood as our substitute. Our substitute. Oh, he paid the debt that we couldn't pay. He paid the debt we owed. We owed it. We were owed the wages of sin, which is death. But he paid it. He paid it.

Understand, we've said it before, I'll say it again. Don't bother me, I like repeating myself sometimes. Because if it's true, it's still true. Salvation is free to us. But it wasn't free to him. He ransomed us, He redeemed us, He paid the debt we couldn't pay, but He paid the debt we owed to God. He gave His life, shed His blood for those that the Father gave to Him. I'm gonna tell you, for those that the Father chose in Him before the foundation of the world. Oh my. He gave His life and He shed His blood and he took our place on that tree, willingly, purposefully, willingly and lovingly. He did this in love, in love for his people.

Very familiar piece of scripture. Surely he hath borne our griefs. and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But, oh I like this one, this is a good but. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was what, bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace. Our peace, what? Oh, was upon him. And with his stripes, we are healed. We are healed. For all we like sheep have gone astray, and we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all. What's this go on to say? For the transgression of my people was he stricken. I'm gonna tell you something. For the transgression of God's people, Jesus Christ was stricken and his blood was shed. His blood was shed. Oh. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. And by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. You wanna know how many? I know how many. Those chosen before the foundation of the world. Those to whom he predestinated to the adoption of sons. Those that are accepted in the beloved. For he shall bear their iniquities.

We are redeemed by his blood. And he shed his blood willingly. He gave his life for the sheep, for us, his people. But I'm telling you, here's where we get to it. This sacrifice and offering, this shed blood, was not toward us. He ascended. He ascended, what? To the holy place not made with hands. Hebrews 9 and 12, it says, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, and that's the one not made with hands, having, here we go, folks, obtained eternal redemption. What? For us, for us. I'm gonna tell you something, this redemption, in whom we have redemption through his blood, that redemption is eternal. Oh my, this was no accident. This was no catch-up plan. Oh my gosh, Adam fell and everybody's sinning. We gotta do something. He tried a flood and that didn't quite work. No, no, no, no. He was the lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. And he was slain before the foundation of the world for the people that were chosen in him before the foundation of the world. Oh my. This redemption through his blood is eternal forever. And in redemption, I like this, we have what? The forgiveness of sins. Thank God. Thank God.

When Christ died for us, for his people, shed his blood for us, according to the scriptures, he bore our iniquities. The Lord laid on him, what? The iniquity of us all. All, oh, I like that. That's what I said, Christ is our substitute. He took the debt that we had, and he satisfied God. Oh, I like that. You understand, this is how, because of him, because of his redemption, because of the shedding of his blood, because of the iniquity of us being laid upon him, Him taking in His body, on the tree, all our sins, iniquities, trespasses, everything, and paid the price. And this is why we have, ladies and gentlemen, we have a just God and a Savior. Because God's justice is satisfied by the blood of Christ. You understand? It's satisfied. God's justice said we should die for our own sins, our own fault, our own iniquity, our own transgressions. We should die, but Christ died for us. Mm, I like that.

Now to the Greeks, that's foolishness. to the Jews or the religious even, that's a stumbling block. You know why they stumble over it? Because they don't think Jesus paid it all. They might sing that song, but they don't believe it. The book says he paid it all. He redeemed us. In him we have redemption. Through his blood. What? The forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins. Oh, I like that. Romans 3 and 24 says, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. Now that being justified freely, that's being made righteous by his redemption. You're not righteous in yourself. I'm not righteous in myself. But in Jesus Christ, all of his people are righteous, justified with God. You understand? I'm not at war with God anymore. Sometimes I'm too dumb to know that, but I'm not at war with God anymore. And even better, he's not at war with me. Oh, I like that. Well, they call that reconciliation. And we have a ministry of reconciliation, but the reconciliation is right where the redemption is in Christ. He's our reconciliation. He's our redemption.

Oh, and we have the forgiveness of sins. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite scriptures is this. Blessed is the man to whom God will not impute sin. Oh, I like that, because that's me. It doesn't say blessed is the man who doesn't sin, because that would be kind of dumb. I mean, the only one that didn't sin is Christ, and he's up there with the Father, but here's the thing, of course blessed is the man who doesn't sin. But blessed is that man who does sin, but God does not impute it to him. He imputed it, he imparted it to Christ. He made him to be sin who knew no sin.

Now, I don't know if you have a problem with that or you don't, but that does not make Christ a sinner. He made him to be sin. And you know why? So that when his blood was shed, it was shed for those sins that he laid on him. Oh my. I like that. I need to be forgiven of my sin. But you understand, I remember Henry Mann said it and Earl said it. God just doesn't poof, forgive sin. No, he laid it on Christ. Same thing. Our salvation is free, but it wasn't free to him. Our salvation is free because his salvation he bought and paid for with his precious blood shed. And we have that redemption where he purchased us. Oh, he owns us. What? According to the riches of his grace.

His grace, oh, I'm gonna tell you what. His grace is greater than all our sins. And I'm gonna tell you something, folks. His grace always comes with mercy. Oh, I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious. I'll have compassion, mercy on whom I'll have compassion. Oh, I like that. Because you understand, I need both. And he's got them both. And by the shed blood of Christ, the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, we have both grace and mercy. Oh, I like that. With the sacrifice and the offering of his son, we are redeemed and forgiven.

And I'm gonna tell you something, folks. God's forgiveness is like his redemption. Eternal, eternal. You understand? God's not gonna forgive you something today and then unforgive you tomorrow. Because if he did, I'd be dead. Be without hope. But it doesn't work that way. God does not change. I am the Lord, I change not. Why? Therefore, you sons of Jacob, and I'm gonna tell you this, you saints at Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus are not consumed. because he's the Lord and he changes not. His redemption is eternal, his forgiveness is eternal. Why? According to the riches of his grace.

Being justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Justified freely what? By his grace. Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Oh, his grace is greater than we can know. We don't get it. I'd like to, I really would. And the sense of it I have, I'm very happy about. But I really would like to know it better. I really would like to know it better. Because his son died for his people, and he rose again victorious over death, hell, and the grave, according to the riches of his grace. And you understand, folks, where is he now? he ever liveth to make intercession for us, for his brethren, for his people. I'm gonna tell you something. God's grace is good. It's good. It's better than we know. Oh, grace and redemption are given, what? through his blood, his shed blood. And because of this, his salvation, his salvation that he gives to his people is all of his grace.

Oh, I like that. Let me see.

Sinners shall hear this joyful sound when God designs it so.
Grace shall beyond their sins abound.
Loose him and let him go.
Justice beholding his attire, no more appears his foe.
He says, I've all that I require.
Loose him and let him go.
He stands accepted in his name whose blood did flow, whose blood for him did flow.
The holy law proclaims the same.
Loose him and let him go.

Oh, I like that. I know some people sing it. I don't know if they believe it. Free from the law, oh happy condition. Jesus has bled and what? There's remission. There is. and he gives it to us freely by his grace.

Oh, I like redemption. I like redemption. You understand, it's a good thing to belong to the Lord Jesus Christ by purchase. Oh, yeah. Ain't nobody gonna rob him of his purchase. Not even you, not even me. Oh, no. If you're his, you're his. And I'm gonna tell you something, his redemption is eternal, his grace is eternal, his mercy is eternal, and he is eternal.

Oh, I like that. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful again to this time and this place. Thank you, Lord, for your, in your holiness, you have stooped down. sent your son to redeem a people, your people that you have chosen before the foundation of the world. Oh, predestinated under the adoption of sons and accepted in your beloved son. God, you have done everything for us. And we owe you everything. Help us to remember that. Help us to rejoice in this. and help us to walk in this world. In Christ's name we pray, amen.