Redemption
Ephesians 1:7-8
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Sermon Summary: In this next portion of Paul's exposition of our spiritual blessings, we are brought face to face with the beautiful doctrine of redemption. How was this redemption accomplished, and for what purpose? How should our redemption by Christ affect the way we live today? |
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Ephesians 1:7-8 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
A few weeks ago we started a series in Ephesians. For the last couple weeks, we’ve been digging into the opening exaltation. The Apostle Paul bursts into praise and blesses God. As verse 3 tells us, he blesses God for every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. And what we find in verses 4 and following is that he begins to chronicle what those blessings are. He gives us a listing, so to speak, of what these spiritual blessings are.
Last week, we looked at verses 4-6 and we saw that the first blessing is that of our election. Verses 4-6 are primarily about the Father and his role in our salvation. We are told there that the Father has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. He predestined us to adoption as sons.
All in all, we considered the role of the first person of the Trinity. Today, we shift to look at the second spiritual blessing. This blessing concerns the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus. And what we find is that Paul celebrates the blessing of our redemption.
What can we say about this whole idea of our redemption? Well, there are four things I’d like you to consider, the first of which is its concern.
I. Its concern
Its concern, in this passage, is the release from sin and death. It’s indicative of our salvation. The Lord has delivered his people from the penalty and power of sin, so that they may now live for him.
We recognize this from our passage in two specific ways. First, we can examine the term itself. Paul says in verse 7, “In him we have redemption.”
Every one of our Bible Bee students should be able to tell me what the word “redeem” means. In the most simple terms, it means “to buy back.” And so the primary concern of the word is that of the liberation we have gained through God’s saving power. It has to do with the freedom from the bondage we had to sin and death.
In the Greek and Roman world, redemption primarily had to do with slavery. A slave could earn money on the side, while serving his master, and if he saved enough, he could purchase his freedom. He could buy it back.
There was a similar idea set forth in the Old Testament. Often in the Bible, the word “redeem” had to do with any kind of deliverance, particularly from enemies or political foes. For example, Israel was redeemed during the Passover. God brought them out of Egypt and delivered them from the bondage of Pharaoh's tyranny.
Those of you who have studied the book of Ruth know that Naomi and Ruth were also redeemed. Their deliverance was not from a foe, but from the bondage of poverty. Naomi’s property was in a state of foreclosure. Since they had no money or standing, they were in danger of losing their life, land, and liberty.
But you know that Boaz came along and acted as their redeemer. He purchased the property and obtained the right to have Ruth as his wife. In time, he produced an heir who would maintain the property rights for the next generation.
All of these are examples of redemption, and they show you that redemption is concerned with freedom. It may involve a payment of some sort, and at times it may not. But whatever the case may be, one is delivered from some kind of bondage.
That is the word that Paul uses here. In our context, it has to do with the liberty we gain from sin and death. We, by nature, are in bondage to sin. But God frees us from the curse of death and hell and liberates us from the power of sin and Satan.
This is further expressed in what Paul says next. In verse 7, he immediately follows the word redemption with the words “the forgiveness of sins.”
By doing this, Paul offers a further clarification as to what he means. Just in case you don’t know what this word redemption means, he provides you with a street definition. So the verse could be stated this way: “In him we have redemption, which may also be thought of as the forgiveness of sins.”
Of course, forgiveness also carries the idea of freedom; freedom from debt.
Not long ago my family took a trip out to the Grand Canyon. After flying into Las Vegas, we rented a car and drove to the famed destination. Now, out there the highways are flat and straight, so the speed limits can seem astronomical compared to what we have out here in Ohio. It’s not unusual to have a speed limit of 75 or 80 mph. So for a good distance, we were cruising right along. But when we got to our exit, we got off the highway and came to Williams, AZ, and the speed limit dropped significantly. And to tell you the truth, I can’t say that I really saw a sign for it. I bet there was one there, but there’s all kinds of other things to look at too. There’s a big arch that says, “The Gateway to the Grand Canyon” that is really eye-catching. Lo and behold, there were blue lights that started flashing in my rearview mirror.
I pulled over and the officer came to my window. He said I was going 50 in a 20 mile per hour zone. The thing is, in AZ, it is a class 3 misdemeanor to be 30 mph over the speed limit and it requires a minimum of 30 days in jail. Seeing that we were tourists, the officer bumped it down 5 mph and gave me a fine of $200.
But after we got back home, I called the City of Williams to inquire about the fine. I asked if that debt could be forgiven, and the kind lady on the other end said, “I’m afraid not.” So I had to pay.
When we think about our spiritual status and the blessing that comes from the Lord, we need to understand that our debt before God is significantly greater. We have an infinite debt of sin. But the blessing from God is that He is much more gracious than the city of Williams, AZ. He willingly and freely pardons the debt that we owe. He frees us from the penalty because he does not count our sins against us any longer.
That is what Paul means when he talks about redemption. He’s reminding us that God’s people are the blessed recipients of the grace of salvation. We are free in the truest sense of the term.
But now that we are familiar with the concern of redemption, let’s consider its context.
II. Its context
It is one thing to consider what redemption means, but it is another thing to know where it is found. And in our day and age, it is all too common to be mistaken about where salvation is located.
But Paul is ever so clear. He says that our redemption and forgiveness is found “in Christ.” Those two words at the beginning of verse 7 show us the precise realm in which this redemption takes effect. Paul says, “In him we have redemption.”
We spoke last week of how this phrase refers to our union with Christ, and here we are reminded again that, if the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are to be unlocked, then one must be united to Christ.
Thus, we may speak of the exclusivity of this salvation. If you are to be redeemed and enjoy the forgiveness of sins, there is only one place where you can obtain it. It is in Christ and him alone. If you are not in Christ, then you are not redeemed. You are not forgiven. You are still in your sins, and you are still in a state of damnation.
Now, I want to emphasize this and offer some clarification about it. The Christian church in America and around the world has been heavily influenced by a man whose name was Karl Barth. Karl Barth arose in the 20th century, and many have regarded him as the greatest theologian of our day. Barth rose to popularity because he was a critic of Classical Liberalism. Barth said we need to return and embrace the transcendence of God and be Christ-centered. He rejected liberalism’s focus on man and talked about sin and what it means to be “in Christ.”
Many people loved him because he used language that was so biblical and people thought he was restoring Christianity. The problem was that he didn’t mean what the Bible meant by these terms. He said that all people are sinful (which was good), but he went on to say that all people are “in Christ” as well. And so he promoted a form of universalism. Everyone is in Christ and therefore everyone is redeemed and forgiven.
As a result, the whole world of missions and evangelism was radically transformed. Missionaries in mainline churches began to say that their job was not to go out and tell the world that they were in sin and needed to repent. They instead began to believe their job was to go out and tell the people in far-off lands that they were redeemed. They were to preach that they were now in Christ and needed to live in the reality of their salvation.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The whole world is not in Christ. When Paul writes to the Ephesians, he’s not writing to the whole city. He’s writing to the Christians in that city, the people who are a part of the church. It is this group of people that has been united to Christ and has come to enjoy a personal relationship with him. Those are the ones who have been redeemed.
We need to recognize that there are two groups of people in this world. There are those who are in Christ and there are those who are in Adam. And if you do not have a relationship with Christ - if you have not personally repented of your sin and trusted in Christ - you need to understand that you have not yet gained this forgiveness. You are still lost in sin and the curse of God’s wrath is still upon you.
But the good news is that it is in Christ that you can be freed. The good news is that you can come to Christ and put your faith in him. If you acknowledge your sin and turn to God, you can be united to him and enjoy the pardon from your sins.
It is ever so important that you recognize where you stand with Jesus, for that is what makes all the difference in the world. You are not automatically getting a ride to heaven. No one gets to be in Christ simply by virtue of their being alive. One must come to him and seek union with him. One must give up his life of sin and forsake his union with Adam.
It’s only there, in Christ, that you can truly experience this redemption. He is the only context in which salvation is truly found. And it is only there because only he could pay the price.
That’s the third thing that this passage tells us about our redemption. We have looked at its concern and its context, but you’ll see that it also gives us a clear depiction of its cost as well.
III. Its cost
Verse 7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood.” Those last three words remind us that there was a price to be paid, and it was a costly price. It was a price that far exceeded anything that money could buy. It was paid in blood.
There was no other way for us to be redeemed. Really, we didn’t have to be redeemed. God could have let us all die. But if we were to be redeemed, there was only one way it could come about. It was through the shedding of blood. It was through death.
That was the penalty sin inflicted on this world. God said at the very beginning, “In the day you eat of it (speaking of the forbidden fruit), you will surely die.” Scripture elsewhere affirms that the wages of sin is death.
And that is why the Bible is the bloodiest book you will ever read. You read through the Bible and you will find that it is soaked with blood. In the OT, the Lord instituted the sacrificial system. I am glad I was born today and did not have to become a minister who labored under the Old Covenant, because the job of a priest was a messy one. His job was to take an animal and slit its throat. He then hoisted that animal up and let all of its blood drain out. Some of it he would capture in a cup or a bucket and he would take it and sprinkle it on the altar. He would be required to take the carcass of the animal and he would cut it up. He would remove the entrails and make sure all the organs were properly assorted. He was not much different than a butcher at the local deli or someone who works in a meat packing plant today. Then, he would either cook the meat or put it on the altar and offer it as a burnt offering.
The whole time he was working there would be an incredible mess - the bloody mess of that animal. There would be blood everywhere. On the floor, on the altar, on his clothes, on his hands and arms. Everything would have shown the marks of death, and it was all to show the reality of what sin requires. And it was done over and over and over, until the once-for-all Sacrifice was given: the sacrifice of Jesus.
There on the cross, Jesus spilled his blood. He was impaled on that tree because he had to suffer the curse that was due to us for sin. He freely offered himself and let his blood flow in order to pay redemption’s price.
It’s in him we have redemption. It’s through his blood. The forgiveness of our sins came through the costly payment of Calvary’s cross.
Lastly, our passage tells us of redemption’s cause.
IV. Its cause
The cause of our redemption is simply the grace of God. We find this at the end of verse 7 and all of verse 8: “according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight.”
You may rightly ask yourself after hearing of the great price that Christ paid for our redemption, “How is it that this redemption comes to me? How is it that I can partake in the benefits of the salvation that he has procured? How is it that I can be redeemed?” There’s only one answer: it’s by his grace.
It’s not because you were a good person. It’s not because you were better than other people or that you had the potential to do great things for God. Salvation comes to you simply by God’s grace. Our redemption wasn’t accomplished because of us; it was in spite of us. Our lives were filled with sin and offensive to God because we had transgressed his holy law. Every time we sinned, we enflamed God’s righteous wrath even more. The only way his wrath did not come against us is because another variable overcame it. And that was his grace.
Verses 7-8 describe this wonder as “the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.” When it comes to our redemption, God did not give out his grace sparingly or hesitantly. No matter how abundant our sins are, they are nothing compared to the overwhelming supply of God’s grace.
Years ago, I watched a documentary about pro athletes and what they experience in getting to the level they are at. The documentary talked about how much money they made and how this often affected their lives. Of course, pro athletes are some of the highest-paid people in the country. They’re in that 1% of rich people that everyone talks about. Suddenly, these young men who never knew wealth are being flooded with an incredible amount of money. Millions of dollars are at their fingertips. The documentary noted that most of these athletes have no idea what to do with this money. They don’t know how to spend it all fast enough. Sometimes they would go to restaurants or bars and buy everyone drinks to show off how much money they had. Something they would often do is “make it rain,” taking hundred-dollar bills and throwing them in the air for people to collect. It’s their way of saying, “I have so much money at my disposal, I can throw it away like it’s nothing.”
That’s the way we should think of God’s grace. God is so abundant in grace that he dispenses it in the most liberal, and seemingly wasteful, proportions. His grace is so profuse that when it comes to God’s grace to his people, he is “making it rain,” lavishing it upon us.
So we can say that not one of our sins is not forgiven. He does not hold back in any way, but he deals with us bountifully so that we can realize that we have been redeemed and forgiven to the fullest extent of those words. As we experience the blood payment of Christ on our behalf, we know this was made possible only by his gracious disposition toward those to whom he chooses to be gracious.
And when Christ chooses to be gracious, he lets his grace pour forth so that we can rightly say, “O to grace how great a debtor! Daily I’m constrained to be.”
That is what your redemption is like. I hope in seeing all the different facets of your redemption, you can understand why Paul is so intoxicated with giddiness. By contemplating all the spiritual blessings that have been given to us, we can understand that this beautiful redemption is ours in Christ through his blood. We have been set at liberty by his grace to live a new life with him forever.
A few weeks ago we started a series in Ephesians. For the last couple weeks, we’ve been digging into the opening exaltation. The Apostle Paul bursts into praise and blesses God. As verse 3 tells us, he blesses God for every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. And what we find in verses 4 and following is that he begins to chronicle what those blessings are. He gives us a listing, so to speak, of what these spiritual blessings are.
Last week, we looked at verses 4-6 and we saw that the first blessing is that of our election. Verses 4-6 are primarily about the Father and his role in our salvation. We are told there that the Father has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. He predestined us to adoption as sons.
All in all, we considered the role of the first person of the Trinity. Today, we shift to look at the second spiritual blessing. This blessing concerns the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus. And what we find is that Paul celebrates the blessing of our redemption.
What can we say about this whole idea of our redemption? Well, there are four things I’d like you to consider, the first of which is its concern.
I. Its concern
Its concern, in this passage, is the release from sin and death. It’s indicative of our salvation. The Lord has delivered his people from the penalty and power of sin, so that they may now live for him.
We recognize this from our passage in two specific ways. First, we can examine the term itself. Paul says in verse 7, “In him we have redemption.”
Every one of our Bible Bee students should be able to tell me what the word “redeem” means. In the most simple terms, it means “to buy back.” And so the primary concern of the word is that of the liberation we have gained through God’s saving power. It has to do with the freedom from the bondage we had to sin and death.
In the Greek and Roman world, redemption primarily had to do with slavery. A slave could earn money on the side, while serving his master, and if he saved enough, he could purchase his freedom. He could buy it back.
There was a similar idea set forth in the Old Testament. Often in the Bible, the word “redeem” had to do with any kind of deliverance, particularly from enemies or political foes. For example, Israel was redeemed during the Passover. God brought them out of Egypt and delivered them from the bondage of Pharaoh's tyranny.
Those of you who have studied the book of Ruth know that Naomi and Ruth were also redeemed. Their deliverance was not from a foe, but from the bondage of poverty. Naomi’s property was in a state of foreclosure. Since they had no money or standing, they were in danger of losing their life, land, and liberty.
But you know that Boaz came along and acted as their redeemer. He purchased the property and obtained the right to have Ruth as his wife. In time, he produced an heir who would maintain the property rights for the next generation.
All of these are examples of redemption, and they show you that redemption is concerned with freedom. It may involve a payment of some sort, and at times it may not. But whatever the case may be, one is delivered from some kind of bondage.
That is the word that Paul uses here. In our context, it has to do with the liberty we gain from sin and death. We, by nature, are in bondage to sin. But God frees us from the curse of death and hell and liberates us from the power of sin and Satan.
This is further expressed in what Paul says next. In verse 7, he immediately follows the word redemption with the words “the forgiveness of sins.”
By doing this, Paul offers a further clarification as to what he means. Just in case you don’t know what this word redemption means, he provides you with a street definition. So the verse could be stated this way: “In him we have redemption, which may also be thought of as the forgiveness of sins.”
Of course, forgiveness also carries the idea of freedom; freedom from debt.
Not long ago my family took a trip out to the Grand Canyon. After flying into Las Vegas, we rented a car and drove to the famed destination. Now, out there the highways are flat and straight, so the speed limits can seem astronomical compared to what we have out here in Ohio. It’s not unusual to have a speed limit of 75 or 80 mph. So for a good distance, we were cruising right along. But when we got to our exit, we got off the highway and came to Williams, AZ, and the speed limit dropped significantly. And to tell you the truth, I can’t say that I really saw a sign for it. I bet there was one there, but there’s all kinds of other things to look at too. There’s a big arch that says, “The Gateway to the Grand Canyon” that is really eye-catching. Lo and behold, there were blue lights that started flashing in my rearview mirror.
I pulled over and the officer came to my window. He said I was going 50 in a 20 mile per hour zone. The thing is, in AZ, it is a class 3 misdemeanor to be 30 mph over the speed limit and it requires a minimum of 30 days in jail. Seeing that we were tourists, the officer bumped it down 5 mph and gave me a fine of $200.
But after we got back home, I called the City of Williams to inquire about the fine. I asked if that debt could be forgiven, and the kind lady on the other end said, “I’m afraid not.” So I had to pay.
When we think about our spiritual status and the blessing that comes from the Lord, we need to understand that our debt before God is significantly greater. We have an infinite debt of sin. But the blessing from God is that He is much more gracious than the city of Williams, AZ. He willingly and freely pardons the debt that we owe. He frees us from the penalty because he does not count our sins against us any longer.
That is what Paul means when he talks about redemption. He’s reminding us that God’s people are the blessed recipients of the grace of salvation. We are free in the truest sense of the term.
But now that we are familiar with the concern of redemption, let’s consider its context.
II. Its context
It is one thing to consider what redemption means, but it is another thing to know where it is found. And in our day and age, it is all too common to be mistaken about where salvation is located.
But Paul is ever so clear. He says that our redemption and forgiveness is found “in Christ.” Those two words at the beginning of verse 7 show us the precise realm in which this redemption takes effect. Paul says, “In him we have redemption.”
We spoke last week of how this phrase refers to our union with Christ, and here we are reminded again that, if the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are to be unlocked, then one must be united to Christ.
Thus, we may speak of the exclusivity of this salvation. If you are to be redeemed and enjoy the forgiveness of sins, there is only one place where you can obtain it. It is in Christ and him alone. If you are not in Christ, then you are not redeemed. You are not forgiven. You are still in your sins, and you are still in a state of damnation.
Now, I want to emphasize this and offer some clarification about it. The Christian church in America and around the world has been heavily influenced by a man whose name was Karl Barth. Karl Barth arose in the 20th century, and many have regarded him as the greatest theologian of our day. Barth rose to popularity because he was a critic of Classical Liberalism. Barth said we need to return and embrace the transcendence of God and be Christ-centered. He rejected liberalism’s focus on man and talked about sin and what it means to be “in Christ.”
Many people loved him because he used language that was so biblical and people thought he was restoring Christianity. The problem was that he didn’t mean what the Bible meant by these terms. He said that all people are sinful (which was good), but he went on to say that all people are “in Christ” as well. And so he promoted a form of universalism. Everyone is in Christ and therefore everyone is redeemed and forgiven.
As a result, the whole world of missions and evangelism was radically transformed. Missionaries in mainline churches began to say that their job was not to go out and tell the world that they were in sin and needed to repent. They instead began to believe their job was to go out and tell the people in far-off lands that they were redeemed. They were to preach that they were now in Christ and needed to live in the reality of their salvation.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The whole world is not in Christ. When Paul writes to the Ephesians, he’s not writing to the whole city. He’s writing to the Christians in that city, the people who are a part of the church. It is this group of people that has been united to Christ and has come to enjoy a personal relationship with him. Those are the ones who have been redeemed.
We need to recognize that there are two groups of people in this world. There are those who are in Christ and there are those who are in Adam. And if you do not have a relationship with Christ - if you have not personally repented of your sin and trusted in Christ - you need to understand that you have not yet gained this forgiveness. You are still lost in sin and the curse of God’s wrath is still upon you.
But the good news is that it is in Christ that you can be freed. The good news is that you can come to Christ and put your faith in him. If you acknowledge your sin and turn to God, you can be united to him and enjoy the pardon from your sins.
It is ever so important that you recognize where you stand with Jesus, for that is what makes all the difference in the world. You are not automatically getting a ride to heaven. No one gets to be in Christ simply by virtue of their being alive. One must come to him and seek union with him. One must give up his life of sin and forsake his union with Adam.
It’s only there, in Christ, that you can truly experience this redemption. He is the only context in which salvation is truly found. And it is only there because only he could pay the price.
That’s the third thing that this passage tells us about our redemption. We have looked at its concern and its context, but you’ll see that it also gives us a clear depiction of its cost as well.
III. Its cost
Verse 7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood.” Those last three words remind us that there was a price to be paid, and it was a costly price. It was a price that far exceeded anything that money could buy. It was paid in blood.
There was no other way for us to be redeemed. Really, we didn’t have to be redeemed. God could have let us all die. But if we were to be redeemed, there was only one way it could come about. It was through the shedding of blood. It was through death.
That was the penalty sin inflicted on this world. God said at the very beginning, “In the day you eat of it (speaking of the forbidden fruit), you will surely die.” Scripture elsewhere affirms that the wages of sin is death.
And that is why the Bible is the bloodiest book you will ever read. You read through the Bible and you will find that it is soaked with blood. In the OT, the Lord instituted the sacrificial system. I am glad I was born today and did not have to become a minister who labored under the Old Covenant, because the job of a priest was a messy one. His job was to take an animal and slit its throat. He then hoisted that animal up and let all of its blood drain out. Some of it he would capture in a cup or a bucket and he would take it and sprinkle it on the altar. He would be required to take the carcass of the animal and he would cut it up. He would remove the entrails and make sure all the organs were properly assorted. He was not much different than a butcher at the local deli or someone who works in a meat packing plant today. Then, he would either cook the meat or put it on the altar and offer it as a burnt offering.
The whole time he was working there would be an incredible mess - the bloody mess of that animal. There would be blood everywhere. On the floor, on the altar, on his clothes, on his hands and arms. Everything would have shown the marks of death, and it was all to show the reality of what sin requires. And it was done over and over and over, until the once-for-all Sacrifice was given: the sacrifice of Jesus.
There on the cross, Jesus spilled his blood. He was impaled on that tree because he had to suffer the curse that was due to us for sin. He freely offered himself and let his blood flow in order to pay redemption’s price.
It’s in him we have redemption. It’s through his blood. The forgiveness of our sins came through the costly payment of Calvary’s cross.
Lastly, our passage tells us of redemption’s cause.
IV. Its cause
The cause of our redemption is simply the grace of God. We find this at the end of verse 7 and all of verse 8: “according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight.”
You may rightly ask yourself after hearing of the great price that Christ paid for our redemption, “How is it that this redemption comes to me? How is it that I can partake in the benefits of the salvation that he has procured? How is it that I can be redeemed?” There’s only one answer: it’s by his grace.
It’s not because you were a good person. It’s not because you were better than other people or that you had the potential to do great things for God. Salvation comes to you simply by God’s grace. Our redemption wasn’t accomplished because of us; it was in spite of us. Our lives were filled with sin and offensive to God because we had transgressed his holy law. Every time we sinned, we enflamed God’s righteous wrath even more. The only way his wrath did not come against us is because another variable overcame it. And that was his grace.
Verses 7-8 describe this wonder as “the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.” When it comes to our redemption, God did not give out his grace sparingly or hesitantly. No matter how abundant our sins are, they are nothing compared to the overwhelming supply of God’s grace.
Years ago, I watched a documentary about pro athletes and what they experience in getting to the level they are at. The documentary talked about how much money they made and how this often affected their lives. Of course, pro athletes are some of the highest-paid people in the country. They’re in that 1% of rich people that everyone talks about. Suddenly, these young men who never knew wealth are being flooded with an incredible amount of money. Millions of dollars are at their fingertips. The documentary noted that most of these athletes have no idea what to do with this money. They don’t know how to spend it all fast enough. Sometimes they would go to restaurants or bars and buy everyone drinks to show off how much money they had. Something they would often do is “make it rain,” taking hundred-dollar bills and throwing them in the air for people to collect. It’s their way of saying, “I have so much money at my disposal, I can throw it away like it’s nothing.”
That’s the way we should think of God’s grace. God is so abundant in grace that he dispenses it in the most liberal, and seemingly wasteful, proportions. His grace is so profuse that when it comes to God’s grace to his people, he is “making it rain,” lavishing it upon us.
So we can say that not one of our sins is not forgiven. He does not hold back in any way, but he deals with us bountifully so that we can realize that we have been redeemed and forgiven to the fullest extent of those words. As we experience the blood payment of Christ on our behalf, we know this was made possible only by his gracious disposition toward those to whom he chooses to be gracious.
And when Christ chooses to be gracious, he lets his grace pour forth so that we can rightly say, “O to grace how great a debtor! Daily I’m constrained to be.”
That is what your redemption is like. I hope in seeing all the different facets of your redemption, you can understand why Paul is so intoxicated with giddiness. By contemplating all the spiritual blessings that have been given to us, we can understand that this beautiful redemption is ours in Christ through his blood. We have been set at liberty by his grace to live a new life with him forever.