The verses we will be looking at today are wedged in the middle of one of the longest run-on sentences in the history of humanity. The grammar junkies would twitch at the structure of these verses. But, as I mentioned last week, the poor structure doesn't lend to poor theology. These verses are carefully precise and theologically flawless. They are precise words written with intentionally poor structure to convey the majestic beauty of the gospel.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Paul is doing two things in these verses: (1) describing the many blessings we have in Christ and (2) calling us to worship Christ.
When we read these verses closely, we will be reminded of the sovereign working of God on our behalf, which should lead us to throw our hands up in worship.
Gospel doctrine should lead to gospel worship. The truth about Jesus should lead us to worship Jesus. We worship what we love and sing about what has impacted our hearts the most. These verses show that God has invited us into his kingdom. Therefore, we bow in worship to our King and Lord. God has adopted us into his family. Therefore, we sing about our good and loving Father. We have been set free from the bondage of sin. Therefore, we throw our hands up in freedom.
As believers, the more we learn about God, the more we should worship God. Worship is the only appropriate response to grace. When we understand our extreme blessing in Christ, the only adequate response is exhortation and praise! If you have experienced God's love, you will worship God with a happy heart. A gospel-centered church is a singing church.
Another consistent theme that we will find in these verses is God's plan. Last week, we looked at words like "chosen," "predestined," and "purpose of his will." These words and phrases teach us that God's plan centered around the cross long before the earth was made. The cross was God's plan A, not his plan B.
In our verses today, that language continues. Here, we will learn that God's plan was always to forgive, redeem, and unite sinners through Jesus' death on the cross. The cross was God's mysterious will, his divine plan put in place before the foundation of the world.
Let's dive in.
"[7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, [8] which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight [9] making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ [10] as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
A REDEEMED PEOPLE
As we enter verse 7, we see the snowball of Paul's theological argument in this long sentence growing larger. Not only are we chosen in Christ to stand before the Father, holy and blameless, but we are adopted sons through Christ. Not only do we have a loving Father as adopted sons in Christ, but we are redeemed through the blood of Christ.
To redeem something means to "pay the price to recover someone or something from the power of another." Surprisingly, it was often used in the context of the slave market, describing the purchase price of a slave. To set a slave free, one would have to pay the purchase price of that slave.
But, on a much deeper level, the language used here by Paul alludes to the language used by God when speaking to Moses in Exodus 6. As the LORD prepares to free his people from captivity, he tells Moses, "[5] Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. [6] Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. [7] I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians."
So, Paul uses this redemption language to show us what Christ has done for us. In the same way the Egyptians were oppressive and cruel toward the Israelites, sin is oppressive and cruel toward you and me. In the same way that Pharaoh was vindictive and harsh toward Israel, Satan is oppressive and harsh toward those who reside in his kingdom. In the same way God— with an outstretched arm— redeemed Israel from the captive's hand, he has redeemed you and me. In the same way God brought them out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, he has brought you and me out from under the burdens of sin and death.
Here, Paul is teaching us that the cross was the crushing blow that dismembered the power of our oppressor. The cross is what sets us free from the bondage of sin and death. In Christ, we have been liberated, set free from the oppressive power of sin, Satan, and death.
The inescapable condemnation and guilt holding us down by sin no longer own us because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He has paid our ransom. He has paid the steep price for our sins. With an outstretched arm, he has redeemed us. Death and damnation no longer own us. We have a new master, and he is good. We have a new home, and it is safe.
A FORGIVEN PEOPLE
Our redemption resides in Christ's willingness to lay his life down on the cross— the shedding of his blood. Because of this, our sins have been forgiven. God's plan was always to FORGIVE sinners through Jesus' death on the cross.
Redemption and forgiveness seem to be often tied together in the New Testament. In Colossians 1, for example, Paul says, "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." The language here ties redemption and forgiveness so closely together that they almost seem like the same thing, as if our redemption is the forgiveness of sins. In reality, they're two sides of the same coin. If you've been forgiven, you've been redeemed. If you've been redeemed, you've been forgiven. You can't have one without the other. In Christ, you're free from both the stains and chains of sin.
Feel the weight of that for a moment. Because of the cross, your greatest sins can and will be forgiven.
Have you ever had a difficult time forgiving someone who has wronged you? What makes extending forgiveness so difficult?
It's the hurt and pain that comes from the offense. When someone has deeply wounded us, we have a hard time forgiving. The magnitude of the offense heightens the difficulty of extending forgiveness. For example, forgiving someone for stealing your candy bar would be easier than forgiving someone who stole thousands of dollars from you.
Church, our trespasses against God are no minor offenses. We have deliberately and intentionally mocked God with our words, thoughts, and actions. Yet, he has taken extreme measures to extend to us freedom and forgiveness through the death of His Son. God hasn't just set us free from sin; he has forgiven us of our sins. And the forgiveness he extends to us is a byproduct of God's grace. It's "according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us."
ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE…
"Riches of grace" and "lavished upon us" imply an abundant oversupply, meaning God will never lack in the department of grace because he is rich in grace.
The word lavished is the same word used in the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand in John 6. When the masses were hungry, Jesus miraculously fed them. After everyone ate and had their fill, the disciples gathered the leftover fragments, filling up their baskets. The disciples left with more food than they came with.
In the same way that there was an abundant supply of bread and fish that never ran out, there is an abundant supply of grace in Christ that will never run out. God will never run out of grace. The invitation of the cross is to come and have your fill of grace and know that God's grace will never run out. His basket will always be full, and he will never run out of grace and forgiveness to extend to sinners.
Friend, may this be water to your soul. Perhaps you feel downtrodden and weary. Maybe you believe the lie that you've exhausted God's supply of grace for you. May these verses comfort your weary soul and draw you to feast from God's rich supply of grace that he's willing to lavish upon you.
IN ALL WISDOM AND INSIGHT…
As we continue to read, we see that his lavishing of grace upon sinners was not foolish or irrational. It was an action rooted in wisdom and insight. Our redemption, adoption, and forgiveness of sins are all a part of God's predetermined plan, which he outlined in Christ. It was all a part of the purpose of his will.
So, as we study the Bible, we now see how it all points to the cross, how Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and prophets. In all wisdom and insight, God has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, "which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
A UNITED PEOPLE
What does it mean that "all things are united in him, things in heaven and things on earth?" We will begin to see this phrase more clearly as we journey through the book of Ephesians. But I want us to understand this: God's plan was always to unite sinners through Jesus' death on the cross. The cross brings unity amongst his people, not division amongst his people. In Christ, God is creating for himself a diverse and united family. We walk in unity now as a church and look ahead to a future day of union, where all things in heaven and earth will be united in Christ. There is coming a day when all of the redeemed, those in heaven and on earth, will be united forever. There is coming a day when the entire universe that is groaning for its redemption will be united with the redeemed church under the good rule of Christ for all eternity.