Bought with a Price

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In eternity past, God chose us, predestined us, and made us accepted in the Beloved. Now we step into time, where God the Father puts His plans for the church into the hands of His Son, Jesus Christ.

After walking among us for 33 years, Jesus Christ died on a cross, was buried, rose again bodily, and ascended into heaven. His death made our salvation possible through His blood shed on the cross. Ew—the blood part is so messy! This important detail about Jesus’s blood is the key to our salvation.

In the Old Testament, the messy sacrificial system was the only way to deal with your sin. Problem was, all the sacrifices never added up to a complete solution. But as a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins—all that was needed. When we had no other hope, Jesus Christ made the perfect sacrifice to save us(see Hebrews 10:6-13). He paid the price for our redemption. This word redemption means Jesus paid a ransom to set us free. We can’t do anything to cut ourselves loose from sin, but He stepped in and paid for our freedom “through His blood” (v. 7).

God is so holy that He must have justice for our sin. It must be paid for. Jesus’ blood is the foundation for forgiveness; without that, we can’t be forgiven. Human forgiveness is based on a deserved penalty, not imposed. But God’s forgiveness is based on the execution of the penalty, and the price has been paid. God paid the penalty for our sin, and then He forgave.

The fact that God can save you and can keep you is “according to the riches of His grace.” God never asks you to do anything for Him. He paid the full price.

Certainly, we want to do something for the Lord; we want to serve Him, but God wants it based on our new relationship with Him. The Lord Jesus said, If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you (see John 14:15).

In addition to redeeming us through His blood, Jesus Christ also reveals to us the mystery of God’s will. A mystery in Scripture is something God reveals that, up to that time, He kept hidden.

God reveals to us now what was not revealed in the Old Testament. He wants us to know some of His great purposes. He relates to us today differently than He related to Adam. That said, God has always had only one way to save people. Everything has always rested on faith. The way of faith has been different through the ages, but not the necessity of faith. For example, Abel, Abraham, and Old Testament priests all offered a lamb to God. God had said that was the right way. God doesn’t tell us to approach Him with a lamb today—Jesus has become our Lamb.

God is moving everything forward to the time when Christ will rule over all things in heaven and earth. This will be “the fullness of the times” (v. 10) when everything is right and complete in Jesus Christ. All things will be “under His feet” (Hebrews 2:8).

That’s not how it is today, but there’s coming a day when heaven and earth will be in harmony, and all things will be gathered together in Christ.

1. Why couldn’t the Old Testament sacrifices solve people’s sin problems? And how was Jesus’ sacrifice different?

2. What does the messiness and violence required to pay the penalty tell us about our sins?

3. Imagine you were given the opportunity to explain Christ’s sacrifice to an Old Testament Israelite. How would you explain it?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee's complete audio teachings of Ephesians 1:7-9 and Ephesians 1:8-11.