“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace”
– Ephesians 1:7 –
How many blessings we receive thanks to Jesus Christ!
- We are redeemed. To “redeem” means to buy something for a price and set it free. Millions of salves were bought and sold as possesions in the Roman Empire. A few did something that seemed illogical: they bought a slave to redeem or release them. That is what Jesus did for us. And he bought us with His blood, not gold or silver. Thus, he paid the price of the ransom and delivered us from the bondage of sin, from condemnation of the law, and the power of the enemy.
- We are forgiven. On the day of atonement, the priest confessed the sins of the people over the living goat and took him into the wilderness to be lost. “To forgive” means “to send away.” The enemy brings our sins inside, to destroy us with guilt. God takes them outside to rebuild us with forgiveness. When Isaac asked the question “where is the Lamb,” Abraham’s answer was, “God will provide” (Genesis 22:7-8). This was fulfilled in John 1:29: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
- We are educated. God’s plan, in place since before the foundation of the world, has been revealed to us. Not all who have lived before, or who live now understand the amazing nature of the divine plan. It is a sacred mystery which has been revealed in order to know God’s will. Sin separated us from God and man, because it separates all things; but Christ reconciles us and will bring us all together at the end of time. We are part of God’s eternal plan.
- We are heirs. We are heirs in Christ, and will have inheritance upon His return.
Located in India, the Taj Mahal is considered one of the seven modern wonders of the world. But the most fascinating part is not in the design, its beauty, or riches, but in a story. It is a monument of love, built between 1631 and 1654 by the Mughal emperor Sha Jahan for his favorite wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died at thirty-eight years of age while giving birth to their fourteenth child. The monarch had promised her a palace of incomparable magnificence, but she passed away unexpectedly. However, the grieving husband continued forward. Today this palace is the tomb of this beloved woman, and contains an inscription that says, “To the memory of an everlasting love.”
The blessings of the Son redeem us, forgive us, instructs us,
and make us heirs. This truly true, incomparable, and enduring love.
Sin made our palace a tomb, but God transforms our tomb
into an eternal palace. Let us live gracefully and committed.
May the Lord guide, and be with you…