Yes, We *Actually* Have Redemption in Christ
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph 1:7).
Christ's redeems “through the blood.” If we read this literally and in context, then we must understand it to mean that we (who Paul defined as believers) are saved through the shedding of Christ’s blood. Other meanings fail to fit.
For instance, we cannot read this verse to mean that the blood of Christ only made us savable. In other words, it would be incorrect to read this as saying we only have the possibility of redemption in His blood, should we fulfill some other criteria. The gospel becomes bad news if redemption, the forgiveness of sins, rests upon me as well as Christ, for I would certainly mess it up.
It would also be incorrect to read this to mean that the blood of Christ was shed for every man, woman, and child to ever live. The teaching known as universalism promotes a false hope that everyone will get to heaven when they die because of what Jesus did on the cross. No, in context, the expression in Him must refer to the individuals who find themselves believing in the gospel of our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, or else they will find themselves outside of Him.
What's the best way to understand this? Believers have actual redemption because the blood operates as a substitute for their sins. It's a ransom for them. The death of Christ was a substitutionary atonement for believers and believers alone. Those who don’t believe are outside of this atoning work.
The good news here is for the believer, then. If you trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can know that Jesus died on the cross for you in particular. As Jesus said in John 10:15, “I lay down My life for the sheep.” You are unworthy of this great sacrifice, of course, which makes it a work of pure grace. Praise Him for His unmeasurable goodness, redeeming you on the cross!
Christ's redeems “through the blood.” If we read this literally and in context, then we must understand it to mean that we (who Paul defined as believers) are saved through the shedding of Christ’s blood. Other meanings fail to fit.
For instance, we cannot read this verse to mean that the blood of Christ only made us savable. In other words, it would be incorrect to read this as saying we only have the possibility of redemption in His blood, should we fulfill some other criteria. The gospel becomes bad news if redemption, the forgiveness of sins, rests upon me as well as Christ, for I would certainly mess it up.
It would also be incorrect to read this to mean that the blood of Christ was shed for every man, woman, and child to ever live. The teaching known as universalism promotes a false hope that everyone will get to heaven when they die because of what Jesus did on the cross. No, in context, the expression in Him must refer to the individuals who find themselves believing in the gospel of our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, or else they will find themselves outside of Him.
What's the best way to understand this? Believers have actual redemption because the blood operates as a substitute for their sins. It's a ransom for them. The death of Christ was a substitutionary atonement for believers and believers alone. Those who don’t believe are outside of this atoning work.
The good news here is for the believer, then. If you trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can know that Jesus died on the cross for you in particular. As Jesus said in John 10:15, “I lay down My life for the sheep.” You are unworthy of this great sacrifice, of course, which makes it a work of pure grace. Praise Him for His unmeasurable goodness, redeeming you on the cross!
