In Ephesians 1:7 redemption is immediately followed up with forgiveness. Redemption deals with the price that was paid to set us free from the penalty and slavery of sin, which opens the door to the “forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” In forgiveness all the sins with their eternal consequences are […]
“In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood…” Ephesians 1:7. Redemption requires that there be a redeemer – one that pays the price demanded to obtain the release of that which has been held in captivity or danger. The picture and pattern of redemption is clearly laid out in the Old Testament; it could […]
The next stop we make here in Ephesians is in 1:6 where we are told that “He made us accepted…” We could say “He has graced us with special honor” or He has highly favored us. Notice that this acceptance which is graced with honor and high favor is in “in the beloved” that is […]
Ephesians 1:4 continues by telling us why we have been chosen; it is not just so we can enter heaven, though that is the end result, neither is it so we can boast that we have been placed in God’s safety net; it is “that we should be holy and without blame (unblemished)…” So what […]
Verse 3 of Ephesians 1 begins with the word “Blessed”; this Greek word means “adorable”. The Apostle here exalts in God, and shows us that He is to be worshipped, praised, adored, and revered for giving the Lord Jesus Christ through whose blood we have been redeemed, (verse 7). Then he says that God has […]
We are going to draw the truths of this topic from the book of Ephesians, but before we delve into what we are, we should establish who the Apostle is writing to. We know he was writing to people at Ephesus, a principle port city on the west coast of Asia Minor, however not to […]
The Psalmist asks the question “Why are you cast down [or Why do you sink in depression] O my soul?” He then asks a second question, “And why are you disquieted [or Why do you moan with such tumult and commotion] within me?” He then continues by giving a solution to both questions with the […]
A grapevine usually does not grab one’s attention, except when its branches are laden with lush clusters of fruit; it is the fruit that is the main attraction to the vine! However it is the function of the vine to provide the vital sap to the branches producing the fruit. In John 15:1-8 Jesus likens […]
In introducing Jesus John 1:4 says “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” This shows us that in the original creation of Genesis 1 and 2 life came from God through Jesus. The life of the new creation in 2 Corinthians 5:17 also comes from God through Him; as the […]
Sheep and shepherds were a big part of ancient Israel, the nation of whom God had said was “the flock of My pasture” Ezekiel 34:31, and His commitment to them through the prophet Isaiah was that He would “feed His flock like a shepherd” 40:11. Then in Psalm 100:3 they acknowledge that “we are His […]