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Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood

The apostle continues with the theme of our being in Christ. He opens verse 7 with “In Him we have redemption …”

“Redeemed” is the Greek word often used to speak of buying slaves’ or a debtors’ freedom. Here it relates to paying the required ransom to God for the release of men from bondage. This means Christ on the cross purchased believers out of the slave market of iniquity and from the sentence of eternal death.

Now only saving faith unlocks the door of the prison where the law keeps men bound. Paul personifies the law as a jailer of guilty, condemned sinners, on death row awaiting God’s judgment (Rom 6:23). Faith in Christ alone releases (redeems) people from the death row of bondage to the law. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law and now His redemption brings limitless grace He afforded to us with wisdom and prudence “having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.” (Eph 1:9).

Just as Nathanael questioned if anything good could come out of Nazareth, Christ the Redeemer did. Christ crucified therefore, though esteemed “foolishness” by the world, is “the wisdom of God” (1Co 1:18-30) and is sufficient to redeem us all.