Preaching from Ephesians 1:7, John Calvin said,
God puts our sins out of his remembrance and drowns them in the depths of the sea, and, moreover, receives the payment that was offered him in the person of his only Son.
This is the gift of redemption that comes from God through the God-Man Jesus Christ.
The truth of redemption is not an obscure doctrine; the New Testament speaks often of the provision of redemption:
- “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45)
- Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people” (Lk. 1:68)
- …being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24)
- And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (Rom. 8:23)
- But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:30-31)
- Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Gal. 3:13)
- Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph. 4:30)
- who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:14)
- If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (1 Pet. 1:17-19)
And too often the believer minimizes the significance of this redemptive act. John MacArthur notes its importance —
because we continue to sin, we need the continued forgiveness of cleansing; but we do not need the continued forgiveness of redemption. Jesus told Peter, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean’ (John 13:10).…
There are no second class Christians, no deprived citizens of God’s kingdom or children in His family. Every sin of every believer is forgiven forever. God knows how we were, how we now live, and how we will live the rest of our lives. He sees everything about us in stark-naked reality. Yet He says, ‘I am satisfied with you because I am satisfied with My Son, to whom you belong. When I look at you, I see Him, and I am pleased.’…A Christian who denigrates himself and doubts full forgiveness denies the work of God and denigrates a child of God. If we matter to God, certainly ought to matter to ourselves.
So Christ’s act of redemption is not merely an act that provides our salvation, but it is an act with multiple ongoing benefits for the believer. (You might take some time to study some of the passages above to discover what some of these other benefits are.)
Words of Grace 