“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…” Ephesians 1:7
I have often struggled with defining my value through someone else’s view of who I am.
Not only did this leave me with a poor view of myself, but it put me on a path of trying to prove my worth and right my own wrongs by being a good enough Christian, wife, and mom.
But here is some reassuring, good news that can instantly enrich a poor view of our value: the proof of our worth is woven into the wood of a cross by a scarlet thread.
We do not have to work tirelessly to prove we are good enough, because the view from heaven of our value is that we were worth dying for.
Jesus’ sacrifice paid the price for our sin so we could be forever forgiven and one day spend eternity with Him. This is redemption. This is the richness of God’s grace.
The letter of Ephesians was penned during Paul’s imprisonment. At the beginning of his letter to the infant churches in Ephesus, Paul reminds the faithful believers of their value as God’s chosen and adopted children by listing the blessings of the spiritual inheritance they have through Jesus Christ. In verse 7 Paul focuses on the blessing of redemption. The Greek word for redemption is apolutrósis which means “a release effected by payment of ransom”. Through redemption, we can measure the worth of a captive soul that has been set free, because redemption came at a price – the shed blood of Jesus Christ. His sacrificed life was the ransom paid to release us from the sin that once held us shackled as slaves.
We are reclaimed as God’s children.
Therefore, the value of a life that has been redeemed can be measured by the richness of God’s grace lavished on us (Ephesians 1:8) because of His incomparable love for us. (Romans 5:8)
When we are struggling with an identity crisis, through the riches of God’s grace our identity is sealed and secured.
When there are days we feel exposed and ashamed, just like Adam and Eve after the fall, through the richness of God’s grace we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
When the ugliness of sin has left too many stains, through the riches of God’s grace we are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb.
When we feel weighed down with guilt, through the riches of God’s grace our guilt is gone in the name of God’s beloved Son.
“God, thank you that you deemed us worthy of the shed blood of Your one and only Son, Jesus. Thank You for Your grace that You not only lavished on us at salvation, but pour out in new mercies every morning. In the redeeming name of Jesus, Amen.”
Born Alive ~ A Journey In Grace
In this week’s podcast, I want you to meet my friend Robin Sertell. On the day Robin was born, her parents went to the hospital without having a name picked out for her, a car seat in the car, or a pink layette set in a bag. They went to the hospital thinking they were not coming home with a baby. Until she survived the procedure that was meant to end her life. Her story… is one filled with grace, forgiveness, and love. You won’t want to miss this week’s episode, follow the links below.
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