In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.
The grace of God for His people knows no bounds and remains within no limits. To know the truth of this, we need look to nowhere else than the cross of Christ, by which “we have redemption through his blood.”
In the book of Exodus, God instituted the Passover, which painted a picture of freedom bought at a price. He instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a family lamb and spread its blood across their doorposts to prevent a visit from the angel of death as he passed through Egypt. The residents of each of those faithful households avoided God’s judgment of the death of the firstborn son only because a lamb had died in his place (Exodus 12:3-13).
The Israelites were enslaved to Pharaoh. Similarly, all of us enter this world as slaves to sin and death. The price of our forgiveness was the very blood of Christ, who accomplished redemption as the great Passover Lamb for all who might believe in Him. It is His blood that frees us from death, for life, eternally. Christ did not come to earth to tell us how to make ourselves Christians. He did not come to tell us what we have to do to save ourselves. He came to do what we could not—to save us. He acted on our behalf, offering forgiveness that is free to us but costly to God. We dare not think that God simply decided to overlook our sin; rather, Christ’s death on the cross absorbed the judgment that you and I deserve. God’s holiness requires sin’s penalty to be paid—and His Son provided the payment.
As he considers this, Paul is moved to exclaim, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Ephesians 1:3). Considering God’s grace should always move us to praise. But notice the phrase Paul uses in verses 7-8: “the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.” God’s grace is torrential. It is overwhelming. He has poured it out over each one of His children, holding nothing back. And He will continue to do so for eternity.
Imagine you have just finished your meal in a high-end restaurant and someone picks up your check, saying, “I’ve got you covered—I’ll pay.” That’s what God has said to you on the grandest scale imaginable. He isn’t saying there is no payment to be made. He’s saying He has already made the payment. God’s grace is beyond all limits, extending further than the eye can see or the heart can grasp. So, although as you look back on the last day or week, you will know that you are sinful, you can also know this: you cannot sin as much as God can forgive, and you can be confident that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). You will enjoy the experience of grace upon grace upon grace for all eternity.
‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.[1]
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Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotional by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, The Good Book Company.