Day of Redemption (Ephesians 4:30)
It was common when a purchaser obtained or redeemed a slave for him to put a mark on the slave indicating that he or she now belonged to the purchaser. Paul, in Ephesians 4:30, takes that practice from his times and uses it to illustrate what it means to be a Christian - each has the same mark on them.
A Christian is a redeemed person who is a member of a redeemed people. The redeemed people are more than redeemed, but we need to understand what the significance is of being redeemed. We become the property of Jesus.
The gospel of redeeming grace
A Christian before he was converted was a slave to sin, under the control of an evil taskmaster, the devil, who by various methods deceived the unconverted person that he was living the best life. It was not until he heard the gospel that he realised that he needed to be liberated.
There are many ways of explaining the gospel. For example, we can speak of sinners being condemned by the law of God, but that by believing in Jesus, who satisfied the claims of the law, they can be justified by faith in Jesus and receive the standing of acceptance with God. Or we can speak of sinners as being outside the family of God, but that they will become members of it when they trust in Jesus and receive freely all the privileges connected to family membership.
A third way is to use the illustration of redemption or ransom. It is important that when we think about this picture of salvation that we remember it is both redemption from and redemption to. Often we focus only on redemption from, indicating that we are looking back to what we were. But we should also consider what we are redeemed for; and doing so helps us understand why God planned to redeem his people and why Jesus paid the price that would enable them to be called the redeemed.
So the gospel says to sinners, no matter what they have done, ‘You are all slaves to sin. Your situation will get worse and worse because you are continually doing what sin wants. Eventually, you will be punished for your rebellion, because all your actions, all your sinful actions, are expressions of disobedience to God. Despite your actions, God wants you to hear a message of hope. The message is that the Son of God came into the world to redeem slaves of sin. You will get the benefits of his redemption when you repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus. When you do that, you will be delivered from the grip of sin, from the possibility of future punishment for your sins, and you will join a new community of people, each of whom has experienced the same deliverance and anticipates the same future.’ That is redemption from. What about redemption to?
The guardian of the redeemed
In Ephesians 4:30, Paul reminded his readers what happened when they were converted. Indeed, he mentions the outcome twice in this letter, so he must have wanted his readers to understand it. The other place he mentions it is in 1:13-14, where he says that Christians have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. What does he mean by a seal?
It was common practice for a person to put his seal on items he was transferring from one place to another. A merchant could do it, if he was sending goods between two places. A householder could do it if he was sending some possessions elsewhere. When another person saw the seal, he would know who owned the items. Persons could be sealed as well, and the seal would indicate who they belonged to.
The seal that indicates who Christians belong to is the Holy Spirit. His presence reveals that we belong to God. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the proof that we are converted because he is a living seal who changes those he marks. How do we know we have him? Here are some suggestions.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul says to the church in Corinth, ‘Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.’ In this reference, Paul again mentions together the Holy Spirit and the concept of redemption (bought with a price).
What is the consequence that Paul expects? He expects the Corinthians to glorify God in all that they do with their bodies. This means that a Christian has to ensure that he uses his eyes correctly, his ears correctly, his tongue correctly, his hands correctly, his feet correctly. In fact, he has to behave like a temple, a holy place.
In 1 Corinthians 7:22-23, Paul again refers to the concept of having been purchased (bought with a price): ‘For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.’ Paul here is dealing with the issue of status. He refers to the two kinds of person who heard the gospel – a slave or a free person. The slave, when he believed, became free from the power of sin. The free person, when he believed, became a slave of Christ.
Paul is challenging us regarding our self-perception. I should ask myself, 'Who do I think I am?' In answer to that question, I can think of myself in earthly categories or I can think of myself in new ways. If I think at the lower level, I will see myself and others through the categories of earthly status. But a redeemed person should not think in that way, says Paul.
Because a Christian is bought with a price, he has been set free from the old master and he has become the slave of the best Master. The challenge is, do I think of myself as the property of Jesus? The seal, the Holy Spirit, will remind me of that new way of seeing myself and others. In the world today, and indeed throughout history, there are only slaves – either slaves of sin or slaves of Christ.
To see oneself as a slave of Christ is not self-demeaning. Rather it is evidence of great wisdom because such have chosen the best life. He protects them, provides for them, loves them, listens to them, works everything for their benefit, and never takes his eyes off them as they travel through life. Since that is the case, a Christian should be consecrated to Christ by obeying his will, should be content with what Christ gives in his providence, and should care about those who are still in the grip of sin.
Others should see that they are very happy to be the slaves of Christ. They are not only happy to have been redeemed from the futile lives they used to live; they are also very happy that they have been redeemed to live a life of service for their Redeemer. And as they do, they are conscious that ahead of them is a remarkable day, a further event to anticipate in the experience of redemption.
The goal of redemption
How long are we redeemed for? The author of Hebrews reminds us: ‘But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption’ (Hebrews 9:11-12). Whatever else this means, it includes something after we leave this world.
Paul reminded the Ephesians of the reason why they were sealed with the Holy Spirit – they were sealed for the day of redemption. Sometimes, we say ‘unto the day of redemption, which is true, but Paul is saying more than that. We could put it this way: I could have protection until a certain date, or I could be protected for a certain date. The word ‘until’ describes a process, whereas ‘for’ points to a specific purpose. God has a day that he calls the Day of Redemption in which he is going to do something very important.
Imagine a kind owner who bought a slave from a bad owner, treated him well while he served, and then looked after him when he became old. That would be commendable, if it had happened. But the owner could only look after his redeemed slave until the day of his death. When that happened, he would not be required to do anything else for his slave. So although in a sense the slave had been redeemed, he would finally face a power that his master could do nothing about. It is very different for a Christian because he not only has a day of redemption in the past, he also has a day of redemption in the future, when Jesus returns.
Paul refers to this in Romans 8:23: ‘And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.’ Again, we see in this verse that Paul refers to the Holy Spirit and the concept of redemption.
This statement by Paul has several implications. First, it is a reminder that Jesus on the cross paid for the redemption of our bodies. Often, we talk about the salvation of our souls, but we should really speak about the redemption of all that we are, body and soul.
Second, it is a reminder that both the saints in heaven and the saints on earth are both looking ahead to the same event. In heaven live the souls of just men made perfect, without any sin or sorrow. Even although they are perfect in holiness, still for them the best is yet to be. Some of them have been waiting for this day of redemption for thousands of years.
I read this paragraph in a sermon by Spurgeon: ‘Many believers make a mistake when they long to die and long for heaven. Those things may be desirable, but they are not the ultimatum of the saints. The saints in heaven are perfectly free from sin, and, so far as they are capable of it, they are perfectly happy; but a disembodied spirit never can be perfect until it is reunited to its body. God made man not pure spirit, but body and spirit, and the spirit alone will never be content until it sees its corporeal frame raised to its own condition of holiness and glory. Think not that our longings here below are not shared in by the saints in heaven. They do not groan, so far as any pain can be, but they long with greater intensity than you and I long, for the “adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body.” People have said there is no faith in heaven, and no hope; they know not what they say – in heaven it is that faith and hope have their fullest swing and their brightest sphere, for glorified saints believe in God’s promise, and hope for the resurrection of the body.’
Third, it is a reminder that some aspects of our former slavery are still around, and we have to face them through trust in the Lord. They cause us to groan. One aspect is the reality of death – our bodies will see corruption unless we live until the day that Jesus comes. What does the heavenly Seal say to us about that? He reminds us that the body will have its day of redemption, and he has written about in his Word for our assurance.
Fourth, it is a reminder that creation will be released from its bondage to corruption. We have no idea what happened to creation when God cursed it because of our sins. Nor do we have any idea what it will be like when God eventually delivers it. But Paul says that it will be set free. At the moment, while it reveals God’s goodness, it also reveals divine judgement, because it is in bondage. On that future day of glory, it will reveal nothing but goodness.
Fifth, why will creation be delivered? Because it is the inheritance of the redeemed. Heaven is not our inheritance, although it is a wonderful place to wait for it. Paul says that the day of redemption for our bodies and for creation will be the time when the sons of God will be revealed. Not some of them, but all of them. That will be an incredible day, and there will be no jealousies about who gets what in the eternal inheritance.
Application
We can take the words of a verse of a hymn to make three points. Here is the verse:
Imagine your thoughts singing it today as you recall how your Redeemer has brought you from death to life. Imagine your thoughts if you could sing it on arrival in heaven. And imagine your feelings if you could sing it on the future Day of Redemption as you stand on the verge of the eternal inheritance.
We can also take a verse from Isaiah 63 and think about it. It is a prediction of the Messiah: ‘For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come.’ The phrase ‘my year of redemption’ can also mean ‘the year of my redeemed has come.’ Imagine Jesus saying that phrase when he paid your sins on the cross. Imagine Jesus saying that phrase when he welcomes you to heaven. Imagine Jesus saying that phrase when he gives you the eternal inheritance.
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