Ephesians 1:7
“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!”
“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
I love how The Message develops the idea of freedom. According to Chuck Smith (Verse by Verse Commentary on Ephesians C2000) the Greek carries the idea of a slave who could not pay their debts, purchased back from the slave market. I am that slave. The image of standing in chains on the auction block amplifies the joy and gratitude I have in my redemption. My freedom is indeed abundant compared to that. Thankfully, the graceful ministry of the Holy Spirit teaches me how to translate that glorious freedom into our theology of my daily life.
Lord, I thank you for opening my eyes, with passing years, of my freedom in Christ. You have taught me it is much more than just freedom from sin’s consequences. It is freedom to live a truly full life. It has been a joy to see ‘should’ and ‘ought to’ disappear from my vocabulary. Instead, there is simply and wonderfully, rest in you.