Playing the Grace Card

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace (Eph 1:7).

There are few things more embarrassing that making a big purchase and the person behind the register tells you that your credit card's been denied.  

The conversation usually goes something like this:

You:  "Run it again.  I know it's still good."  

After a second swipe, the machine responds with an annoying beep.  

Clerk:  "Sorry, sir.  You're card's no good.  You're over your limit."

You:  "There must be some mistake.  Try it again."

Clerk:  "I'm very sorry, sir.  You're over your limit."

You scramble through your wallet for another card because you know you don't have the cash.  Nothing.  You're cooked.  You've been denied.  Insufficient funds.  You make the walk of shame away from the register and out the front door of the store.

Don't go all Dave Ramsey on me.  My wife and I cut up our last credit card several years ago.  

But here Paul lets us know that Jesus never comes up short when it comes to paying our sin debt.  He's got plenty in His account.  Gracious plenty.  

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (v7).  

Christ never gets denied when He plays the Grace Card. 

This verse is all part of the Tsunami of Blessings in Ephesians 1:3-14.  In one, long run-on Greek sentence, Paul can't contain himself in describing all of the many ways God has blessed us in Jesus.  

There's talk of predestination, our eventual holiness, His pre-love toward us, His adoption of us into His divine family.  

Once the apostle gets started, he just can't stop.  He's just washed away by the tidal wave of Jesus' goodness.  Can you really blame him?

The apostle begins the little phrase "In Him" (v7).  Tiny phrase.  Massive meaning.  In this letter alone, Paul uses this idea 28 times in one form or another.  He's talking about our union with Christ.  

Once we place our trust in the Person and work of the risen Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth, we're forever joined with Him.  So much so that when our heavenly Dad sees us, He doesn't see me.  He sees His sinless, spotless Son.  

"In Him" speaks to what smart dudes call our justification.  This is a legal term that describes a judge's verdict.  When we place our faith in Jesus, God pounds the gavel to announce our innocence.  

But this pronouncement means more than "not guilty."  To be justified also means that we've been perfectly obedient and good.  "In Him" (v7).  That's why these two words are a VERY big deal.

So what do we gain by being "in Him?"  Well, I'm glad you asked.  "We have redemption through His blood" (v7).  

Here Paul uses the Greek word απολυτωσις/apolutrosis.  It means the freedom gained through the payment of a ransom, the purchase of a slave for the purpose of setting them free, liberation and deliverance.  

Just as Lincoln was willing to make a great sacrifice of political capital to free the slaves in the American South, Jesus willingly paid the ultimate sacrifice to free us from our slavery to sin.

Here's the deal.  We're all slaves.  Every last one of us.  Slaves to sin (Rom 6:6, 20).  

There's absolutely nothing we can do gain our own freedom.  There's no hope for escape.  We need help from the outside.  

We need a liberator.  We need a redeemer.  And that person just happens to be Jesus, "in Whom we have redemption (Gr. απολυτροσις/apolutrosis), the forgiveness of sins" (Col 1:14).  

The old hymn is absolutely right.  Jesus paid it all.  He spilled His precious blood on a Roman cross to pay my sin debt.  That's what it means to play the Grace Card.  

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption (Gr. απολυτροσις/apolutrosis) that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom 3:23-24).  

Jesus truly paid it all.  For you.  For me.

The cost of our redemption is the very blood of Jesus.  It's only through His sacrificial death in our place that we have "the forgiveness of our trespasses" (v7).  

The reason Jesus purchases our freedom from sin is to forgive our sins.  Forgiveness.  

This is the Greek term αφεσις/aphesis.  Remission.  Pardon.  Release from bondage or imprisonment.  Cancellation of guilt.  All paid for by our Savior.  

He lived the life we should have lived.  He died the death we should have died.  But did He really have to die?  Wasn't there some other way to pay this debt?  

For God to forgive sin, something or Someone must die.  He makes it clear in the Old Testament.  "It is the blood that makes atonement for life" (Lev 17:11).  

He leaves little doubt in the New.  "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Heb 9:22).  Somebody's gonna pay for my sin.  

I can either accept what Jesus did in my place.  Or I can open my own wallet.  I think you can see how this is gonna go down.

But when Jesus dies for us, what kind of forgiveness does the Lord give us?  God uses the prophet Micah to describe the scope of His forgiveness of our sin in Jesus.  "You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" (Mic 7:19).  

Sin overboard!  I don't see anyone running to grab a life preserver, do you?  Didn't think so.  

The psalmist uses geography to paint a picture of God's forgiveness.  "As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us" (Ps 103:12).  I don't need Google Maps to tell me that's a REALLY long way!  

The forgiveness Jesus grants me has no expiration date.  "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" (Heb 9:12).  

And Jesus' work of sacrifice for our sins will be the theme of songs in heaven, "for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God" (Rev 5:8).

You might be worried that you've done a lot of sinning in your life.  Some folks think they are beyond Jesus' reach of salvation.  

Forget that.  He saves us "according to the riches of His grace" (v7).  

Here's the deal.  Jesus doesn't worry about running out of grace.  He's not working on a grace budget.  He doesn't need to save some for a rainy day.  

When it comes to grace, He's filthy, stinking rich.  What's the result?  We can't out-sin Him.  There's nothing we can do that's makes us unsavable.  

He never checks His grace account before making the payment.  His grace card won't be denied at the register.  

That means that Jesus is a better Savior that you are a sinner.  He's always able to save.  ALWAYS!

Later in this note to the folks in Ephesus, Paul lets us know that Jesus' Grace Card has no limit.  When Christ returns He will "show the immeasurable riches of His grace" (Eph 2:7).  

God can't max out His grace account.  It has so much in it that you can't measure it.  Don't worry your little head about your sin being too much for His grace.  Not possible.

That's what happens when Jesus plays the Grace Card.

©2013

Jay Jennings