The Apostles’ Creed: SalvationSample

Forgiveness Accomplished by the Son: Ephesians 1:7

The divine grace that accomplishes our forgiveness also involved the Son, who is our Redeemer.

In fulfillment of the Father’s promise, the Son was sent into the world, becoming incarnate as Jesus, the long awaited Messiah, in order to atone for human sin. We find this teaching in many places like Romans 3:25-26, and Hebrews 2:14-17, and 10:5-10.

Jesus atoned for sin by dying on the cross in place of sinners. He received the divine curse that had been warranted by our sin. And his perfect righteousness was credited to our account, so that we would be counted not as sinners, but as obedient children of God. To list just a few of the places this theme appears, we find it in John 10:14-18, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Hebrews 10:9-14. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:7:

In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7).

Our sins are forgiven not because God ignores them, but because he has punished them in Christ. And that’s why Scripture encourages us to have such confidence in our salvation.