1. Redemption through His blood. (7)
   A. Paul is praying out of the depth of his heart.
       1. Nothing is more important to Paul than Calvary. At Calvary, sin stood condemned once and for all. The cross is the supreme revelation of the love of God.

       2. On the cross, the “sinless one” became “sin” for us. Love and sacrifice go together.

 B. Paul wrote about sacrifice. (7-8)
       1. This sacrifice was not to secure favor. It was not a price to be paid to an enslaving power. It is not transactional. It is not as if Christ had to buy us from another god.

       2. The sacrifice of Christ was the obedience of His life; his utter self-abandonment and obedience unto death, “even a death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8).

2. There is forgiveness. (7-9)
   A. The meaning of redemption is that forgiveness is given to us.
       1. This redemption was not a ransom which was paid. Once and for all.
 2. It was a deliverance, at a great price. “It was for the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Once and for all.

  B. We can respond to God in wisdom and understanding.
       1. Because of what Christ has done and because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, we can know God more fully and we can learn how to apply God’s truth in our lives daily.

       2. We have a wisdom of understanding and a wisdom of application.

3. We are gathered into one. (The goal is to unite all things in Christ) (10)
   A. “A Plan for the fullness of time.”
       1. All of history is God’s history. “That the world might be brought together as one family in Christ.”

       2. We serve a great God who has given us a great Christ. We have a great redemption because it meets us where we are and delivers us to what we need---a family. We have a dwelling place with a family that includes all creation. That family is “in Christ.”

  B. “Gather together in one, all things in Christ.”(10)
       1. The entire universe will find its cohesion in Christ.

2. If you have trusted Christ, you are to bring praise to his name. One way that you can do that is to share your faith with others.

3. We are sealed with the Spirit.
   A. Paul now turns to specifically to the Gentiles.
       1. They had heard the word, received the Gospel of salvation.

       2. They had believed and trusted in Christ, and were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

 B. What does it mean to be sealed with the Spirit?
       1. Circumcision was a seal that confirmed Abraham’s justification by faith (Rom. 4:11).

       2. Christians were sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit validates our faith. He is not an option in the Christian experience. We do not posses the Spirit. The Spirit possesses us.

C. How does the Spirit function?
       1. “He is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.”

2. The Holy Spirit is the seal which shows that a person belongs to God. He shows us God’s will and enables us to do it.

       3. The Greek word is “arrabon.” The “arrabon” was paid in advance. If you were to purchase something, you would pay a down payment as a guarantee that you intended to go through with the purchase in time.

 4. Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit is a guarantee to Believers that one day we will receive the full blessing of God. What is that full blessing? It is eternity with God.

       5. The Holy Spirit is just a foretaste of the blessing of heaven. He is the guarantee that     one day we will enter into the full possession of God.

 D. Salvation is three-sided.
       1. Justification—It is a past fact---something that happened at a point in time. (Rom. 8:24; 11:11; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 2:3-4; 5:9; Rev. 12:10.

2. Sanctification—It is a present reality. (Lk. 19:10; 1 Cor. 1:8; !5:2; 2 Cor. 6:2, Phil. 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21).

       3. Glorification—It is a future hope. (Rom. 13:11; Heb. 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5).

  D. We usually emphasize the past aspect of salvation.
       1. The Holy Spirit functions in the present, giving us power and guidance to “work out our salvation.”

       2. The Holy Spirit is an essential reality in the life of a Christian.