Do you know what it’s like to redeem something? Let me use an illustration. Let’s say you take a prized possession down to the pawnshop. The guy at the pawnshop gives you $50 and a ticket for it and puts it on the shelf.
As soon as you get $50 together, you can go back to the pawnshop, give him the ticket and the money, and you can get your possession back. You have “redeemed” it.
It’s the same way with coupons. When you take a dollar coupon for cereal to the grocery store, you can redeem it toward the box of cereal. What you’re actually doing is using it as a substitute for a dollar toward the purchase of the cereal.
Jesus redeemed us by paying the price we couldn’t pay. He is our Redeemer. Look at the rest of Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
In other words, “the riches of His grace” means that He has the ability to do through you the thing that you can’t do. He is so rich in grace that He can provide enough grace for every single person to do the thing that they cannot do for themselves.
There is no earthly person who can pay the price for salvation. It does not matter how hard a person may work at it. People can do good deeds. They can tithe and have so many Sunday school pins hanging off the left side of their lapel that they walk crooked, but that will not get them saved. No one can be saved by works. Nothing, absolutely nothing you can do can save you.
Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” There is nothing you can do to change that by yourself. Without the blood of Jesus you will die short of the glory of God.
However, if we look at Ephesians 1:7-8, it explains that, “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”
Wow, isn’t that great? His grace abounds toward us. We are blessed because God favors us. God favors us because of grace. He gives us favor when we don’t deserve it.
Excerpt permission granted by Larry Ollison Ministries
Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.