Freedom

For Bibles, you can turn once again to Ephesians chapter 1. We are thinking about verse 7 as we approach Easter.

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

! We read in verse 7, in Him, in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us.

So we're thinking about the reality that Jesus gives true freedom. When we look at this verse, the key word, the word that jumps out at us, I am sure, is the word redemption.

And it's a word that belongs in the freedom family. And when we think about freedom, that's something I imagine we all want, and we all want in different ways.

We value the freedom of choice or the freedom of expression. We hear people talking about the freedom to be me, and we understand.

Think about in a family. As children grow older, they say, we need more freedom. That's what they want.

As parents, perhaps we are tempted to say, well, you need less freedom. When we're at work, we want freedom to use our talents to avoid being micromanaged, or we want freedom from all the distractions so we can focus on the task that needs our attention.

Think about our time, day to day, week to week. How often do we want simply a free day in the calendar?

Maybe just a few free hours so we can see the people we want to see, perhaps to do nothing and find rest or to pursue our hobbies or our interests.

Freedom matters in so many different ways. But how do we think about freedom? Often, perhaps instinctively, we think freedom is about freedom from. Freedom from rules. Freedom from authority. Freedom from demands.

But is there another way to define it? What if the freedom that we're pursuing all along really isn't freedom at all?

What if we're missing what true freedom really is? We were at a family wedding this weekend, and it was a beautiful day, and in the evening, there was a few kids out on the lawn, and they were having the best time stargazing, looking at the moon, spotting a satellite.

And there was a sense of joy. And there was a sense of wonder. And I was talking with someone, and they were saying to me,

I don't know, I don't know, the last time I looked up at the sky at night.

There is wonder there, but sometimes we miss it.

There is joyful wonder and freedom in the good news of Jesus.

To hear this text is to hear a joy everywhere.

Paul begins with thanks and praise, because in Jesus, there is the freedom to enjoy all of God's spiritual blessings.

There is joyful freedom, because in Jesus, we can know the love of God as Father.

There is the joy and the freedom in Jesus of discovering God's goal for the universe,

that the whole universe would be united under Christ, including us.

But I wonder if we've missed the magnitude of God's mercy,

if we've stopped gazing with joy at the wonder of God's redemption.

So today, we have a chance to slow down and to look up and to discover or to rediscover

the wonderful freedom we have on offer to us in Jesus.

We're going to ask three questions.

We're going to ask, why do we need freedom?

And we're going to think about guilt, and we're going to think about sin.

We're going to ask, where do we find freedom?

And we're going to go to the cross of Christ.

And we're going to ask, how do we get this freedom?

And we'll think together about God's grace and God's love.

So why do we need freedom?

This morning, we're going to borrow from a few classic movies from the 90s to help us.

I don't know how many of you have seen the Truman Show.

If you've seen the Truman Show, you'll know the central character is a man called Truman Burbank.

And halfway through the show, he discovers that his whole life is a sham.

He's been trapped in a TV show that everyone around him is an actor playing a part.

And from that moment, the goal of Truman's life is to escape.

And to escape Christoph.

Think about that name.

Christoph the director.

There's freedom in escaping.

Now, I would suggest that movie helpfully captures what we might think of as our default setting when it comes to freedom.

Freedom is escaping the director.

Freedom is escaping authority.

If we go back to the book of Genesis, freedom comes.

If we could just escape God and his word over us.

Wasn't that the idea of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?

We've been tracing it for weeks.

Adam and Eve, as they listen to the serpent, they begin to doubt God's generosity.

And they stop trusting God's word.

And they question his love.

And the root of sin is this desire to be free from the God who we don't really trust.

We don't really trust loves us and has our best intentions at heart.

And so there is this misguided belief if we could just break those shackles, if we could escape the TV set, then there would be freedom.

Jesus in John's gospel makes a really powerful statement and I think helps us if we're thinking in these lines.

He says to us,

Everyone who sins doesn't find freedom.

Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

And it could be that in pursuing a false view of freedom, we're actually selling ourselves to that which would destroy us.

Mercifully, Jesus continued, but if the Son sets you free, then you're free indeed.

So when we come to Ephesians chapter 1 verse 7 and we come to this idea of redemption, the big idea, first of all, is that you and I, we need redemption.

Ephesians 1:7

The picture is a biblical picture of someone who has been sold into slavery.

For some reason, got into a debt that we cannot pay off and cannot break free from.

And the only way to be delivered is by the payment of a price.

A price that will be paid by another.

The classic Old Testament redemption story is the book of Exodus.

And in the book of Exodus, we find that Israel as a nation, they are slaves.

And the wonderful truth is that God himself will deliver.

He will send Moses as mediator.

And the price that will be paid is the price of the Passover lamb to ensure the freedom of God's people.

So when we hear the word redemption, it reminds us that we need freedom.

But maybe it makes us ask the question, well, what does this have to do with us?

I've never been a slave.

I've not been sold.

I feel quite free.

To help us to understand what Paul says, there's a second idea within verse 7 that we need to recognize.

Verse 7, in him we have redemption through his blood.

How does that redemption come?

Through the forgiveness of sins or literally the forgiveness of our trespasses.

So moving from the idea of being sold into slavery to the idea of trespass.

So we're familiar, I think, with the idea of trespassing.

There is a portion of land or a site that is private.

And if we cross over the boundary line, then we are in forbidden territory.

That might be a farmer's field.

It might be a secret government site.

You might see warning signs.

Trespassers will be prosecuted.

Keep that image in your head.

What is the line that we cross when we sin?

The line that we step over is the line of God's law.

Like Adam and Eve who ate the forbidden fruit.

We trespass when we do what God forbids.

God says no and we say yes.

And we trespass when we fail to do what God commands.

God says yes and we say no.

Think about the summary that Jesus gave of God's law.

We are to love God all the time, all the way.

And when we fail, when we ignore God in His world,

when we reject His rule over us,

when we give our hearts to other things,

when we don't honor His name or honor His day,

we are guilty of sin.

We are liable to prosecution.

We have trespassed against God and His law.

Back again to Jesus' summary of the law.

We are not only to love God,

we are to love our neighbor as ourself.

And so when we fail,

when we disrespect,

or when we snub the other person,

when we despise and dishonor them

in our hearts or with our words,

in our lust or in our lies,

in our anger, our envy, and our pride,

again we become liable to judgment.

We have trespassed.

We become slaves.

And because God is God,

He is both the King who has ultimate authority over us,

but He is also the righteous judge

who cannot simply turn a blind eye to sin,

and He is also the holy God

who hates sin and its effects

in our lives and in our world.

So when I sin,

when you sin,

we trespass against God's command,

or we pile up a moral debt

that we cannot repay.

In a spiritual sense,

we become slaves

because of the guilt

of our sin.

In response to that one common answer

that people might give,

perhaps we might give,

is to say,

but I'm basically

a good person.

I feel like looking back on my life,

my good deeds,

they outweigh my bad deeds.

I feel like I've been a pretty good family member,

a good neighbor,

a good citizen.

Surely God will accept me.

If you're here today,

and that's what you think Christianity is,

if you're trying really hard

to prove yourself to God,

or maybe you're new to Christianity,

and you're wondering,

is it some kind of

moral self-improvement religion?

And again,

we need to hear what God says,

because according to God,

it is folly.

No mere human

can perfectly keep God's law.

And recognize, too,

that it's not true.

It's not true to say

that our good deeds

can ever outweigh our bad deeds,

because even our best efforts,

the Bible says,

they still have defects.

The best thing that I do

if I'm not truly honoring God

with my heart,

still sin.

If I don't seek God's glory

where I seek to be a good neighbor,

the Bible says it's still sin.

Whatever does not proceed from faith

is sin.

And as importantly,

we need to understand

that trying to make our good deeds

outweigh our bad deeds,

that has never been

and will never be

God's way to save anybody.

Salvation does not come

from balancing the records

and the scales.

Salvation comes from

cancelling the record

at the cross.

And that's what Jesus came to do.

And that's the fundamental freedom

that you and I all need.

So having said that,

let's ask ourselves

a second question,

and it's this,

where do we find this freedom?

Just to continue

with a couple of different

90s movies,

think about Braveheart.

If you've seen Braveheart,

think about that famous

battle speech

of Mel Gibson

slash William Wallace

as they're about to face

the army of England.

Freedom for the land,

freedom for the people,

will require

courage

and cost

and bloody sacrifice.

saving Private Ryan,

which tells the story

of a U.S. squadron

sent to rescue

said Private Ryan

from the heat

of World War II

to bring him home

to his mother.

She'd already lost

all his brothers.

And freedom for Private Ryan

in that movie

came as many

of that squadron

died on their

rescue mission.

And again,

sacrifice

and cost

brings freedom.

It's a theme

that plays through

so many

of our stories

and it is

right at the heart

of Christian faith.

At the heart

of Christianity

is freedom

that comes

through costly

sacrifice.

And the one

who sacrifices

is Jesus,

the Son of God,

in order to be

our Redeemer.

forever.

That's why

the note

of this section

is so full

of praise

and joy.

So look back

with me again

at verse 7

and notice

these two

little phrases.

First of all,

it's in Him,

it's in Christ

we have redemption

and then notice

we have redemption

through His blood.

So it's in Him,

in Christ

we have redemption.

So this is the idea

that we find

in the Bible

of union,

being united

with Christ,

with the idea

of Christ

as our representative.

And again,

this is something

we're familiar with.

We're familiar with it

in the world

of politics.

The Prime Minister

signs a peace treaty

and a whole nation

enjoys that peace.

Or a sports team

wins a trophy

and every supporter

of that team

shares in the victory.

This idea

of representation

matters

because what Jesus,

our head,

does as our Redeemer

is ours

as His body.

And what Paul

is telling us here

is that Jesus,

our representative,

He frees us

from our debt

of sin.

Remember,

we are sold

as slaves

because of our guilt

and Jesus

comes to represent us,

to free us

from our debt

of sin

by taking our guilt

on Himself,

by taking the liability

on Himself.

Now,

maybe we're really

used to that idea,

but let's just think

personally about it

for a moment.

Think with me

of the worst sins

that you have been

guilty of.

think for a moment

about the most

shameful words

or actions

of your life.

Even just scan

through the last

seven days

and think about

those moments

of regret.

And then hear

Jesus say,

place all of those

sins on me.

I will be regarded

for you

as the worst

sinner

who ever lived.

I will take

all of your guilt.

We heard

Colossians chapter 2,

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

the assurance

of our forgiveness,

and there's a wonderful

image there

of there being

a written record

of all our

moral and spiritual

debt before God.

God.

And as Jesus

dies on the cross,

that record of debt

is nailed

to the cross

as Christ

is nailed

to the cross.

And Paul's

message is

that Jesus

endures

the condemnation

that we deserve

so that we

can receive

salvation

from Jesus,

our

representative

who takes

our guilt

and gives

us his

righteousness.

And the

effect of

Jesus dying

on the cross

for us

is that our

record is

ripped up

because the

payment is

made in

full and

it will never

be asked

of us.

When I

trust in

Jesus,

when you

trust in

Jesus,

you are

totally free

from any

condemnation.

In Christ

Jesus,

you will never

experience

God's

justice

against you

because it

was fully

met in

Jesus.

That's what

it means to

be in

Him.

In Him,

when He is

our representative,

when we're

united to

Him by

faith,

what is

true of

Jesus is

true for

us as

His people.

So when

Jesus dies

for sin,

we are to

reckon and

regard ourselves

as having

died to

sin too.

As justice

is satisfied

against our

sin as it's

placed on

Jesus at

the cross,

our debt

is cancelled.

When Jesus

is raised to

new life,

we,

with Him,

are justified

and not

condemned and

we enjoy

resurrection life

with Him.

And that's

why we can

say you can

find freedom,

God's freedom,

at the cross

of Christ.

It's in

Him.

we have

redemption.

But the

second phrase

backs this

up,

doesn't it?

In Him we

have redemption

through His

blood.

Because that

really underlines

what is the

cost for us

to be free?

What's the

price that is

paid?

And the

price that is

paid is the

precious blood

of the Lord

Jesus Christ.

That to be

saved and to

enjoy freedom

for us

means being

saved by

sacrifice.

Jesus dies

in our place

to cover over

and cancel

our sin.

Now what do

you think

about when

you hear

the word

sin?

Sometimes we

might think

it's out of

date.

Perhaps we

hear it and

sometimes it

comes across

as offensive.

Sometimes we

want to limit

it and justify

ourselves,

well I'm not

doing any

worse than

others.

We're not

guilty of

any gross

immorality.

What does

God think

about sin

though?

Do we

understand that

God thinks

that all

sin is

infinitely

offensive

against an

infinitely holy

God?

Those sins

that we write

off as small,

well maybe

they didn't

harm anyone

else, it was

just in my

thoughts.

Never a

small thing,

but always

an act of

cosmic treason.

It's turning

our back on

God or

positively

shaking our

fist at the

God of the

universe.

Sin is

serious,

and sin is

worthy of

death.

The cross

shows us

that, but

wonderfully the

cross also

shows us

God's mercy

because it's

the blood of

the Son of

God which

is spilled.

Think about

that for a

moment.

Who stands

in our

place, whose

blood is

shed?

It's the

Son of God.

And it's the

infinite worth

of Christ

Jesus and

His blood

that covers

the infinite

offense of

our sin.

God's

God's

love.

love

falls on

Him so

that when

we are

covered by

His blood,

it's God's

mercy and

God's love

that falls

on us.

That's why we

celebrate God's

freedom through

Jesus.

If you're here

today,

you're not a

Christian.

I wonder if

you ever feel

a sense of

guilt, perhaps

in your

conscience,

perhaps fearful

at the mention

of God and

the idea of

God's judgment.

Maybe you're

here today and

you sense that

something is

missing, there's

something that

you need.

Today there is

an invitation to

come to

Jesus,

Jesus,

to look to

Him to be

your Redeemer,

to understand

that our debt

is so great,

only a divine

sacrifice could

pay it.

And Jesus,

the Son of

God, has

paid it,

and has paid

it in full,

so you don't

have to.

So you can

come to Jesus

in faith as

your grace

rescuer, the

one who came

to smash the

shackles of

sin, to

unlock the

dungeon, to

storm the

gates, to

purchase your

freedom at

the cost of

His own

life.

But let me

speak to those

of us who

are Christians.

When we

fall into

sin, as

we know we

do, when

we are

tempted to

despair, as

sometimes we

can be, when

we doubt

God's love,

when things

grow dark,

the answer

for us is

the same.

We come to

Jesus, we

look to

Jesus, as

Murray McShane

put it so

helpfully, for

every one

look at

ourselves.

we take

ten looks

at Jesus.

Let me

encourage you

today to

look to

Jesus as

your great

high priest.

Two things

Jesus does for

us as our

high priest, he

sacrifices for

you and he

prays for you.

On the cross, in

that sacrifice, he

has fully paid the

penalty for all of

your sins.

Justice has been

fully met, that

record of debt, the

letter now reads

paid in full, his

perfect sacrifice

has more merit than

all of our sin, he

is able to cover

it.

He's done that as

your great high

priest, but

recognize where is

Jesus now?

Jesus is in

heaven, he's in

glory, he's at the

Father's right hand,

and what's Jesus

doing now?

He is constantly

praying for you.

I came across this

phrase from the

Puritan Thomas

Goodwin this week,

he says this, the

life of Jesus and

the intercession of

Jesus keeps God and

us friends.

Our relationship with

our Father is

steadfast and sure

because Jesus

ensures it.

He mediates to

ensure our

reconciliation.

salvation.

So if you are in

Christ today, your

past sins, your

present sins, your

future sins are all

covered by the

sacrifice of Jesus

and the praying

life of Jesus.

And so our security

does not rest in

ourselves, it rests

in him.

His perfect sacrifice,

his perfect prayers, so

you and I, we get to

look, we get to

rest, and we get to

rejoice.

And that takes us

towards our third

question.

How do we get this

freedom?

So think about what

we've said so far.

We need freedom

because of our guilt

and our sin.

And Jesus came to

secure freedom by his

death on the cross.

I hope for all of us,

God is helping us to

see, to see why this

matters.

To see why we need

our idea of freedom

to include a freedom

to know God and to

know life with God and

to receive his

forgiveness so we can

be assured of his

love.

But it leads us to

that one final question.

How do we get this

freedom?

And it takes us to

one last connection

with another of those

90s movies.

Back to Saving Private

Ryan.

So the closing scenes

of the movie, we

find Private Ryan, so

he is rescued from

the front lines and

he's taken home to

the States where he

lives out the rest of

his days and we find

him, an elderly man,

visiting the grave of

one of those soldiers

who purchased his

freedom at great

sacrifice.

And there at the

gravesite he remembers

words spoken to him.

and those words

were, earn it.

And what we see and

sense is that Private

Ryan is haunted by

those words.

Have I done enough

with my life to earn

that sacrifice?

it was a terrible

burden upon his

shoulders.

Friends, this is

not the gospel.

That is not the

message of

Christianity.

And that's really good

news.

It's really good news

when we understand God

is perfectly holy and

just.

And that without

perfect, 100% perfect

love and obedience we

could never earn our

way into the freedom of

forgiveness.

That is good news when

we understand God

doesn't expect that.

He knows that we

failed.

He knows we will

always fail.

And he's provided a

way.

He's given to us a

better message and a

better story.

that Jesus, his son,

he has earned it for

us.

And it has nothing to

do with your worth.

And it has nothing to

do with your work.

And it has everything

to do with his.

In preparing for

Easter, I've been

reading a lovely little

book by John Piper.

It's called 50

Reasons Why Jesus

Came to Die.

And one of those

reasons is this.

Jesus died to show

the wealth of God's

love and grace for

sinners.

Look at the last

clause, the last

phrase in verse 7.

In him we have

redemption through his

blood, the forgiveness

of sins in accordance

with the riches of God's

grace that he lavished

on us.

God's overflowing grace

poured out on us.

How do we see it?

We see that grace in the

degree of his sacrifice

to save us from the

penalty of sin.

So we've already said it.

Who is it that dies on

the cross?

It is Jesus.

Remember, Jesus' name

means God saves.

Who is Jesus?

According to verse 3,

he is none other than

the Lord.

Who is Jesus?

According to verse 3,

he is Christ.

He is the anointed

king.

So it's the eternal son

of God who becomes one

of us.

He is the one who dies

on the cross.

Now think about that

for a moment.

Think about the immense

cost to God the Father

and God the Son

in our freedom,

in our redemption.

Cost to the Father

in sending the Son he loves.

Cost to the Son

in lovingly sacrificing

for us.

And wonderfully

understand the Bible

says that both

Father and Son

freely chose it

in love

to purchase

our freedom.

And see this grace

too

in the degree

of our

unworthiness.

God didn't look at us

and say,

there's a guy,

there's a girl

who'd be perfect

for my kingdom.

That's not the way

it works.

In fact,

he spells it out

in chapter 2,

the opening verses

of chapter 2.

It is

rebels

who are redeemed,

Paul says.

It is

the disobedient

who are delivered

into God's kingdom.

It is

objects

of God's wrath

who are made

objects

of God's

love.

And all of that

to the praise

of his glorious grace.

So that for you

and I

to experience

freedom from Jesus,

freedom from guilt

and sin,

freedom to enjoy

life with God,

the love of God,

what do we need to do?

We need to fall

into the arms

of our loving God

and Savior.

And if we have

any doubts,

if we have

any suspicions

about the goodness

of God,

about the good

intentions

of God

for us,

God's

love,

let me urge you

to look again

to the cross.

Consider

the cost

that the

Father and the

Son

paid

that we

might go

free.

Because,

friends,

this is

true

freedom,

to be free

of the guilt

of sin

that would

condemn us

to death

and to hell.

true freedom

is enjoying

eternal life

from God

and with

the God

of love.

True freedom

comes through

Jesus'

death for us

on the cross.

And that freedom

comes all

because

of God's

love

and God's

grace.

This is the

deep,

deep love

of Jesus,

which is

vast,

unmeasured,

boundless,

free.

And we're

going to

sing of it

in a moment.

It's a love

and it's a freedom

that you and I

can receive

today.

And we can

rest in it

every day.

And when we're

in Jesus,

we will rejoice

in this freedom

for all

eternity.

Let's give

thanks as we

pray.

Amen.