“In Him 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.”
—Ephesians 1:7-8
A poor man went on a cruise, which was purchased for him by a friend. However, when it was dinner time, he was found eating out of a trash bin because he said he didn’t have enough money to eat in the fine dining hall. The captain told him, “Look at your ticket.” At the bottom of his ticket was printed these words, “All Meals Included.” Now it wasn’t that the man didn’t have a right to go into the dining hall. He had every right to go into the dining hall and partake of the fine food since it was part of the package, it was purchased. His problem was ignorance. The man was ignorant of the benefits provided for him in the ticket purchased by another.
In the same way, many professing Christians eat out of the trash bin of this world because they don’t realize the fullness of the blessings God has given to them in Jesus Christ. And so, in Ephesians Chapter 1 the Apostle Paul reminds every believer of the manifold blessings that God has granted to us in Jesus Christ, and how this ought to change the way we live in this world.
Our text tells us that the redemption we have through the blood of Christ, which is according to God’s grace, not only brings us the forgiveness of sins, but also the benefits of “wisdom and prudence.” When Paul uses the word wisdom in our text, he is speaking of understanding the things in Scripture such as: God, man, life, death, heaven, hell, righteousness, sin, time, and eternity. And the word prudence, which can be translated “insight”, emphasizes practical understanding of Biblical principles concerning everyday living. Prudence is basically spiritual insight for handling everyday problems, trials, and difficulties. God not only forgives us of all our sins, but He also gives us the ability to understand and obey His Word through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
When God takes away sin, He doesn’t leave us in a spiritual and moral vacuum where we must work things out for ourselves. But the Holy Spirit abundantly pours out upon us wisdom and prudence according to the riches of God’s grace, as the Apostle Paul says in 1 Cor. 2:12, “in order that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
Do you know the forgiveness of sins in Christ? Has the Lord opened your heart and caused you to understand and believe the beautiful Gospel of Jesus Christ? Has He poured out upon you wisdom and prudence to walk in godliness according to His will? Then demonstrate your thankfulness by praising God for the riches of His glorious grace in Jesus Christ!
Tuesday Encouragement: March 19, 2024
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry