He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ. . ..
In verse 7 Paul said that we have been redeemed through the
blood of Christ. Many of us might not know that the word redemption is a term
that was used in the bible day marketplace where human beings were offered for
sale to the highest bidder. Condemned to a miserable existence these slaves
were powerless to escape. Their only hope was redemption, an uncommon process
whereby they were purchased to be set free. Scripture uses the tragedy of
slavery to illustrate our human predicament. Without God’s redemption, we are
all hopelessly enslaved to self and sin. God is rich in mercy. Mercy is simply
God’s compassion for our hopeless and helpless situation and spares us from the
justice we deserve. Instead, He shows pity, compassion, and kindness in that He
made it possible for us to trade in our hopelessness for His abundant life.
However, we must understand that God does not owe us mercy. Mercy cannot be
owed because it is given to someone who doesn’t deserve it. Another aspect of God’s mercy is
that He is rich in mercy; in other words, He is very patient with us. God is not only rich in mercy,
but His love is great. To see the greatness of God’s love, we only need to look
at the cross. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only
begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.” This is the truth about salvation. In the death and resurrection of
Christ, God came powerfully to rescue humanity from the death, punishments, and
debts that stood against them. This is why Jesus is central to everything we do
and must be central to our lives. “For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to
dwell in Him,” Colossians 1:19.
When we accept God’s generous and loving offer of mercy and
grace, He makes us alive together with Christ and gives us abundant and eternal
life. Our God is a God who turns hopelessness into abundant life.