Day 137—The Way Forward—Salvation in Christ Alone

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” — Ephesians 1:7 (ESV)

If there is one truth that separates Christianity from every other religion in the world, it is this: salvation is entirely the work of God. We do not save ourselves.

We cannot earn God's favor through religious activity, moral effort, or good intentions. Salvation belongs to the Lord and comes only through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. As Jonah declared centuries before the coming of Christ, “Salvation belongs to the LORD!” (Jonah 2:9). That truth echoes throughout the New Testament and reaches one of its highest expressions in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

The opening chapter of Ephesians is one of the richest passages in all of Scripture. It lifts our eyes from earth to heaven and reminds us that our salvation was not an afterthought in God's plan but part of His eternal purpose before the foundation of the world. Paul begins with a song of praise: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3).

Notice the emphasis. Every spiritual blessing is found in Christ. There is no blessing apart from Him, and there is nothing lacking for those who belong to Him.
Throughout this magnificent passage, Paul repeatedly uses the phrase “in Christ,” “in him,” or “through Jesus Christ.” Our election is in Christ. Our adoption is through Christ. Our redemption is in Christ. Our forgiveness is through Christ. Our inheritance is in Christ. Our sealing by the Holy Spirit is in Christ. Everything God gives us comes through His beloved Son.

This reminds us that Christianity is not merely a religion to practice but a relationship to enjoy. Our hope does not rest in what we have done for God but in what Christ has already done for us.

Paul writes, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). In the ancient world, redemption referred to the purchase of a slave's freedom. A price had to be paid before the slave could be released. Humanity was enslaved to sin, unable to free itself. No amount of good works, religious observance, or personal reform could break those chains.

Only the blood of Jesus could. Why was blood necessary? Because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). God's justice required payment for sin, and His love provided the payment Himself. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, willingly laid down His life in our place. At Calvary, justice and mercy met. God's wrath against sin was satisfied, and God's grace toward sinners was displayed.

Salvation, then, is not earned—it is received. Paul will later write, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is God's unmerited favor poured out upon those who deserve judgment instead of mercy. We contribute nothing to our salvation except the sin from which we need to be rescued.

Yet God's purpose in salvation extends beyond simply rescuing us from hell. Three times in Ephesians 1 Paul says that our salvation is “to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:6) and “to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12, 14). God saves sinners so that His greatness, mercy, wisdom, and love might be displayed throughout eternity.

Dr. Tony Evans observes that God's philosophy of history is “to bring all things under the rule of his Son.” Paul writes that God's eternal purpose is “to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1:10). The chaos caused by sin will one day give way to the perfect reign of Jesus Christ. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11). History is moving toward one glorious conclusion—the exaltation of Christ.

One of the most encouraging truths in this chapter is Paul's description of the Holy Spirit. After believing the Gospel, believers are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13–14). In the ancient world, a seal represented ownership, authenticity, and security. God has placed His own Spirit within every believer as His divine seal.

Dr. Tony Evans beautifully compares the Holy Spirit to an engagement ring. Just as an engagement ring is a promise that a wedding is coming, the Holy Spirit is God's down payment guaranteeing that everything He has promised will one day be fully realized. The Spirit is heaven's first installment. Because God never breaks His promises, our future is absolutely secure.

Paul then records one of the greatest prayers in the New Testament. He prays that believers would have “the eyes of your hearts enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). Why? Because many Christians are living like spiritual paupers while sitting on immeasurable spiritual riches. We possess an inheritance in Christ, yet too often we live as though we have nothing.

Paul wants believers to know three things: the hope of God's calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance, and “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19). This is not ordinary power. It is resurrection power—the very power “that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:20). Think about that.

• The same power that rolled away the stone...
• The same power that defeated death...
• The same power that raised Jesus from the grave..

Lives within every believer through the Holy Spirit.

That does not mean life will be free from hardship. Paul himself experienced imprisonment, persecution, beatings, and suffering. Yet he knew God's resurrection power was greater than every obstacle he faced. The power of God does not always remove our circumstances, but it always sustains us through them.

Perhaps today you find yourself overwhelmed by fear, uncertainty, grief, temptation, or discouragement. Remember who you are in Christ. You have been redeemed by His blood. You have been forgiven by His grace. You have been adopted into His family. You have been sealed by His Spirit. You possess an eternal inheritance that can never perish. And the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead is at work within you.

Do you believe that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for your salvation? Do you believe His grace is greater than your sin? Do you trust that His resurrection guarantees your future? Will you rest today in the finished work of Jesus rather than your own efforts?

Salvation has never been about what we can do for God. It has always been about what God has done for us through His Son. Stand confidently in that truth today. Live gratefully because of that truth. And proclaim boldly that there is salvation in no one else, for “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Prayer
Father, thank You for the immeasurable gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Thank You that we could never earn Your grace, yet You freely gave it through the sacrifice of Your Son. Thank You for redeeming us through His blood, forgiving our sins, adopting us into Your family, and sealing us with Your Holy Spirit. Open the eyes of our hearts to understand the hope of our calling, the riches of our inheritance, and the greatness of Your resurrection power at work within us. Help us to trust You fully, rest in Your finished work, and live each day for the praise of Your glory. May our lives point others to the only Savior, Jesus Christ. In His mighty name, Amen.

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