marked off for the high inheritance of glory by the Father are found "sold under sin".

Adam, the first father, by his one act of disobedience involved all his descendants in the

forfeiture of the inheritance, and brought them under the bondage of corruption, sin and

death. Here then is the place for redemption.

To intrude redemption by blood into verses 3-6 is a gross blunder. Did the Father of

grace and glory need the shedding of blood to move Him to choose and plan His purposes

of love? This is not the case. The truth is that sin and death, entering in and temporarily

cutting across His mighty purpose, could not thwart Him of His goal. His chosen shall

yet sit in heavenly places, and if needs be God Himself will provide the ransom. The

horrible idea so often uttered that a "kind Jesus" interposed between the sinner and "an

angry God" cannot find support in the Word. The "angry God" Himself "so loved the

world that HE GAVE His only begotten Son". God provided the ransom, and certainly

He did not pay it to Himself. Redemption becomes understandable and real when viewed

in the light of the forfeited inheritance. Sins barred the way to glory, not only by reason

of their utter opposition to the one great quality expressed in the words "holy and without

blame", but also in the related penalty of death which ended all possibility of inheritance.

Sins therefore are included in the great act of redemption. They are "forgiven" (aphesis =

"forgiveness" and aphiemi = "to forgive".). Matt. 6: 12 uses the word in its primitive

sense of discharging a debt. In Matt. 19: 14 the rendering "suffer" in the sense of

"allow", "do not dismiss", and Matt. 4: 11, "to leave", further illuminate the word.

The debt of the sinner is cancelled by the redeeming blood, a fact wonderfully

indicated by the apostle in the "nailing" of the "blotted out" handwriting to the cross

(Col. 2: 14). Then the secret of God's will is made known. This Kinsman-Redeemer is

going to bring back the forfeited inheritance. Whether it be the destined place of the

Church of the One body, the spotless glory of the Bride the Lamb's wife, the wondrous

ministry of the Kingdom of Priests, or the inclusion of the "ends of the earth" in the day

when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, the

great secret of the Will of God is here made known. The forfeited inheritance is made

secure "in Christ" the Redeemer. There is to be a period known as the fullness of the

appointed times when God shall gather together under one head (anakephalaiomai) all

things in Christ, the things in heaven and the things on earth, "in Him". Now note the

In this re-union, this grand re-gathering, we shall find our forfeited inheritance.

Predestination in this chapter is linked with two allied subjects, (1) "the adoption"

according to the good pleasure of His will, (2) "the inheritance" according to the

purpose of Him, etc. In the first place we have the purpose stated, in the second the

purpose fulfilled.  But, sin and death having intervened, the purpose is not carried

through by the Father, but by the Mediator:--