It is Finished - Part 2

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

 

We have to think about how when the work of Jesus was finished at the Cross, that was just the beginning for us. It is the beginning of our new sin-forgiven life and of our work that Jesus has called us to as His disciples; a new creation, born-anew with a transformed heart. We have a new position in Christ, a new personality in Christ, and a new potential and purpose in Christ. It is the very essence of the Gospel.  

 

Romans 6:1-9 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.” We don’t get a fixed up and repaired old life, we get a new creation. On a Cross, grace can be found. God’s grace is for all of us. 

 

Ephesians 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

 

The born-again Christian has been adopted into the family of God. John 1:12-13 tells us that, “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” This new transformational beginning gives us a acute sense of the presence of God. God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15-16 says, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” 

 

The presence of God in being the children of God does three things. (1) it sweetens the saints (those who have been sanctified) with the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (2) it stirs the saints for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (3) it strengthens the saints - for in Him we live and move and have our being. We have the indwelling Holy Spirit living within us. Where we go, He goes. 

 

“It is finished” is the beginning of the awareness of our roles in God’s divine plan. Once you know that you have new life in Jesus Christ, are adopted into God’s family with God’s Spirit in you, and are a citizen of Heaven, then you see what is spiritually discerned and are aware that God has a eternal plan and purpose in your life. Ephesians 2:1-6 explains, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Before repenting, believing and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we were dead in trespasses and sins. 

 

“It is finished” is the beginning of a new life for each and every one of us. Are you ready to step out and into God’s plan for your life? He has more in store for every one of us. 

In Christ, Brian