Category: Christ’s Finished Work

Christ’s Finished Work: Transformation

6 December 2023 blogpastor Leave a comment

The finished work of Christ makes it possible for Christians to be transformed. It is no mere cosmetic, surface change in external behaviour or mindset. It is a profound renewal of the inner person that impacts every facet of the Christian’s life.

Transformation begins with faith

At the heart of this profound transformation is the crucified and risen Christ. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) When we accept his death and acknowledge that he died in our place, as our Substitute, it begins our transformation. “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (! Corinthians 5:17) The old sins are cancelled and we receive the gift of righteousness from God.

God’s love is unconditional and it lays the foundation for our transformation. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). God’s love leads us to repentance, and makes us capable of loving others. His love moves us from being lovers of self into being lovers of God and others.

A transformation from inside out

This inside job was clearly predicted by the prophet Ezekiel 36:26,27:

“And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will be careful to observe my ordinances.” It refers to a profound inner change so that the person who is a law-breaker by nature will become a law keeper by the Spirit’s empowerment. He or she begins to live in a way that pleases the Lord.

A clear example of this is the apostle Paul, formerly known as Saul. He persecuted the church with great passion and fury until he encountered the risen Christ on his way to arrest believers in Damascus. It was a radical transformation: the old was gone and the new has come. Paul became a great apostle and spread the good news about Jesus widely, suffering persecution because of his boldness and zeal. His motto became: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

The transformation of a Christian is like the metamorphosis of a butterfly. The caterpillar goes through a radical change inside a cocoon and emerges as a beautiful butterfly. Similarly, through Christ’s finished work, we undergo a spiritual metamorphosis. We shed our old nature and emerge as a new creation, transformed with the wings of truth and grace.

Deepening sense of identity and purpose

The profound inside work will inevitably manifest externally in our identity and sense of purpose. Like the apostle Paul, we will develop a deep assurance of our new identities. We are beloved sons and daughters of God upon whom the Spirit is powerfully at work. The Spirit works to make us a missional people. 1 Peter 2:9 declares, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Transformation is throughout life

This work of spiritual transformation into the likeness of Christ will continue throughout our life’s journey. Little by little, from one degree of glory to another, we are changed and renewed as we lovingly contemplate the beauty and glory of Christ in adoration and worship. This was Paul’s experience as he states in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

This is part of a planned series of writings on the topic, “The A to Z of Christ’s Finished Work”. I am writing it in alphabetic order. Thus far the others that I have written can be found HERE.

Christ’s Finished Work: Salvation

31 October 2023 blogpastor Leave a comment

For most Christians, the word “salvation” means the salvation of the soul from the wrath of God through the death and resurrection of Christ. However, with a careful reading of the Scriptures we find that this word is used for other things as well, such as being saved from physical drowning (Acts 27:31). We also discover that salvation has different shades of meaning depending on the context. Salvation is comprehensive and can be described in three dimensions: past, present and future tenses.

Past tense salvation

This first dimension of salvation is past tense: “I have been saved”. It refers to the moment when a person repents and puts his faith in Jesus Christ. When this happens, the person’s sins are all forgiven and he receives the gift of righteousness from God. The person is declared righteous before God. He is saved, delivered from the penalty of sin, which is a spiritual “death” (Romans 6:23a)– an alienation, distancing and separation from God.

This separation from God can extend beyond this earthly life into eternity unless the sinner repents and receives God’s offer of forgiveness of sins. Our falling short of God’s standard of holiness alienates us from God. It is Christ’s death on the cross that made possible the forgiveness of our sins, and made us righteous before God. We are no longer enemies of God. Our separation from God has been healed and bridged. We have been reconciled with God and find favour with him. We have been justified. This is salvation in the past tense.

We had not deserved it nor earned it. It was Christ’s finished work that saved us. We only need to exercise faith, and even this is a gift of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Present tense salvation

The second dimension of salvation is present tense: “I am being saved”. It can be called sanctification. It refers to the believer’s growth in holiness and becoming more like Christ. While past-tense salvation frees us from the penalty of sin, present-tense salvation frees us from the power of sin in the believer’s day-to-day life in the world. William MacDonald, a bible scholar, puts it this way: “Although it is true I have been saved, it is equally true that I am being saved day by day. I have been saved from damnation; I am being saved from damage. I have been saved from the penalty of sin; I am being saved from the power of sin.”

This second dimension of salvation is a process of transformation by which the Spirit of God gradually frees us from sinful patterns of thought, lusts and behaviours and forms new desires, perspectives, values and behaviours in us. The goal of sanctification is that we are formed in the likeness of Christ. This requires us to yield to the workings of God in our life. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

Future tense salvation

Finally, there is a future dimension of salvation that is called glorification: “I will be saved”. The apostle Paul refers to this future dimension when he tells the Christians in Rome: “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). The apostle spoke of the future salvation to be revealed at the end of this age: “To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power is being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).

This salvation refers to a time in the future when the believer will be delivered or saved from the presence of sin altogether. It will happen at the end of this age when a final transformation will occur when we believers will receive our new glorified, resurrection bodies and live eternally in the presence of God free from the presence of all sin. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3,4).

What a great and comprehensive salvation! Behold its breadth, height, length and depth! We were saved from the penalty of sins (past). We are being saved from the power of sin (present). And on Jesus’ return, we will finally be saved from the presence of sin (future). Contemplate the wisdom and plan of God. If salvation is only in the past tense, believers will still be bound in their old sinful patterns of unloving behaviour, a total disgrace to his name, a poor advertisement of God’s beauty and grace, and they will be without a future hope. However, God knows all believers need all three dimensions of salvation to live assured, fruitful, and godly for the kingdom of God.

Prayer

Dear Father, how vast and deep is your wisdom and plan of salvation! Thank you for sending Jesus to suffer and die for us so that we can experience all three dimensions of salvation. Transform us and do your mighty work in us until the day Christ returns in glory. Amen.

This is part of a planned series of writings on the topic, “The A to Z of Christ’s Finished Work”. I am writing it alphabet by alphabet. Thus far the others that I have written can be found HERE.

Christ’s Finished Work: Resurrection of Believers

5 October 2023 blogpastor Leave a comment

The death and resurrection of Christ is a foundational truth upon which our life depends. Every blessing and benefit we receive from God and experience in our lives has its basis in the finished work of Christ. The living waters flow out of the fountainhead of Christ’s victory through the holy cross and the empty tomb. We often talk about the death of Christ but it is equally important that we grasp the fruit of the resurrection of Christ.

Sin is defeated completely

First, Christ’s resurrection confirms that his death was effectually substitutionary. In other words, he suffered death on our behalf and for our sins, so that we can receive his gift of righteousness. If Christ was not raised from the dead, we would remain under the condemnation of our sins. In Romans 4:25, the apostle Paul states that Christ “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification”. Christ’s resurrection secures the effect that Christ’s death was purposed to achieve: the cancellation of the penalty for our sins, and the imputing of his righteousness to us. His resurrection justifies us of all guilt.

After Jesus was crucified, the disciples were in despair and confusion. They were mourning. However, the good news soon arrived, “Jesus is alive”, and they recalled what Jesus had told them about his resurrection. The resurrection gave them great reassurance and faith in the promises of God. It should have the same effect of assuring us that our sins are forgiven and we stand righteous before God.

Powers of a new life

Second, Christ’s resurrection empowers our new life. Paul declares in Colossians 2:12 that “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” In other words, because of our union with Christ, we experienced a spiritual resurrection equivalent to regeneration, the impartation of God’s life that enlivens us spiritually and morally. He states the same thought elsewhere: “even when we were dead in our trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved”(Ephesians 2:5). Christ’s resurrection made it possible for the spiritually dead to experience a spiritual resurrection that enables believers to live in “newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

This was my personal experience of a spiritual resurrection. A friend invited me to a Saturday afternoon youth meeting in a terrace house and after the sermon, I went forward to ask Jesus into my life. From then on I attended church regularly and prayed together every night with other youths on fire for Jesus. A period of repentance and cleansing followed and I was also baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit. My heart was bursting with love for God, peace from the forgiveness of sins, and joy from being baptised with the Holy Spirit. My desires and goals were completely changed from self-gratification to wanting to spend time with God in prayer, Bible study and other spiritual things. My family and friends all noticed the changes in my life. I have been made new. It is like my old life passed away and the newness of life has replaced it. Where once I did not know God, I became spiritually alive to his person and presence.

The hope of a future resurrection

Third, our resurrection is guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection. This is a future physical resurrection. If Christ was not raised from the dead, then no one will be raised to life. However, we know from the witnesses in the gospel record that Jesus was indeed raised from the dead. Since this is so, it also proves that God’s promises that the dead in Christ will be raised from the dead to share eternal bliss with God in his new world will be fulfilled in the future. Apostle Peter puts it this way: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”(1 Peter 1:3-5)

Christ’s resurrection gives us a living hope that one day in the future we will receive an inheritance that is kept in heaven for us, a salvation that will be revealed at the end of this age. This gives us an undying, unfading hope. It takes away the fear of death. Death will be put in a coffin and sealed securely for all eternity, unable to harm us ever again.

Prayer

Father in heaven, you raised Jesus from the dead, so that my sins are dealt with and I can have right standing before you. Thank you that the resurrection also meant my new life is powered not by my willpower but by your Spirit. I also put my hope of eternal life in you for just as you raised Jesus from the dead, you will do the same for me at the end of this age. What a comprehensive victory you have made available for me! Amen.