Christ’s finished work – Page 9

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Christ’s Finished Work – Deliverance

2 November 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

Deliverance, in charismatic and Pentecostal circles, refer to the ministry that sets people free from demonic oppression and activity in their lives. Deliverance in this narrow sense is definitely one of the benefits of receiving Christ’s finished work. It is quite clear from Colossians 1:13 that God has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness under Satan’s rule, to the kingdom of light, under the lordship of Christ. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son”. In the next chapter verse 15, apostle Paul gave the basis of this deliverance as the finished work of Christ: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Satan was defeated by Christ through his death and resurrection, and we Christians are no longer under his dominion or power.

Other attacks of the devil

Deliverance is not merely being set free from the demonic oppression. We also do not have to be afraid when we go through trials and temptations because the devil has no power over us. During such times, as in the case of the Christians apostle Peter wrote to, the devil prowls around persecuted Christians like a hunter after its prey, seeking to devour them, but if they dug in, endured suffering and persecution, and resisted the efforts of Satan to coerce them to give up our faith, they will be victorious (1 Peter 5:5-9 compare with 1 Cor 10:13).

Deliverance includes overcoming Satan’s fiery attacks on our mind and body. Jesus was attacked in his mind, appetite and desires during his forty days fast, and it was his faith in God that delivered him from the devil’s lies. In the same way, deliverance for all Christians can come through putting on the whole armour of God and fighting the fight of faith, and victory is possible only because of Christ, who is our shield, sword, belt, breastplate, helmet, and shoes (Eph 6:12-17).

Other kinds of deliverance

By extension, deliverance includes our deliverance from the coming wrath of God on the day of judgment (1Thess 1:10), from the power of sin in our life (Rom 7.23), from the power and influence of a world-system that does not bow to Christ (Gal 1:4), and from earthly enemies and persecutors(2 Tim 4:18).

The Old Testament has a more physical idea of deliverance and the main one was God’s rescue and deliverance of the people of Israel out of danger, death and bondage to slavery in Egypt in the Red Sea miracle. Of course this event pointed to Christ’s salvation of people who are slaves to sin, death and the devil. However, the physical and practical aspects of deliverance is for us as well.

The meaning of deliverance in the Old Testament was defined by the experiences of people in trouble and this includes sickness (Ps 107:20), fears (Ps 91:3), troubles (Ps 50:15), persecutors (Jer 1:7,8) and enemies (2 Sam22:1), and most relevant to us in these days of Covid-19 pandemic – deliverance from plagues (Ps 91:3). Israelites have experienced countless deliverances in their lives and so describe their God as the Deliverer (2 Samuel 22:2; Ps 40:17). We Christians can experience all these too, because it is in God’s nature to deliver and rescue and save his children. Christ’s finished work is an expression of God the Deliverer, and we should not limit our expectation of deliverance to spiritual blessings only, but to include the practical day to day occasions when we need his intervention and rescues.

(This is part 4 of a series: “A to Z of Christ’s Finished Work”)

Christ’s Finished Work: Church

22 October 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

The church as we know her is a mixed bag of good, bad and quirky, comprising all kinds of denominations and independent churches of slightly or greatly varying beliefs and practices. Yet like the animals in Noah’s ark, many do co-exist in harmony, though some cannot get along, and most do not love each other. The church is marked historically by her failures to truly represent and obey her Lord; by her disagreements, division, and many other imperfections. The history of the church does not make for pleasant reading. Certain chapters can be disturbing.

The Church is Bought with Jesus’ Blood

Nevertheless, the church as we know it is the Beloved of God. It is deeply loved and greatly favoured by God. The reason for this is the finished work of Christ. The church is the people of God, past present and future, and they have been redeemed at a great price, the precious blood, the death of Christ our Lord. Acts 20:28 makes this crystal clear: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood”. And apostle Peter echoes, “For you (the church) know that is was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The ancient imagery used here is one of purchasing slaves from their owners in a slave market. Silver and gold was used to buy them over to new ownership. However this currency are inadequate for spiritual redemption. Only the blood of Christ – the finished work of Christ is sufficient. When such an infinite price is paid for redemption, what is redeemed must be infinitely valuable and loved by the new Lord. Despite the church’s imperfections, our Lord loves it with great length and breadth, depth and height.

The church was redeemed to be a blessing not a blunder, a gift not a gaffe that embarrasses her Creator. She was not a mistake but a masterpiece created in Christ Jesus for good. She may now seem old, frail, and failed, yet she is filled with divine possibilities and potential. In fact, she is ever partaking of the divine nature of the love and holiness of God. She fails, but thankfully, she fails forward. God is her patient and long-suffering Sanctifier and Lover. It is in this unwavering love of God that her faith is rooted, and her hope deeply anchored.

Adam’s Rib is the Church

An interesting biblical image of the formation of the church is that of God taking out a rib from Adam’s side to form Eve. St Jerome preached, “Adam’s rib fashioned into a woman signifies Christ and his Church”. Just as the woman was made from man, so the church has her origin in Christ. We can see the deep sleep of Adam as a foreshadowing of Christ’s death, from which God obtained the divine material with which the church was built. Do not forget it was precious blood shed by a pierced, suffering Christ that formed the church, even the church as we know it today, in all its imperfections. Always appreciate and give thanks for the church, God’s gift to mankind, formed at such a great cost.

Love the Church As Christ Loves Her

God loves the church, and so should we who are children of God. I love my church, not the church as an abstract idea, but the local church, the “extended family” that gathers at Lorong 27A, Geylang, with all its strengths and weaknesses, successes and failings, gifts and lack. This community has been my family, my bomb-shelter, my clinic, my friends, my help, my school, my sandpaper, my sharpener. This is God’s design: that the church, broken as it is, becomes the instrument and space that shapes and forms, wounds and heals us – and little by little (“from one degree of glory to another” 2 Cor 3:18) we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Too many Christians make use of the church to draw benefits for themselves and their families instead of doing what Christ did: Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. We consume the services of the church; and complain like customers when the “products” and “services” are not up to our expectations. Sadly, many Christians have become consumers and not lovers. We who are followers of Christ will find ourselves loving the church and indeed giving ourselves to serve, encourage, and intercede for all the saints with all perseverance and supplication (Eph 6.18).

Father, help us to see we are not called to judge the church, but to love her and to give ourselves to her in intercession, encouragement and participation. May the church you love become a glorious church, ready as a Bride for the coming King. Amen.

(This is part 3 of a series: “A to Z of Christ’s Finished Work”)

Christ’s Finished Work: Blessings

11 October 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

To be at the right place at the right time makes all the difference in the world. Think of this Covid-19 pandemic: if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person, you could catch an infection. Being in the right place and time makes a difference between light and darkness, blessings and curses, peace and worry, and sometimes life and death.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. (Eph 1:3)

In one sense, what is true in the physical, is true in the spiritual. To be in Christ makes all the difference in the world. It is “in Christ” that we have “every spiritual blessing in heavenly places”. The blessedness is found only “in Christ”, and not outside of Christ. Being in the right spiritual position in this hour of grace is imperative. Let your Google location be IN CHRIST.

What Spiritual Blessings?

What are the spiritual blessings that the apostle Paul is referring to? There is no need to speculate. Look through the rest of the letter to the Ephesus church, and they are described, especially in chapter 1 and 2. I will list a few of them, while you may want the joy of uncovering the other spiritual blessings in the rest of the letter. Here is a list of spiritual blessings:

Election – “he chose us in him before the foundation of the world” (1:4, verse 5 “predestined”).
Gift of righteousness: “holy and blameless before him” (1:4).
Adoption: we become sons and daughters of God (1:5).
Undeserved favour: “his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us”(1:6)
Redemption: our freedom from slavery to sin and death (1:7).
Forgiveness of sins (1:7)
God’s ultimate plan to heal and “unite all things in him”(1:10).
Inheritance: God’s (1:11): this spiritual inheritance is reserved for us in eternity (1 Peter 1:3,4), and the Holy Spirit is a downpayment/guarantee (1:14), the one who enables us to experience a portion of that future inheritance in the present while we are on earth. Most of all, the Lord himself is our inheritance (Ps 16:5).
The gift, the Holy Spirit (1:13).
“The hope to which he has called us” (1:18).
The power of God unleashed on our behalf (1:19).

When I look at this list of blessings, many of which I have experienced, am experiencing and will experience in the future, I feel so glad I became a Christian in 1973. The joy and peace from being a follower of Christ has been a constant in my life. It has also been exciting and self-actualizing to serve him in the power of the Spirit.

Only in Christ

These spiritual blessings and many more that can be found in the other epistles of the New Testament are available to all who put their faith in Christ’s finished work. It is all because of Christ’s death and resurrection from the dead that makes it possible for all believers to be in spiritual union with Christ and enjoy all these spiritual blessings of God (1 Cor 1:30).

(This is part two of a series: “A to Z of Christ’s Finished Work”).