What Our Faith Is Based On- Part 2

Yesterday, we began a discussion about the four primary elements upon which our faith in God is based. These four things form the foundation of our faith.

1. God’s character- who God is.

2. God’s Word- what God has said.

3. Christ’s finished work- what God has done.

4. God’s power- what God will do.

We’ve already covered God’s Word and His cahracter. Today, we’ll look at Chrsit’s finished work.

Christ’s Finished Work (What God Has Done)

When Jesus was on the cross, he said, “It is finished.” In saying this, He was saying, “Paid in full.” The original language bears this out. By His blood, our salvation has been paid in full. Our sins are forgiven, our healing was purchased by His Stripes, and we are new creations in Him. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is now available to us. The Old Testament Scriptures have been fulfilled, and we have a new and better covenant based on better promises. We are redeemed from the curse, which is poverty, sickness, and spiritual death.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:1-14 (NKJV)

This passage gives us a glimpse of what Jesus has provided for us.

• We are in Christ. We are positioned with Him.

• We have grace and peace.

• He’s given us spiritual blessings.

• We are chosen and have no blame.

• God preplanned to make us His children.

• We are accepted by Jesus.

• We have redemption by Jesus’ blood- the forgiveness of sins.

• He has given us wisdom and prudence.

• He has revealed His will to us.

• He will gather us together at the rapture to be with Him.

• He has given us an inheritance. We are heirs of God and equal heirs with Christ. All that is God’s belongs to Christ, and all that belongs to Christ is ours.as well.

• We’ve been saved and sealed with the Holy Spirt. To seal means to stamp something with a private mark or seal. A seal would guarantee that a package would arrive safely. Being sealed by Holy Spirit means we’ll arive safely to heaven to be with God.

• We have the guarantee of the Holy spirit, the earnest down payment assuring us of the rest that is to come. It is the deposit for our full inheritance.

This and so much more was provided for us at Calvary when Jesus gave His life for us. The finished work of Jesus Christ is a solid bedrock of our faith.

Tomorrow we’ll finish our series about what our faith is based on.