“It is Finished” – What Jesus Christ Achieves in His Death

From the outside looking in, Christianity can seem like a weird and even morbid religion. We are fixated on the death of a person who lived thousands of years ago and talk about it in a positive way. In fact, Jesus' death is the worst thing that ever happened and the best thing that has ever happened.

The reason it’s such a big deal can be summed up by what Jesus himself said just before He died (John 19:30): “It is finished.” In the original Greek, this phrase is just one word. Today, that’s all we’re going to look at, what Jesus meant when He said this.

The Integrity and Character of Sharing Resources for Gospel Purposes.

The primary application of this chapter is not an individual giving to their local church, but local churches helping one another meet needs for Gospel purposes.

Three Virtues of Christian Relationships.

As Paul rejoices in his restored relationship with the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 7:12-16, we can see three more virtues that are present in Christian relationships.

God’s Grace Maintains Human Relationships in the Local Church.

Healthy relationships are vital for the progress of the Gospel. Christian relationships in the church are founded and grown by grace. 2 Corinthians 7 is a practical chapter about how we get along in the church. We don’t get along without the supernatural work of grace – a personal relationship with Christ and growing in Christ-likeness.

Healthy Churches Encouraged by Eternal Promises Are Lighthouses for Gospel Mission.

This will be true until Christ comes. This purpose is reflected in our church's mission statement: "Grace Church of Mentor exists to glorify God by evangelizing the lost and equipping the saints with the goal of Christ-likeness." Every Bible-believing church has been given this Gospel mission. Our Savior intends us to live His life, and His disciples demonstrated this. Both men and women tremendously affected Gospel progress in their areas in the New Testament.

Prayer for the Lost in Authority.

The best way to develop a burden for the lost is to pray for them. Christ himself gave us an example of this in John 17:20-26. Evangelism is a key part of disciple-making living, which governs every part of our lives as Christians. Without this eternal purpose, life would be pretty mundane!

Sometimes, Bible verses like Proverbs 1:14-19, James 4:4, and 1 Peter 3:15 are mistakenly used to deter Christians from forming friendships with unsaved people. But we must have friendships of integrity in order to be a testimony in a dark world. A burden for the lost helps keep the church pure.

Servant Leaders Value Spiritual Relationships at the Deepest Level.

Our spiritual strength comes from our surrender to God.

Along the path of Christian growth, sometimes we can feel like we’re stuck in a traffic jam on a one-lane highway. The pace slows sometimes with trials and afflictions, and other times it speeds up. The Lord determines the pace.

As Genesis 32 begins, Jacob’s pace is picking up. He’s reminded that divine help always goes with him along the way. Likewise, Christians have angelic forces that minister to us, always working to help us be more like Christ.