Faith Discussion Board 1

[pastorhelen]

Discuss the theme: “Faith in the Finished Work of Christ” showing what four vital things faith in the finished work of Christ entails and how to utilize this faith. Is there another kind of faith for the believer? If there is, then what it is?

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[femionas]

DISCUSS THE THEME: “FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST” SHOWING WHAT FOUR VITAL THINGS FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST ENTAILS AND HOW TO UTILIZE THIS FAITH. IS THERE ANOTHER KIND OF FAITH FOR THE BELIEVER? IF THERE IS, THEN WHAT IT IS?

The finished work of Christ refers to his death on the cross. That is where Jesus Christ endured God’s judgment against our sins. He became our substitute in order to become our Savior. Jesus was not our savior until he suffered and died for our sins on the cross of Calvery. Salvation is both free and costly at the same time. On one hand, salvation is a gift to anyone who accepts our Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, on the other hand, salvation is very costly because it requires the sacrificial death and blood of the son of God. John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head. and gave up the ghost. KJV.

Three key words to describe “the finished work of Christ”

Propitiation.
Romans 3:25 “whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” KJV.
Propitiation is a Greek word that means. “to satisfy wrath by sacrifice” The bible says in Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death” Before God’s mercy can be extended to mankind, something must be done to remove the blockade for sin as well as to satisfy the righteous claims of God; wrath against sin. This is where Jesus Christ came in as the propitiation for our sins.

Redemption
Redemption deals with our enslavement by sin. Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” KJV. To redeem means “ to buy out of to remove from to set at liberty. We have been brought back and set free from the slave market of sin, and we have been placed in the family of God.

Reconciliation:
Reconciliation completes the threefold view of the finished work of Christ, and it relates to our fellowship with God. Romans 5:10 “ for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by his life” KJV. To reconcile means to “change completely” this is in relation to salvation. This is the means by which God brings mankind into a completely changed relationship with himself.

How to utilize faith in the Finished work
Ephesians 2:4 – tells us that by God’s favor, we are seated together with Christ at the right hand of the Father. To be seated in Christ is to rest, to trust completely in him, to have confidence, and to set aside any worry or anxiety.

Is there another kind of faith for the believer?
James 2:14 – 26. According to James, there are two different kinds of faith: mere faith and saving faith. Saving faith always involves deeds, and always acts on what it believes. Faith without deeds is useless, for it is the deeds that complete it and make it real faith.

[femionas]

DISCUSS THE THEME: “FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST” SHOWING WHAT FOUR VITAL THINGS FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST ENTAILS AND HOW TO UTILIZE THIS FAITH. IS THERE ANOTHER KIND OF FAITH FOR THE BELIEVER? IF THERE IS, THEN WHAT IT IS?

The finished work of Christ refers to his death on the cross. That is where Jesus Christ endured God’s judgment against our sins. He became our substitute in order to become our Savior. Jesus was not our savior until he suffered and died for our sins on the cross of Calvery. Salvation is both free and costly at the same time. On one hand, salvation is a gift to anyone who accepts our Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, on the other hand, salvation is very costly because it requires the sacrificial death and blood of the son of God. John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head. and gave up the ghost. KJV.

Three key words to describe “the finished work of Christ”

Propitiation.
Romans 3:25 “whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” KJV.
Propitiation is a Greek word that means. “to satisfy wrath by sacrifice” The bible says in Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death” Before God’s mercy can be extended to mankind, something must be done to remove the blockade for sin as well as to satisfy the righteous claims of God; wrath against sin. This is where Jesus Christ came in as the propitiation for our sins.

Redemption
Redemption deals with our enslavement by sin. Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” KJV. To redeem means “ to buy out of to remove from to set at liberty. We have been brought back and set free from the slave market of sin, and we have been placed in the family of God.

Reconciliation:
Reconciliation completes the threefold view of the finished work of Christ, and it relates to our fellowship with God. Romans 5:10 “ for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by his life” KJV. To reconcile means to “change completely” this is in relation to salvation. This is the means by which God brings mankind into a completely changed relationship with himself.

How to utilize faith in the Finished work
Ephesians 2:4 – tells us that by God’s favor, we are seated together with Christ at the right hand of the Father. To be seated in Christ is to rest, to trust completely in him, to have confidence, and to set aside any worry or anxiety.

Is there another kind of faith for the believer?
James 2:14 – 26. According to James, there are two different kinds of faith: mere faith and saving faith. Saving faith always involves deeds, and always acts on what it believes. Faith without deeds is useless, for it is the deeds that complete it and make it real faith.

[Wechie]

1 Corinthians 15:1-3
Christianity is centered around a message, good news, the Gospel, also referred to as the Gospel of Christ. Paul in writing to the Corinthian church was putting them to remembrance of the gospel he preached to them, what their faith rests on, what they received, what they stand on; in doing this he highlights 3 things;
1. Christ Died for our Sins
2. He was buried
3. He was raised on the third day
Paul here points us here to the message that brings salvation. It is safe to say the Gospel is centered around the death, the burial and the resurrection of Christ. However, one more event took place after the resurrection of Christ which brings us to no 4 – His ascension. Luke 24;50-51.
I believe Faith in the finished work of Christ entails; Faith in the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ.
4 VITAL THINGS FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK ENTAILS;
A. The Death of Christ; Christ died as our substitute; Romans 5:8,Galatians 2:20,Isaiah 53:5-6.
Substitution is the means by which we were reconciled: “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). It is the means of expiation: “He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). And by dying in our place, taking the penalty for our sins upon himself, Christ’s death is also the means of propitiation.
We need no longer need to pay for sin. Christ has paid in full.
One way we can utilize this faith is by reckoning that we are dead to sin, by his death we have been freed from the hold of sin, we are no longer are slaves to the sinful nature. Roams 6:6-7. Anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Also, sickness no longer has a hold on us, for by his stripes we were healed.

B. The Burial of Christ; The burial of the Lord is a part of the gospel. His burial was an assurance that His resurrection was a reality: for His Body was taken down by friends in the presence of foes who knew that He was dead, and deposited by them, not in a common tomb, but in a cave, hollowed out of a hillside, with a great stone rolled to block up the entrance, which was guarded by the soldiers of Pilate. Luke 23:50
We reckon that we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

C. The Resurrection of Christ; Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), and in that statement claimed to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, no eternal life. Jesus does more than give life; He is life, and that’s why death has no power over Him. Jesus confers His life on those who trust in Him, so that we can share His triumph over death (1 John 5:11–12). We who believe in Jesus Christ will personally experience resurrection because, having the life Jesus gives, we have overcome death. It is impossible for death to win (1 Corinthians 15:53–57
The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3–4,1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important? It proves who Jesus is. It demonstrates that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It shows that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that the bodies of those who believe in Christ will not remain dead but will be resurrected unto eternal life.
We are not without Hope and a future.
D. The Ascension of Christ; “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Jesus’ ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He is presented seated at the right hand of God. The fact that Jesus Christ is at the “right hand of God” was a sign to the disciples that Jesus had indeed gone to heaven. In John 16:7-15, Jesus told the disciples that He had to go away and He would send the Holy Spirit. So the coming of the Holy Spirit in the upper room on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) was proof positive that Jesus was indeed in heaven seated at the right hand of God. This is confirmed in Romans 8:34 where the Apostle Paul writes that Christ is sitting at God’s right-hand making intercession for us.
Jesus did not go to heaven after His earthly ministry and “take a break” from His role as eternal Shepherd to His people. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10, emphasis added). If when humble, despised, dying, and dead, He had the power to accomplish so great a work as reconciling us to God, how much more may we expect that He will be able to keep us now that He is a living, exalted, and triumphant Redeemer, raised to life and interceding on our behalf before the throne (Romans 8:34). Clearly, Jesus is still very active on our behalf in heaven.
Christ alone is the God-man, and He mediates and intercedes between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).

We utilize faith in the finished work by reckoning with all that Christ has accomplished on our behalf. There is no other kind of faith for the Believer. We need to engage with the Epistles, see ourselves in all Christ accomplished and meditate on these truths. We can only and truly live the victorious life we have been called into when we embrace all that God has provided for us in Christ.

[Ben]

A discussion on “Faith in the Finished Work of Christ” showing what four vital things faith in the finished work of Christ entails and how to utilize this faith.

What is faith?

According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Romans 10:17, declares that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Therefore, faith is the response of the human spirit to God’s word (that gives evidence to unseen but real things).

Faith calls as real facts what the word of God has addressed and has provided for. In this sense, faith is a supernatural force. It has no bearing or development on any natural or physical evidence.

What is the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ?

First, as believers in Christ Jesus we have been born anew into God’s family. We have become awaken to the Fatherhood of Almighty God and in God’s family, there are provisions made available for all God’s children; through the vicarious death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Now, we have the legal grounds to claim God’s provision for the life that God would have us live ( John 10:10) because Jesus has fulfilled all requirements on our behalf.

Our faith is required now as the only way we can have a part in the finished work (provisions of God upon the payment made by Christ on the cross) of Christ. And this faith is not self motivated but word-birthed.

Four vital things faith in the finished work entails and how to utilize this faith can be seen as follows:

1. Believing that God’s promises in his word towards us, are no more there as promises but that they have been fulfilled now in Christ Jesus. So the finished work of Jesus is like the full payment of God to bring about the fulfillment of all his promises to us (2 Corinthians 1:20). These promises are no more there for us as promises but they are fulfilled because Jesus has made full purchase by his substitutionary death. Hence, if we will receive any of these already all expense paid promises, we must say yes to them and live accordingly-that is, we must have faith (be convinced, assured, persuaded, trust) in what the Bibles says God will do for us and in us.

2. Believing that our victory over any situation in life is already established (2 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Timothy 6:12). Our default state is all round victory irrespective of what is going on in our bodies or around us. Faith in the finished work of Christ is knowing and believing that as a believer the only fight you have to make in life, is the faith of faith- holding dearly to God’s report against all odds. We are in faith in the finished work of Christ when we choose to maintain our stance of victory.

3. Believing that the sin problem has been eternally solved (Hebrews 9:12-14). Sin is no more a barrier between God and man. Faith in the finished work of Christ entails dependence on God’s testimony of the type of redemption that we have in Christ and even when we sin due to our un-renewed mind, we should go boldly before the throne of mercy to receive God’s help instead of thinking that we have lost it all, or that we can’t live up to God’s expectations. Therefore subtly allowing for guilt, condemnation and the fear of God’s wrath ( Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1-2). Faith in the finished work entails an assurance in the remission and total forgiveness of our sins.

4. Having an attitude of rest from all self works and receiving the grace of God ( Hebrews 3:19, 4:1-3). The rest described here as God’s rest for us, is to remove our trust from our works in order for us to earn what God’s grace has provided for. Our faith translates into our obedience to the things God says he has done in Christ. If he has done it, then we must not try to earn it again but receive it.

There are two kinds of faith.
1. The human faith (John 4:48).
2. The God-kind of faith (Mark 11:22).
The human faith is a function of human provision but the God-kind of faith is a function of God’s provision made available in Christ. Therefore, the believer does not have another kind of faith and should not seek to have faith outside the God-kind of faith. The believer is born by the word ( 1 Peter 1:23) and is supernatural. Therefore, his faith must be supernatural ( from the word of God only) (2 Corinthians 5:7).

[Pchris]

My reply to Ben
Faith in the finished work of Christ is truly a guarantee and an assurance to all what God has in store for you as a believer. All one needs to to do is believe and accept. It is really exciting to know that as a believer, you really don’t have to do anything or add anything to what Christ has already done. He bore it all, He became everything negative so we can be partakers of the blessings of God . A clear revelation of Jesus’ sacrifice will unburden you.

[Pchris]

FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST
Faith- Faith is defined as a strong conviction based upon hearing. Faith is our positive response to God’s Grace , it is what gives us access to God’s Grace.
The Finished Work Of Christ – The finished work of Christ refers primarily to the death of Jesus on the cross. That’s where the judgement of God against our sin was endured by Christ .
Jesus was not our savior untill He suffered and died for our sins on the cross. The death of Jesus brought salvation into the world. Salvation is both free and costly at the same time . On one hand , salvation is a free gift to anyone who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, but on the other hand, salvation is very costly because it required the sacrificial death of the son of God. ( John 3:16)

Faith in the finished work of Christ is accepting, understanding, appreciating and walking in all that it entails. It is what gives a believer full access to God’s Grace.

What the Finished Work Of Christ Entails
1) RECONCILIATION / PROPITIATION
Hebrews 2:17
It means reconciliation between a Holy God and us. In reference to the finished work of Christ, reconciliation is the act by which God brings mankind into a completely changes relationship with Himself , from hostility and alienation to harmony and intimate fellowship . It is a one way act of God , made by God alone.
In the old testament people were punished for there sin , but in the new testament, God poured all His wrath on Jesus.
The ancient Greeks used the word propitiation when they spoke of appeasing the anger of their pagan gods or doing something to obtain favor from their pagan gods. But this is not the idea of propitiation in the Bible, The Bible teaches that God is love, He loves His people and He wants to have fellowship with us, however God is also Holy , just and righteous, so He can’t just sweep our sin under the rug. This is precisely where Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins. He took humanity’s sin upon Himself and suffered the righteous judgement of God. Jesus not only died to take away man’s sin, He satisfied and propitiated God’s anger against sin.
The death of Jesus Christ was sufficient to take care of all the sins of the whole world , it’s unlimited in its coverage and provision. That does not mean that everyone has salvation, the finished work of Christ is only effective for those who believe and put their trust in Him .
2) REDEMPTION
Titus 2:4, 2 Peter 2:1
To redeem is the Greek word ” luthro” which means to release, actual deliverance, the setting at liberty.
The finished work of Christ brings/ brought about redemption for all who believe. Redemption deals with our enslavement by sin . In this context, redemption refers to the sacrifice of Christ in setting us free from the bondage of sin’s slavery.
In redemption, we have been bought back and set free from the slave market of sin and we have been placed in the family of God. Although we did not pay silver or gold ( 1 Peter 1:18), we must remember always that the cost of our redemption was high. The ransom price was the precious blood of Christ. If you must be redeemed, then you must agree to be redeemed because you have a role to play.
3) SUBSTITUTION ( EXCHANGE)
2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24
The finished work of Christ was the perfect exchange , Jesus is our perfect substitute because He became sin that we maybe righteous. Everything Adams sin brought upon us, Jesus became.
He became sickness that we might be healed, He was rejected so that we can be accepted, He became everything negative that we maybe all that God has designed for us.
4) REMISSION
Acts 2:38, Hebrews 10:18
Where there is remission there is no longer sacrifice for sin.
Atonement was used in the old testament as a management arrangement, a stop gap measure , a temporary measure to cover sins.
The finished work of Christ was more than atonement but remission, which means He erased , separated, cleansed and wiped our sin forever thereby signifying permanent freedom forever.
There is nothing that can be added to what Jesus has done, His work was a finished one.
HOW TO UTILIZE THIS FAITH
A believer can utilize this faith by fully realizing and resting on the finished work of Christ. This can only happen when
1) One ceases from the work of trying to be worthy and accept that God has made you worthy.
2) Cease from trying to merit or earn the blessings of God , realize that you cannot add to what Christ has already done.
3) Agree with God that you already have it when God spoke it , not when you receive it.
There is no other kind of Faith, however the only kind of faith available to the believer is the faith in the finished work of Christ.

[Wechie]

1 Corinthians 15:1-3
Christianity is centered around a message, good news, the Gospel, also referred to as the Gospel of Christ. Paul in writing to the Corinthian church was putting them to remembrance of the gospel he preached to them, what their faith rests on, what they received, what they stand on; in doing this he highlights 3 things;
1. Christ Died for our Sins
2. He was buried
3. He was raised on the third day
Paul here points us here to the message that brings salvation. It is safe to say the Gospel is centered around the death, the burial and the resurrection of Christ. However, one more event took place after the resurrection of Christ which brings us to no 4 – His ascension. Luke 24;50-51.
I believe Faith in the finished work of Christ entails; Faith in the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ.
4 VITAL THINGS FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK ENTAILS;
A. The Death of Christ; Christ died as our substitute; Romans 5:8,Galatians 2:20,Isaiah 53:5-6.
Substitution is the means by which we were reconciled: “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). It is the means of expiation: “He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). And by dying in our place, taking the penalty for our sins upon himself, Christ’s death is also the means of propitiation.
We need no longer need to pay for sin. Christ has paid in full.
One way we can utilize this faith is by reckoning that we are dead to sin, by his death we have been freed from the hold of sin, we are no longer are slaves to the sinful nature. Roams 6:6-7. Anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Also, sickness no longer has a hold on us, for by his stripes we were healed.

B. The Burial of Christ; The burial of the Lord is a part of the gospel. His burial was an assurance that His resurrection was a reality: for His Body was taken down by friends in the presence of foes who knew that He was dead, and deposited by them, not in a common tomb, but in a cave, hollowed out of a hillside, with a great stone rolled to block up the entrance, which was guarded by the soldiers of Pilate. Luke 23:50
We reckon that we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

C. The Resurrection of Christ; Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), and in that statement claimed to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, no eternal life. Jesus does more than give life; He is life, and that’s why death has no power over Him. Jesus confers His life on those who trust in Him, so that we can share His triumph over death (1 John 5:11–12). We who believe in Jesus Christ will personally experience resurrection because, having the life Jesus gives, we have overcome death. It is impossible for death to win (1 Corinthians 15:53–57
The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3–4,1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important? It proves who Jesus is. It demonstrates that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It shows that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that the bodies of those who believe in Christ will not remain dead but will be resurrected unto eternal life.
We are not without Hope and a future.
D. The Ascension of Christ; “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Jesus’ ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He is presented seated at the right hand of God. The fact that Jesus Christ is at the “right hand of God” was a sign to the disciples that Jesus had indeed gone to heaven. In John 16:7-15, Jesus told the disciples that He had to go away and He would send the Holy Spirit. So the coming of the Holy Spirit in the upper room on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) was proof positive that Jesus was indeed in heaven seated at the right hand of God. This is confirmed in Romans 8:34 where the Apostle Paul writes that Christ is sitting at God’s right-hand making intercession for us.
Jesus did not go to heaven after His earthly ministry and “take a break” from His role as eternal Shepherd to His people. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10, emphasis added). If when humble, despised, dying, and dead, He had the power to accomplish so great a work as reconciling us to God, how much more may we expect that He will be able to keep us now that He is a living, exalted, and triumphant Redeemer, raised to life and interceding on our behalf before the throne (Romans 8:34). Clearly, Jesus is still very active on our behalf in heaven.
Christ alone is the God-man, and He mediates and intercedes between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).

We utilize faith in the finished work by reckoning with all that Christ has accomplished on our behalf. There is no other kind of faith for the Believer. We need to engage with the Epistles, see ourselves in all Christ accomplished and meditate on these truths. We can only and truly live the victorious life we have been called into when we embrace all that God has provided for us in Christ.

[Paulpraze]

MY REPLY TO PRECIOUS
It is indeed expedient for every believer to have an understanding of these truths, without which, our walk of faith may not be very productive.
It is great news indeed for a believer to know, he or she has been reconciled with God, brought into harmony with his Maker and Creator, and brought in God’s favor. To understand tat, the war and enmity between himself and God was decisively taken care of by the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Also, redemption is an incredible news for the believer. The knowledge that we are n longer slaves to sin, Satan, and death is liberating and comforting indeed.
All of these amazing realities and truths, made possible, because Christ took our place as our sin offering to God. John described Him as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). He died the sinners death, taking upon Himself, all of the wrath of God, and completely exhausted it. This way, He is the propitiation for our sins.
It is important that you pointed out the fact that, God is not to be compared to pagan gods, who require sacrifices from their subjects, in order for them to have peace and prosperity. God is not vindictive, neither is He vengeful. What is more is that, not only is God just and must deal with sin, He is love and made a way for the sin to be condemned by providing the sacrifice required for this to happen. This is unlike these pagan gods, who make unreasonable demands of their subjects and not care how they go about meeting those demands.

[Author]

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