Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 (NKJV) Satan’s greatest deception is to make you think that he still has power. By taking our sin nature and the curse that went with it, Jesus defeated the enemy. He stripped the devil of power by taking away the only thing he had on us: our sin nature. This is also why Jesus said that the devil had nothing on him (John 14:30). Jesus was God’s Son and had the nature of His Father. When you gave yourself to Jesus Christ, you gained His nature. As He is, so are …

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) Have you ever wondered what it means to say that Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith? Well, let’s think about this statement. Ephesians 2:8 says that we are saved through faith. In other words, our belief in what Jesus has done for us and receiving Him as our Lord and Saviour is what makes us right with God and causes His promises and blessings to be ours. Do we earn right standing with God? Do we earn blessings from God? …

And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Acts 3:16 (NKJV) Over the last number of days, we’ve been discussing what Jesus accomplished for us. While Jesus’ work definitely involves the forgiveness of our sins, it’s also about our authority as believers. Acts 3 tells the story of when Peter healed a man who was begging at a city gate. When people wondered how the man was healed, Peter made it very clear. The miracle happened through faith in the name of Jesus. Why is Jesus’ name so powerful? After Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus told the disciples that all authority had been given to Him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Jesus has all authority, …

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30 (NKJV) We’ve been on a series about what Jesus accomplished for us over the last few days, and one thing that is very important to understand about is this. The work that Jesus did is finished. When believers think that they somehow have to earn the right to God’s blessings, it’s as if they’re trying to finish Jesus’ work. They know that Jesus ensured their sins could be forgiven and they could have a relationship with God, but forget that Jesus didn’t stop there. Jesus also took the sin nature of mankind, along with the curse that went with it. And …

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8–9 (NKJV) Through Jesus’ finished work of the cross, a brand new deal was struck with God. Everything before that point was under the old covenant. But a new agreement stood in its place afterward. The problem is that many people mix together the old and the new. When Paul wrote letters to the early churches, he continually corrected this issue. The early Christians seemed to have understood that they came into relationship with God through Christ without having to earn it. However, they kept thinking that they needed to earn the blessings of God through their …