The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream services every Sunday at 10:30 AM EST in Manalapan, New Jersey.
This message, the 7th in the "Finished Work of the Cross" series from njgrace.org,explores the profound spiritual truths resulting from Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection. It emphasizes that upon believing the Gospel, believers transition from being spiritually dead in Adam (self-reliant and sin-bound) to alive in Christ, indwelt by His Spirit. Drawing from Romans 8:12-17a, the teaching highlights three key ways the Spirit of Christ operates in believers' lives:
- Trains Us to Depend on Him: The Spirit reveals the futility of relying on "flesh" (independent, self-developed patterns for coping with life) and crucifies these habits through circumstances, building dependence on Christ instead. This process, described as the "Way of the Cross," conforms believers to Christ's image (Romans 8:29). A personal testimony from Rob illustrates how losing his job in 1999 exposed his self-reliance, leading to deeper trust in God for provision.
- Leads Us in Life: As sons of God through faith (Galatians 3:26), believers are guided by the Spirit to specific people, places, and opportunities. An example from Acts 8 shows Philip being led to evangelize an Ethiopian eunuch, resulting in salvation and baptism.
- Testifies to Us Who We Are in Christ: The Spirit confirms believers' identity as adopted children of God, heirs with Christ, free from fear-based slavery (Romans 8:15-17a). This enables intimate relationship with God as "Abba! Father!" and reveals numerous blessings like forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life.
The message recaps 19 prior truths from the series (e.g., standing in grace, dying to sin's power, serving in the Spirit) and encourages sharing the full Gospel with others. It ends with a call to discussion and reflection on personal revelations from God about the finished work.
This teaching underscores that salvation is not just forgiveness but a complete spiritual transformation, empowering victorious living through Christ alone.
