The work of Christ included five aspects that each accomplished an essential piece of the fullness of redemption.
- The Incarnation. In the incarnation, God took on flesh and, being fully God, became fully man. If He weren't God, the work would have been incomplete.
He stepped in and did more than just save humanity; He was the only one who could pull all creation into the redemption He was seeking. No angel could have redeemed the entirety of creation. A man could have represented humanity—but not the planets and stars, not the ants and the elephants, the minnows and the whales. Only God could identify with all creation to remove the corruption released through sin (Rom. 8).
- The Sinless Life. Jesus had to be perfect. If He sinned in any way, He could not have removed sin or the power of death, which comes from sin.
He lived out the sinless life Adam was intended to live. In everything Jesus did, He carried out the two great commandments: He loved God the Father with all His heart, mind, soul and strength, and He loved His neighbor as Himself (Matt. 22:36–40).
In His flesh Jesus fulfilled God's will while doing only what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). His perfect submission reversed the rebellion of Adam and Eve.
- The Innocent Death. A sacrifice had to be made. Blood had to be shed (Heb. 9:22). But not just any blood—perfect blood.
Death had a right to touch everything corrupted by sin. As soon as death touched perfect flesh—a sinless life—its power was broken and its ultimate end was set in stone. The power of justice unraveled the power of death.
The blood of Jesus paid for the entirety of sin; this means it also paid for the results of sin: sickness and disease. Physical sickness, emotional sickness, mental illness—the blood of the Lamb paid for all these things.
- The Resurrection. If Jesus had stayed dead, He would have been a nice example of the power of death—that it could even destroy perfection. The ultimate exercise of frustration, His death would have settled hopelessness forever into creation and proven that no matter the depth and level of goodness, there is no ultimate justice.
But Jesus did not stay dead.
His Resurrection proclaimed for all eternity that justice will be satisfied and that sin, death and the grave will not have the final answer (1 Cor. 15:55–57).
- By stepping into death, Jesus purchased the right to redeem those who were dead.
- By coming back to life, He purchased the right to give life to whomever He chooses—anyone who identifies with His full work.
The Resurrection speaks life into hopeless situations and reminds us that the end is not the end. Even when it is over, it is not over!
- The Ascension. After His Resurrection from the dead, Jesus sat at the Father's right hand and received the reward He had purchased with His blood.
He now reigns through you and me—through all of us who identify with Him and have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. He expands His kingdom (the execution of His will) throughout the earth and is waiting until all things are brought under His rule. Once that occurs, He will submit even Himself to the Father, so the Father may be all in all—for all, through all (1 Cor. 15:28).
As you read this article, all things are submitted to Christ, but we don't see all things in subjection to Him (Heb. 2:8a). A battle rages around us, but we live in peace as we keep our eyes on Jesus, our victorious King.
Because we are seated with Jesus in heavenly places, we're able to grasp that what we see in this realm—even what we've been taught and what we've experienced—is partial at best and a deception at worst. Only God is truth. Our lives are hidden in Him, and so we think like He thinks; we set our minds on heavenly things (Col. 3:1–4).
What Does This Mean for You?
If you identify with Jesus' work and submit yourself to Him and His work, you can access the power inherent within it!
If you haven't accessed that power yet, you can start right now. Just proclaim out loud your surrender to Jesus and your need for His redemption and forgiveness. Then allow His Holy Spirit to empower you to live out that surrender for the rest of your life, both now on earth and for eternity in Heaven.
Here's a beautiful look at how Jesus' work affects you personally.
You can go to Jesus for complete healing (Isa. 53:5).
Whatever illness or infirmity you're dealing with, whatever your family is dealing with, whatever your friend is dealing with—you can take it to Jesus and fully expect the power of His innocent death to remove it. The shedding of His sacred blood is a promise that all sin and everything sin brought into creation will unravel and be completely removed.
The Sinless Life
You are "one spirit" with God and a partaker of His divine nature (1 Cor. 6:17; 2 Pet. 1:4).
Because you are one with the Lord, you can tap into the power of the incarnation. In other words, you can access His power to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. The incarnation also allows you to love your neighbor as yourself.
Since you are a partaker of His divine nature, you are able to live out His life on the earth, in union with the power of His holiness.
The Innocent Death
You are completely free from shame (1 John 1:9).
Because Jesus died a sinless death, you get to live a life free of sin and the corruption it brings. When you confess your sins, God is faithful not just to forgive you—but also to wipe you clean of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
This means you can be completely, totally, 100% free from shame. You don't have to pay for your mistakes or even your intentional sins; you can bring them to Jesus, because He has already paid for them.
Shame is often a sign of self-hatred, self-sufficiency, defeatism and sometimes even pride, because we think we can handle our sins on our own.
If you're dealing with shame, surrender it to God. Let Him forgive you, and stop trying to take care of it yourself.
You have hope through the power of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:55–57).
No matter what your situation looks like, God can redeem and change it in an instant. Death has no hold over you. Your body may die, but you will live on in an eternal body in God's presence—a body that looks just like His.
With Jesus, even dead things can come back to life (Ezek. 37:1–6).
You are seated in heavenly places (Col. 3:1–4).
You get to walk in the power and authority of God. All authority is His, and He has commissioned you to go into the world and tell people about Him and what He's done, demonstrating His life with your life—through the way you love others, honor Him, walk in power and hold on to hope.
As you do these things, the people around you will see Him. They will come to experience His life for themselves, and whole nations will change (Matt. 28:18–20). Not because you have it all together—but because He promised He would always be with you.
In my next article, I'll write about how the five aspects of redemption apply to fivefold ministry.
John and Dawna Thomas were radically saved out of the drug culture in 1996. Personally mentored by John Paul Jackson, they've been on staff with or have worked alongside Streams Ministries since 2004. John pastored The Bridge Metrowest (planted by John Paul) for five years before he and Dawna stepped out into full-time itinerant ministry. After John Paul passed away, John began to work more closely with the Streams leadership team and in 2016 was asked to become the president of Streams Ministries. John co-authored The Art of Praying the Scriptures: A Fresh Look at Lectio Divina with Jackson and has also written courses on prophetic ministry, dream interpretation and the kingdom of God. As president of Streams Ministries, he ministers internationally to help restore the awe of God to a world that has lost its wonder.
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