The Hope That Changes Everything
Thanks be to God that we live in a world where Jesus has already died for our sins and resurrected. This truth is the foundation of our faith and the reason we gather for communion each week. It’s the hope of Easter, the promise of redemption, and the reason Jesus is such a big deal—because His sacrifice literally changed everything.
From Brick by Brick to Complete Freedom
For centuries, the Old Testament sacrificial system operated like building a wall. Day after day, sin by sin, brick by brick, humanity created a barrier between themselves and God. High priests worked tirelessly, offering sacrifice after sacrifice, trying to atone for the people’s sins. It was exhausting, endless work that never quite finished the job.
But what Jesus did on the cross was revolutionary. He didn’t just remove another brick. He saw that entire wall of sin and separation, laid dynamite at its base, and blew it up once and for all.
The Finished Work of Christ
Here’s the beautiful truth: no longer does our sin accumulate. Through the blood of Jesus, we are made clean. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from our sins.
Hebrews 10:11-14 paints a powerful picture: “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”
Notice the difference? The Old Testament priests stood—always working, always offering, never finished. But Jesus sat down. Why? Because His work was complete. The price was paid in full.
Confidence in Christ’s Completed Work
After Jesus paid the price for our sins, He sat and waited for His enemies to become His footstool. This imagery should fill us with incredible confidence. We don’t serve a God who is still working to save us. We serve a God who has already accomplished our salvation.
It doesn’t matter where you’ve been. It doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve messed up. God’s blood is sufficient. His work on the cross is enough—once and for all.
The Hope of Communion
This is why communion matters so much. Every time we take the bread and the cup, we’re remembering and proclaiming this finished work. We’re declaring that:
- Our sins are forgiven—completely
- Our debt is paid—in full
- Our relationship with God is restored—permanently
- Our hope is secure—eternally
At Lakeview Christian Church of Portage Lakes, we believe in being the change as Jesus has changed us. Our mission of “Just 3″—Study, Share, Serve—flows from this foundational truth. We study to love and know God who saved us. We share to know and love others with the same grace we’ve received. We serve as love in action, responding to what Christ has already done.
Your Invitation to Freedom
The wall between you and God has been demolished. The sacrifice has been made. The work is finished. All that remains is for you to receive this gift of grace.
1 John 1:7 promises: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
Not some sin. Not most sin. All sin.
That’s the confidence we have in Christ. That’s the hope of communion. That’s why we gather, remember, and celebrate—because Jesus changed everything, once and for all.
