Living from Victory Instead of Striving
Theme Scripture
Hebrews 4:9–11
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.”
Additional Scriptures
- John 19:30
- Colossians 2:13–15
- Romans 5:1–2
- Hebrews 10:10–14
- Ephesians 1:3–8
Introduction
Have you ever reached the end of a long day and said, “Finally, it’s finished”?
Those words bring relief because they mean the work has been completed.
As Jesus hung on the cross, He spoke three words that changed history forever: “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
These were not the words of defeat.
They were the words of victory.
Jesus was not saying His life had ended in failure. He was announcing that the work the Father had sent Him to accomplish had been fully completed.
Many Christians believe Jesus died for their sins, yet they continue to live as though they must complete what Christ has already finished. They strive to earn God’s approval, wrestle with constant guilt, and fear that they have not done enough.
The gospel invites us to something better.
It invites us to rest.
Biblical rest is not inactivity. It is confident trust that Jesus has accomplished everything necessary to reconcile us to God.
This week, you will discover what Christ finished, what remains for us to do, and how to live each day from His victory rather than striving in your own strength.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this week you should be able to:
- Explain what Jesus meant when He said, “It is finished.”
- Understand the difference between Christ’s finished work and our ongoing spiritual growth.
- Rest confidently in God’s acceptance.
- Recognize areas where you are still striving instead of trusting.
- Begin living daily from Christ’s victory.
What Did Jesus Finish?
When Jesus cried, “It is finished,” He used the Greek word tetelestai, a term that means “paid in full,” “completed,” or “fully accomplished.”
It was often written across a debt after the final payment had been made.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus completed everything necessary for our salvation.
He did not begin the work and leave the rest for us to finish.
He completed it perfectly.
Because of Christ:
- The penalty of sin has been paid.
- God’s justice has been satisfied.
- Forgiveness is available to all who believe.
- We are reconciled to God.
- Satan’s claim against us has been broken.
- Eternal life is freely offered.
- We have direct access to the Father.
Nothing can be added to Christ’s sacrifice.
Nothing can improve it.
Nothing can replace it.
Our role is not to complete His work but to trust Him, receive His grace, and walk in obedience as the fruit of our faith.
What Was Not Finished?
While Christ’s work of redemption is complete, our journey of discipleship continues.
Jesus finished the work for us, but He also continues His work in us through the Holy Spirit.
Therefore:
- Christ finished paying for our salvation.
- We continue growing in holiness.
- Christ finished defeating sin’s penalty.
- We continue learning to resist sin’s influence.
- Christ finished securing our acceptance.
- We continue maturing in our understanding of that acceptance.
- Christ finished purchasing our inheritance.
- We continue growing into spiritual maturity until we see Him face to face.
This distinction is important.
Confusing these two truths leads either to legalism (“I must earn God’s acceptance”) or carelessness (“Nothing I do matters”).
The Bible teaches neither.
Instead, it teaches that because Christ has finished His saving work, we are now free to pursue obedience with joy, gratitude, and confidence.
Illustration: The Paid Debt
Imagine that someone owed millions of naira that he could never repay.
One day, another person paid the entire debt on his behalf.
The creditor stamped the account: PAID IN FULL
If the debtor continued bringing small payments every week, hoping eventually to earn his freedom, he would be living as though the payment had never been made.
That is how many believers live spiritually.
Jesus has already paid the debt of sin.
Yet many continue trying to earn forgiveness through endless striving, believing God will finally accept them if they do enough.
The gospel declares something better:
The debt has already been paid in full by Jesus Christ.
Our response is not to keep trying to pay it but to live each day in grateful trust and loving obedience.
Reflection Questions
- Before today, what did you think Jesus meant when He said, “It is finished”?
- Which part of Christ’s finished work encourages you the most?
- Are there areas where you are still trying to earn what Christ has already provided?
- How does knowing that your acceptance is secure in Christ change the way you approach prayer, worship, and service?
- Write a prayer thanking Jesus for His finished work on the cross.
The Meaning of “It Is Finished”
Word Study: Tetelestai
The words “It is finished” come from the Greek word tetelestai.
This word means:
- Completely finished
- Fully accomplished
- Paid in full
- Nothing more needs to be added
In Bible times, merchants sometimes wrote tetelestai across a bill when it had been paid completely. A servant could also report to his master that an assignment had been completed by saying, “Tetelestai.”
When Jesus spoke this word from the cross, He was declaring that the mission His Father had given Him was complete. The sacrifice for sin had been offered once and for all.
This does not mean that Jesus stopped working altogether. Today He lives, reigns, intercedes for us, and continues transforming us by His Holy Spirit. But the work of paying for our salvation will never need to be repeated.
What Christ Finished for Us
The finished work of Christ provides every believer with wonderful blessings.
1. Our Sin Debt Was Paid
Read: Colossians 2:13–14
Every sin—past, present, and future—was placed upon Christ. He bore the punishment that we deserved so that we could receive forgiveness.
This does not encourage careless living. Instead, it fills our hearts with gratitude and leads us to love and obey Him.
2. We Have Peace with God
Read: Romans 5:1
Before salvation, we were separated from God because of sin.
Now, through Jesus Christ, we have peace with God.
Peace with God is different from the peace of God.
- Peace with God means the hostility caused by sin has been removed.
- The peace of God is the inner calm He gives us as we trust Him daily.
Because Christ has reconciled us to the Father, we no longer approach Him as condemned sinners but as dearly loved children.
3. We Have Direct Access to God
Read: Hebrews 4:14–16
Under the Old Testament, only the high priest entered the Most Holy Place, and only once each year.
When Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn from top to bottom.
This powerful sign showed that the barrier between God and humanity had been removed through Christ.
Today, every believer can come confidently before God’s throne in prayer.
You do not need to earn permission to approach God.
Jesus has already opened the way.
4. We Have Victory Over the Power of Darkness
Read: Colossians 2:15
Through His death and resurrection, Christ defeated Satan’s claim over those who belong to Him.
We still face temptation and spiritual warfare, but we fight from Christ’s victory—not for it.
Our confidence is not in ourselves but in the Lord who has already overcome.
Christ’s Finished Work and Our Daily Walk
The Christian life has two important realities.
What God Has Already Done
- Saved us.
- Forgiven us.
- Declared us righteous.
- Adopted us into His family.
- Given us the Holy Spirit.
What We Continue to Do
- Grow in faith.
- Learn God’s Word.
- Pray faithfully.
- Serve others.
- Resist temptation.
- Become more like Christ.
Growth is not an attempt to complete salvation.
Growth is the joyful response to the salvation we have already received.
Illustration: The Adopted Child
Imagine a little boy who is adopted into a loving family.
He does not wash the dishes, clean his room, or obey his parents so that they will adopt him.
He does those things because he already belongs to the family.
His obedience does not create the relationship.
His obedience grows out of the relationship.
The same is true for believers.
We obey God because we are His children through Christ.
Old Testament Picture
When Israel celebrated the Passover, the blood of the lamb protected every household that believed God’s promise and applied the blood to the doorposts (Exodus 12).
Their safety depended on the blood of the lamb, not on how strong, brave, or worthy they were.
That event pointed forward to Jesus, the true Lamb of God.
Today our confidence rests, not in our own goodness, but in the perfect sacrifice of Christ.
Grace in Action
Choose one way this week to live from Christ’s finished work.
Examples include:
- Pray with confidence instead of fear.
- Replace self-condemning thoughts with Scripture.
- Encourage another believer who struggles with guilt.
- Thank Jesus each day for what He has already accomplished.
- Serve someone as an expression of gratitude rather than obligation.
Reflection Questions
- Which blessing of Christ’s finished work means the most to you today? Why?
- How does the story of the adopted child help you understand Christian obedience?
- Are there areas where you are acting like you still need to pay a debt that Jesus has already paid?
- How does the Passover help you appreciate Christ’s sacrifice?
- What practical step will you take this week to live from Christ’s finished work instead of striving?
Memory Insight
Repeat John 19:30 several times today:
“It is finished.”
Each time you say these words, remind yourself:
- Christ’s sacrifice is complete.
- My acceptance is secure in Him.
- I do not have to earn God’s love.
- I can live today with confidence, gratitude, and hope.