Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Undone: Can a Finished Work be undone?

 

When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. John 19:30 MEV

 One of the extraordinary revelations of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the truth of the once for all sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. When He hung on the tree for all mankind that meant no other sacrifice for sin will ever be needed. Jesus' substitutionary work was enough.

 The basic foundation of Christianity is that Jesus' work of redemption is a Finished Work. The total price of redemption was paid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is done. Finished.

 This should ring loud from the rooftops. From every mountaintop, this great truth should be heralded. The work is finished. The price was paid in full. 

   With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Hebrews 9:12 NLT

 The Word confirms it. Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection proved it. The Work is finished. Redemption is a done deal!  

 In spite of this overwhelming evidence, why does it seem when hearing the sermons of many preachers, reading their books, and attending their services, that somehow this finished work can become undone? The work seems to be complete yet so many in their communication of the gospel make it seem salvation and fellowship with God are on an unstable, and unsteady foundation. That what's been done once for all time can become undone for us personally.

 I've listened to messages where the pastor has told the whole congregation that 3/4ths of them needed to come to the altar and make sure they were even saved! This wasn't a small church, this service had thousands in attendance. This is the work of religion and not Grace. 

Religion vs Redemption

Religion wants to strip the full assurance of redemption from the believer. Religion points out the flaws, foul-ups, and failures of the believer to attempt to prove they've somehow undone the Finished Work. Religion says Redemption is a flimsy work, not a finished work. Religion says Redemption is not a once for all work but a downpayment. That the remainder of the price is to be paid by the currency of the believers' performance, good deeds, faithfulness, and abstinence from sinful thoughts, words, and actions. 

 Religion says our works can undo a finished work. Jesus has a proverbial rescue line tied firmly to us. Religion says our doings, our actions, and our unfaithfulness can undo and untie that line. 

 Redemption reveals that He who began the work will complete it in you. Jesus is the author and finisher of our Faith. If He is the author and finisher how then can we undo it? 

 Redemption is a completed work. It is finished. It is done. There is no more sacrifice for sin. There is nothing we can do to complete the work. We can't add to "finished." If a building has been completed there is no brick, no cement, no nail, no wood, that you could add to the building. It's finished. It's done. 

 If we can't add to our redemption, then we can't undo it. How can we undo what we had no part in its beginning, no part in its working, and no part in its completion? It's Jesus from start to finish. 

 This is Good News! This means we can't add to or undo our salvation. We can't undo or add to our Redemption. We were redeemed from the curse. Therefore we can't undo our redemption from poverty and lack. We can't undo our redemption from sickness and disease. We can't undo our redemption from spiritual death.

 In summation, we who have believed are redeemed. It's a Finished Work. It is a completed work. It cannot be undone. Rejoice in His Faithfulness. We are redeemed eternally. It is forever settled. We are His forever, we can't undo it, it's all because of Jesus. 

 


Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

No comments: