Pastor John R. Wiuff
Hebrews 7:23-28
It is finished!
That is what I long to say one day about the book I am writing. I will call up all my friends and share the news and tell everyone I am looking forward to their comments. The only trouble is that I know what they will say. My good friends will tell me the truth and say, you’re not sending it off to a publisher like that are you? I’ll say, “Whatever do you mean?” In some nice and gentle way they will point our spelling and grammar error’s along with some missing pieces of the plot.
Embarrassed I will go back to work make the fixes and then announce: It is finished! This time I won’t let my friends have another look at it but post it right away to several publishing houses waiting for wonderful comments and a big fat signing bonus.
The trouble is I know that the publishers will write back and some might say they enjoyed the book and see some possibilities, but with more changes and extensive editing. Embarrassed I will take those suggestions to heart in the hopes of gaining their approval. After passing through several committees, editors, and re-writes I will announced to the world that “It is finished!”
That’s when the literary critics will review the book and offer their suggestions how it could have been so much better. Taking into consideration their comments I may make changes hoping for a second print where they could be inserted. Then the public will start commenting and contradict everything that the critics. Not sure on whom to please I will just give up changing the book and go on to another project.
Isn’t that the way it is with everything in our lives. What we do is never really done but always the “work in progress.” Homes are never really finished or raising children. We never really finish a job we just go home. For us humans “finishing” is when we give up and call it good enough. We run out of time, money, patience, and passion long before any work we are doing is really finished.
I want us to remember how we call something ‘finished’ because we can’t really understand what Christ has done for us and is doing for us if we confuse our way of thinking with His. The finished work of Christ is remarkably different than any work any human being has every attempted.
When it comes to our relationships the last words we want to hear is “I’m finished with you.” We never want people to be finished with us, but not to over stress by our neediness either. I have met many people, even after they become Christians who are anxious about whether Christ is finished with them yet and what that might mean.
You see Jesus did finish a work that He took on for us but He is not finished with any of us yet. It was on the cross where He died that he announced that the work he took on for us was finished.
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30
I would love to say with absolute conviction “It is finished…” but when Christ said it, he meant that He had paid for my and your sins and there was no price left to be paid. He paid it all and no one can say that anything was left owing.
Sometimes when we pay the price of a wrong done to us, in other words, forgive something with out expecting compensation; we are also finished with the person we forgive. Many people forgive to be done with someone, to get free of them so they never have to see them again. Forgiveness for us is often the last act of a dead relationship. Our forgiveness usually sounds like this: “I forgive you and I never want to see you again.”
People who have a problem with God often say He is cruel and unjust, but our actions are often far more harsh in standing and if we had the power that God has, it would indeed be very terrible.
Consider how incredibly different Jesus Christ is when He pays the price for our forgiveness.
23. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24. but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Hebrews 7:23-28
Jesus does not walk away when He pays the price for the wrongs we have done against the Father. Instead He places Himself in a position where He can serve us and God to make sure the peace he bought is kept.
The trouble with the work that Jesus does is not that it is imperfect, but that we are always getting into trouble. Christ can perfectly save me, forgive me, and intercede on my behalf before God, but after having come to Him I will mess up again and need more help in the future.
Jesus shows us what real love and forgiveness is in that His finished work is not just complete but permanent. He maintains my position of forgiveness before God no matter how many times I might mess up.
That is hard for us to understand someone who can be that consistent in their love and forgiveness towards a person who seems like a perpetual looser. Yet that is just how different the finished and permanent work of Christ is in the courts of heaven. He will never give up on us if we will never give up on Him.
Jesus has the ability to intercede because of His death on the cross and resurrection that placed Him at the right hand of Father God. But it is His unfailing love that helps us when we fail. Paul said it this way…
That is why he is always able to save those who come to God through him. He can do this because he always lives and intercedes for them.
Hebrews 7:25
If you wonder how this works, you are not alone. Ever since Jesus took up this finished and permanent work believers and seekers have wondered what they have to do to be right with Christ. You begin by repenting of your sins and asking Jesus to forgive you and to come into your life to make a heart change.
To begin is the first step but the second step is to persist. When we begin we share in the cross of Christ, when we persist we enter into the courts of heaven where His everlasting love is revealed.
Now, since the dawn of the Christian faith, believers have wondered can I do whatever I want and Christ will keep interceding for me before Father God?
20. …But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21. so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means!
Romans 5:21, 22; 6:1
We can be sure that Christ will persist in His office of intersession if we honor so great a love of Father God. On the other hand we should be careful not to go on sinning thinking we have a free pass to do what we want now because our Lord will pay the bill. Such an attitude would dishonor the grace and love of Father God. John warns us that anyone who treats such a grace cheaply is in danger…
6. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
1 John 3:6
Make no mistake that our salvation in Jesus Christ depends on our relationship with Him. This is not governed by a law but there are some basics about relationships we must understand if we are going to confident in Christ rather than legalities. Some have tried to turn Grace into a legal relationship with God that is binding on Him. The truth is that our salvation is dependent on the attitude that Christ, the great and permanent intercessor before God has towards us.
If He were to deny us we would be in trouble. If He acknowledges us and welcomes us into the Kingdom then Father God will follow His lead. Unlike us His attitude towards those He cares about is not affected by the imperfections of our character, or even the pain we cause Him from time to time. But there is one thing that can’t change His attitude towards us even if we had at one time entered into a relationship with Him. Jesus stated this very clearly in Matthew:
32. “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:32-33
Peter, the Apostle of Jesus Christ was such a man. He was the first to acknowledge before others that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. He did this by the power of the Holy Spirit. He believed with His heart and was committed to Christ.
Peter was also the first to deny Christ after acknowledging Christ. In fact he did it three times at the trial of Jesus Christ, before the crucifixion. Not only that, but Jesus predicted that he would do it despite the objections made by Peter. Now this is how amazing the Love of Christ is towards us. He promises Peter that he will restore him once he falls.
31. “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33. But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34. Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Luke 22:31-34
The faith of Peter did fail just as Christ predicted. Christ warned Peter if he denied Him before other men, then Christ would deny Peter before the father. The denial of Peter was the words “I don’t know Him.” The denial of most modern believers is often, “I just don’t know.” In the story of Peter and in our own denials the following affect is shame. If we are ashamed of Christ He will be ashamed of us. If we boast of Christ with joy and pride then Christ will boast about us with joy and pride.
You see, this is how relationships work. They are not contracts that are binding upon both parties, but a living dynamic that requires us to believe and confess Christ before others if we want Christ to believe in us and acknowledge us before Father God.
We are a small church here in Medford and I have noticed that some have been ashamed to be apart of this congregation. We are not as big, fancy or offering as many programs as other congregations. It would be terrible if we think that is how relationships work in the courts of heaven where Christ is accomplishing His permanent office before Father God. I don’t believe that Christ is ashamed of the First Church of God, as long we keep acknowledging the amazing love of God in Jesus Christ before the world. In fact, I know that this congregation has been the subject of praise and thanksgiving before the throne of God.
Where are you this morning? Is your faith marked by shame or by faith? Do you acknowledge that amazing love of Christ before others or are the words, “…I don’t know” often on your lips?
Do you want to know? Do you want to believe? Then we can be restored even as Peter was after denying Christ three times. Christ just asks us a simple question: “Do you love me?” Is there anyone here who is not ashamed of Christ who would like to stand and declare before us today that they love Jesus Christ for His perfect and finished work? If you would do that today Christ will do the same before Father God. Will you do that right now? Jesus is watching and waiting upon what you do in the next few minutes.
10. With one sacrifice he accomplished the work of setting them apart for God forever.
Hebrew 10:14
20. Through him he also reconciled all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, thus making peace through the blood of his cross.
Colossians 1:20
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