It is Finished!

At-one-ment

Last week God revealed to us that from the foundation of the world He ordained His one and only Son, Jesus, to be slaughtered as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of his elect, those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life. That is, Jesus took on flesh so that he could shed his blood on a cross to atone for your sin. The Bible teaches that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Because life is in the blood, it has a purifying power to it.

There is power in the Blood of Jesus to atone for your sins. The word atonement simply means make you “at one” with God. To be “at one” with God is to be at peace with God. You are at peace with God because Jesus’ atonement removes the burden of your sin.

The old hymn sings,

Would you be free from the burden of sin? There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood; Would you o'er evil a victory win? There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

Would you be free from your passion and pride? There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood; Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide– There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

Would you be whiter, yes brighter than snow? There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood; Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow– There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

The point that Lois E. Jones is making with his hymn, Power in the Blood, is that Jesus’ death on the cross removes the burden of sin your soul carries. Paul describes the burden of your heart in the book of Romans.

We carry the burden of sin (Romans 3:23).

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The burden of sin is lawlessness toward God-rejecting his holy commands. Sin is, as John Piper describes it, exchanging God’s glory for something lesser than God. That is, loving or valuing something or someone more than you love God. Sin is living your life under the authority of your flesh, which Paul says refuses to submit to God, and moreover, is actually at war with God.

Romans 8:7–8 HCSB

For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Maybe you say, “Well, pastor, I’m not at war with God. I din’t feel anger toward God. I don’t want to pick fight with God.” I think that would describe most people’s thought process regarding our Lord. The reality is, though, many people do far worse than pick a fight with God. Most don’t even acknowledge he exists. God does not enter into their love or loyalty. He’s not part of their decision making or life. He might be the speck of light in the far off space of the universe, but he is not the blazing center of your life’s orbit.

Furthermore, when we are confronted with God, we accuse him of injustice, neglect, and evil. That is, we are hostile toward him. We carry the burden of the hostility toward God in our sinful rebellion.

Let me help you understand how deep your hostility toward God runs within your heart.

There is a misconception about people in hell. There is this belief that people in hell are lamenting their sinfulness and regretting not receiving God’s salvation. There is another side to their thinking.

The bible describes people in hell as gnashing their teeth (Matthew 8:12). That is a term often used to describe indignation. When Stephen stood and said he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God when he was preaching the gospel, the Bible says,

Acts 7:54 ESV

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.

In Psalm 37:12

Psalm 37:12 ESV

The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,

When people are angry to roll their fists and gnash their teeth. People are angry at God in hell.

Paul Washer describes as such in an illustration. He says, “If God were to go to hell, open its doors, and say to everyone, ‘Surrender to me as the one true God and I will release you. The people of hell would rise up and slam the door saying, ‘ we will never surrender and come underneath your righteousness.’”

Do not underestimate the depth and degree of the human’s heart hatred of God. Sin is a hatred of God. We carry the burden of that hatred in our hearts, and God does not ignore our enmity toward him.

For God says,

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

For the wages of sin is death...

Death came into this world through Adam’s rebellion. When God confronted Adam he said

Genesis 3:19 ESV

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Paul affirms this

Romans 5:12 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

We carry the burden of death.

We carry the burden of death in our bodies everyday. Aside from taxes, death is the next guaranteed thing in our life. It is not the just the burden of physical death we carry, however, but a spiritual death as well. The writer of Hebrews says,

Hebrews 9:27 HCSB

And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment —

We carry the burden of the second death which is God’s eternal judgement on all who reject him. John explains what entails the second death.

Revelation 21:8 ESV

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

The second death is God’s eternal wrath on sinners who carry the burden of their sin into eternal life. Sinners will die. We will leave this earth, and enter into eternity. The moment you close your eyes in death you will immediately awaken them before a Holy and Just God. He will expose every sinful thought, word, and deed from your entire life. There will not be an advocate to defend you or plead your case, just the accuser. The sinner who carries the burden of their sin into eternity will hear, “It is finished! Depart from me forever into my wrath.” There will be no mercy and you will have no hope. There is not a soul in hell who has an ounce of hope. Once you enter eternity, eternity is sealed. God’s justice is satisfied. It is finished!

Do you feel the burden of your sin?

Many years ago, there was a gathering, held in Chicago, of many of the world’s religions. The representatives were given a chance to speak publically and discourse with each other.

During one session, Dr. Joseph Cook, of Boston, suddenly rose and said: “Gentlemen, I beg to introduce to you a woman with a great sorrow. Blood stains are on her hands, and nothing she has tried will remove them. The blood is that of murder, and nothing will take away the stain. She has been driven to desperation in her distress. Is there anything in your religion that will remove her sin and give her peace?” A hush fell upon the gathering as the speaker turned from one to another for an answer. Not one of them replied.

Raising his eyes heavenwards, Dr. Cook then cried out, “I will ask another question. John, can you tell this woman how to get rid of her awful sin?” The great preacher awaited, as if listening for a reply. Suddenly he cried, “Listen, John speaks: “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7).”

1 John 1:7 (ESV)

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 cleanses us from all sin.

Friends, the mercy of God is experienced now! If you can hear my voice, you’ve not crossed the point of no return! Receive the power of the Blood of Jesus to cleanse you from all your sin!

The Bible says,

Romans 5:8 HCSB

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The cross is the place where God’s perfect justice and infinite mercy meet on your behalf. Jesus was delviered over for your sins so that he could receive all of God’s wrath as your substitute. He took the penalty for all of your cowardliness, unfaithfulness, detestable acts, murderous hatred, sexual immorality, lying, thieving, idolatry,; your hatred of God. He absorbed the full condemnation required to satisfy God’s holy justice. So much so that upon his death he could say, “It is finished!”

And those looking upon Christ that day may have heard his words and thought that Christ’s ministry and salvation were finished. But death would not finish the work of Christ atonement for you.

Paul says,

Romans 4:25 (ESV)

[Jesus] was delivered up for our trespasses and [Jesus] was raised for our justification.

Jesus did not stay in the grave. God raised him from the dead for your justification.

What is justification?

Dr. Gregg Allison defines Justification as

“The mighty act of God by which he declares sinful people not guilty but righteous instead by imputing the perfect righteousness of Christ to them.” Dr. Gregg Allison “50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology.”

Pauls sums this great exchange up when he says,

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

On the cross Jesus, the sinless Messiah, perfect lamb of God, took our sin. Why? So that (purpose clause) we become his righteousness. That is, God imputes our sin on him and in turn Jesus gives us (imputes) his righteousness; it is the greatest and sweetest exchange in all of humanity’s existence. That exchange is how God justifies you, that is declares you on the one hand not guilty, and on the other hand perfectly righteous.

Just-if-ied Never sinned

When God justifies you, you do not carry the burden of your sin into eternity. Your burden of sin is nailed to the cross and dies with Jesus’ death. You rise with Christ as a new creation free from the guilt and shame of sin, and free from God’s condemnation. It as if you’ve never sinned.

You might say, “But pastor, how do you know for certain that God has done this? We are talking about our eternity. How has God shown us that Jesus sacrifice was sufficient? How has God shown us that Jesus is the only way to receive his forgiveness and become righteous in his sight? What proof is there that would compel me to follow Jesus?

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead!

Paul says Jesus was “raised for our justification!”

It means that Christ’s resurrection was proof that God’s wrath was satisfied. The great theologian Charles Hodge clarifies this truth well when he says,

“Christ’s death was necessary to satisfy divine justice and his resurrection was necessary to prove that this satisfaction had occurred, that his victory over sin was complete.” (Charles Hodge Commentary of the Epistle of Romans)

James Montgomery Boice says the same thing when he says,

“The resurrection is not merely a victory over death (though it is that), but a proof that the atonement was a satisfactory atonement in the sight of the Father (Rom 4:25); and that death, the result of sin, is abolished on that basis.” (James Montgomery Boice Foundations of the Christian Faith: A Comprehensive & Readable Theology)

What is the connection of Justification to the Resurrection?

The resurrection vindicated Christ’s ministry

Christ resurrection is proof that He is vindicated on the one hand of all the sinful accusations made against him and on the other hand he is vindicated of all the promises he made for his people. Fred Zaspel explains pertaining it Jesus being raised for our justification,

“Jesus was vindicated of all the unjust verdicts against him, and he was vindicated with reference to his death, as he said, for sinners. He said he would give his life a ransom for many. He said he would give his life for the sheep. He said that by his death he would effect their forgiveness and bring them into fellowship with God. He said that in his death he would accomplish salvation for his people. And now in his resurrection God publicly announces that it is so.” Fed Zaspel

The resurrection vindicates those who trust hum by faith.

Our justification is different than Christ’s justification. He was justified in that he was vindicated before the world as the true righteous Messiah. For us, however, His righteousness in imputed to us. He identified with us in his death so that our punishment became his punishment. So in his resurrection, he identified with us such that his vindication became our vindication/justification became ours (Fred Zaspel).

AS Zaspel explains,

“He was accursed in death in union with his people, and he was raised in vindication in union with his people. And just as his resurrection declared his vindication, so also his resurrection declares all who are in union with him to be righteous. “He was raised on account of our justification.” Freed Zaspel

On Good Friday, the Son of God lifted up his eyes to heaven, cried out, “It is finished,” and offered up his Spirit. He died on the cross and remained in the grave for three days. On the third day, Sunday, God said it is finished! He rolled away the stone, and Jesus walked out of the that grave alive. We know he’s alive.

Paul testifies to the resurrection of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 ESV

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

The resurrected and ascended Jesus appeared to Paul. The chief of all sinners. The man who persecuted Christians by with prison and death because he hated the name of Jesus, the one who was not of the original twelve, Jesus appeared to him in his glorified state. Paul saw him alive on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Paul’s encounter with the risen and ascended Jesus changed his heart and his life so much that immediately he stopped being a chump toward Christians, and instead became a champion of Christ and his church. Just as the risen and ascended Jesus atoned for Paul’s sins and justified him, so He will do the same for you if you receive Him.

You can only by justified by faith (Romans 4:16-25)

The point of Paul’s narrative in Romans 4:16-25 is to help the Roman church understand that one can only be justified by faith. It is your faith in Jesus’ atonement and resurrection that removes your sin and imputes Jesus’ righteousness. Paul says,

Romans 10:9–10 (ESV)

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

You must believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord. You must trust him with your both your earthly life and your eternal life, that his death and resurrection justifies you before God. With your heart you believe, you have faith, and you are justified; your sins are forgiven and Christ righteousness is imputed to you. You see, it is faith that unties you to Christ, his death, resurrection, and his righteousness. It is your faith that connects you to his vindication.

There is power in the Blood of Jesus. It cleanses us from all unrighteousness. it purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7). The is power also his resurrection, for he was raised for our justification. Just as by faith we are united to Jesus in his death, so by faith we are united in his justification. The empty grave on Sunday morning proves to the world that sinners can be free from the burden of their sin and enjoy a right relationship with God. If you are in Christ, you have good reason:

to do service for Jesus, your King! There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood!

You have good reason to live daily His praises to sing! There's wonderful pow'r in the blood!