Today’s Reading: Mark 15:37-38; John 19:30
Today’s Reference: Colossians 2:13-14 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”
“It is finished.”
In Greek, this cry of Jesus is one word, tetelestai, and in legal terms it could also mean “paid in full.” Jesus wants us to know that our sins are paid in full. There is not one little bit left to “make up.”
That’s good, because you or I can, at best, manage our sin; we cannot pay for it. With one word, Jesus destroys “works righteousness,” the idea that we can help save ourselves through our own good works. The gulf between our impurity and God’s holiness is too vast. As commendable as good works are, they mean nothing when it comes to receiving the gift of our salvation.
If you have received Christ, your sins are paid in full. Yes our sins are paid for, both past and future. Yes, we still must confess those sins that God brings to our attention to stay in fellowship with God, but the record of our sins is a blank page in Heaven! Wonderful thought!
Prayer:
Father, forgive me for sometimes thinking that I just need to “be a good person” to earn Your favor. Help me remember that I am acceptable to You only when I’m clothed in Christ’s righteousness.
In Jesus’ name, amen.