See the Finished Work of Jesus

 "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 am continuing in Andrew Farley's book, "Heaven is Now - Awakening to the Wonders of Grace."

Sense #3 - See the Finished Work of Jesus

• Will Jesus ever die for our sins again?  Given God's economy for sins, what does this mean for the type of forgiveness you now have?

Dr. Farley writes that God's economy for sins is the shedding of blood.  In the Old Testament it was animal sacrifice which had to be performed every year.  In the New Testament it is Jesus's blood and was done once for all sins in the past, present, and future.  Hebrews 10:10 tells us "I have been made holy through Jesus's sacrifice once for all." So the answer to Dr. Farley's question is, "No."  On the cross Jesus said it was finished.  Our forgiveness is complete for those who believe in what Jesus did for us.

• How does the image of Jesus relaxing in a seated position at our Father's right hand help you understand your forgiveness?

There were no chairs in the tabernacle or temple because Jewish priests were not allowed to sit down on the job.  God's intention was to forever imprint on the Jewish mind the image of ongoing work, unfinished business. (Hebrews 10:11-12) 

Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus offered the sacrifice of himself, once, and then he sat down at the right hand of God.  

Dr. Farley asks us if we're like Martha, "running around the kitchen, trying to get things clean and get things right for Jesus?  Or are you like Mary, "resting at the feet of Jesus, relaxing in a seated position with him (Luke 10:38-42)?"    Did Martha think doing all that work for Jesus was necessary to please him? Do we think we need to work for our forgiveness?  No, Jesus wanted her to rest at his feet like Mary was doing, and he wants us to realize we are forgiven not because of something we do but rather what he did.  He wants us to rest in him.

His use of that story in this chapter changed my whole understanding of what Jesus was asking Martha.  My response had always been, "Well, who's going to feed everybody then?!"  Try as I might to justify my need to be the "responsible one" and "do what needs to be done" I am convicted that resting at Jesus's feet is very hard for me to do.  If you have the same problem, you and I need to examine why that is.

• How does our total forgiveness factor in at Christ's return?  Do you believe that God will remember our sins on judgment day?  Why or why not?

Dr. Farley asks, "Is there any verse that says 'Sins before salvation and sins after salvation are treated differently by the cross?.....By that flawed logic, the gospel gets worse after salvation....By that thinking we'd be better off becoming Christians on our death beds so that we don't build up too may sins as saved people." (see Hebrews 10:14)  So the answer is clear in scripture when he says our sins are remembered no more.  There is no punishment because Jesus took that upon Himself, therefore we will not be judged again.

The only "judging" that takes place in Heaven is the "quality of our works."  Did we do what we did for God in dependence on Christ or on our own effort?  Dr. Farley answers that question, "This litmus test (or appraisal) at the end of the ages is about God celebrating the work of His Son."  I wish I could underline that twice here!  

• In what way can 1 John 1:9  be misunderstood as a "bar of soap" cleanser for the Christian?  What is the passage really about in context?

Some believe the verse means "it's our ongoing verbal confession to God that keeps us forgiven and cleansed....we opt for a word-based economy (instead of God's blood-based economy) that turns our confession into the catalyst for God's forgiving and cleansing us." Dr. Farley says they believe we are out of fellowship with God if we haven't confessed all our sins.  He says some even believe that God can't hear our prayers if we have unconfessed sins in our lives.  He calls this "me-centered" teaching rather than Christ-centered.

The problem with this misinterpretation is that John was addressing the Gnostic heresy that Jesus did not come in the flesh.  That he was only "spiritual in nature."  They also believed that sin wasn't real or didn't matter.  When John said, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," he was speaking to the unsaved.  Once we confess our need for Jesus because of our sinful nature, he forgives and cleanses us!

Dr. Farley further explains about "me-centered" teaching, "The entirety of the Gospel--forgiveness, freedom from the law, acceptance and intimacy with Christ--is designed to move us away from a focus on self.  We need not inspect ourselves, analyze ourselves, or try to cleanse ourselves or make ourselves right.  This was accomplished by Jesus.  Our job today is to rest in his finished work that needs no repeat."  (Hebrews 9:25-26)

• If we don't have to ask for forgiveness each time we sin, what should we do when we sin?  How does the "stop, drop & roll" fire analogy help explain this?

James 5:16 says, "It's healthy to confess our sins to each other and pray for each other," so they can pray for us and encourage us with the truth of our forgiveness and our new identity.

Dr. Farley used the "stop, drop & roll" analogy to tell us what we should do when we sin.  STOP doing the sin.  DROP, meaning to get away from the temptations that led us to sin.  ROLL onto the life we have in Christ who enables us to express His life in us. 

•  Do you think God was naive in forgiving us this way, with no strings attached?  How might realizing our permanently clean state before him affect the way we think and act on a daily basis?

Dr. Farley's answer:   "Each aspect of the new covenant works to empower us to live like the new creations that we are.  So when it comes to the issue of forgiveness, let's not insult the Spirit of grace.  God knows exactly how to motivate us from the heart to live upright lives.  Our total, unconditional forgiveness in no way hinders our upright life.  In fact, we find that the opposite is true (see 2 Peter 1:9, James 1:23-24)....This 'once for all' forgiveness means that we can fix our eyes on Jesus, not on ourselves."

When God looks at us, He sees His Son and what He's accomplished through us.  This is why we are new creatures, born again in Christ.  Our reward, here and now, is knowing Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8) and expressing Him here on earth.  "When we pass our time continually walking after the flesh, we miss out on the privilege of expressing Jesus."

Father,taking my eyes off myself is so freeing!  May I always keep my eyes on Jesus. 

Link to Scripture:  2 Corinthians 5:17

Take Action:  The Sales Pitch of Self-Improvement