Unfinished Business?
John 19:30
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"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said,
IT IS FINISHED: and he bowed his head, and gave up the
ghost."--John 19:30.
Last Wed. we talked about “Halfway Blvd.”, and how many Christians live there, and we gave Bible principles to help us move to “Active Avenue!”
Well, God has certainly left none of His work unfinished. In
creation He worked diligently for six days; then the heavens
and the earth were finished (Gen. 2:1). God rested then, but
only after He had completed the work.
Moses learned this valuable lesson from God. God had
commissioned him to oversee the building of the huge and
elaborate Tabernacle in the wilderness. Thousands of details
were to be carried out. Certain metals were to be used, and
particular colors were important. In a multitude of ways, the
Tabernacle was to be a type of Christ. We read in
Exodus 39:32, "Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of
the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did
according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they."
Aren’t you glad they did not call a strike and stop short of
completing this building?
When Nehemiah built the wall, he faced insurmountable
problems. He fought discouragement, fear, doubt and much
opposition. There were plenty of reasons why it couldn’t be
done, but he did it just the same! We read these words of
victory, "So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day
of the month Elul, in fifty and two days"
(Neh. 6:15).
According to the laws of aviation, the bumblebee can’t
fly; but no one has ever bothered to tell him, so he flies
over 8 miles per hour. Someone has said, "The man who says
it can’t be done usually gets run over by the fellows who are
doing it."
Lying on his deathbed, Paul the apostle gave that testimony
that ought to strengthen our get-up-and-go. He said, "I have
finished my course . . ." (II Tim. 4:7). Jesus gathered His
disciples around Him just before His death and prayed His
great intercessory prayer. "I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). Now just a few days later,
He is crying out from the cross, "Tetelestai," meaning
"complete." It is translated, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
Let us notice some things Jesus completed that were not left unfinished.
I. COMPLETE REDEMPTION
{Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.}
No one can accuse Jesus of unfinished business. He did
not renege or fall short of His responsibility. He went all the way to the cross for us, and then all the way to hell to defeat death and lead captivity captive!
One man boarded a city bus with what he thought was a
transfer ticket. He handed it to the driver, who sharply
called out, "Oh, He did, did He?"
By mistake the man had given him a tract entitled, "Jesus
Paid It All." Now, Jesus didn’t pay your bus fare, but He did
completely pay your way to Heaven.
Peter emphasizes that, " . . .ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with
the precious blood of Christ . . ." (I Pet. 1:18,19).
II. COMPLETE REGENERATION
When Jesus Christ saves us, we are saved all the way. We
are given everlasting life, and that lasts for all eternity.
It is eternal. When He comes into our hearts, we have all of
Him.
We are not saved in stages. We do not need a second work
of grace before we can get in. Our Bible does not say ye must
be born again and again and again!
God doesn’t give 10 day or 10 year life, but everlasting life!
God doesn’t do things halfway. He makes all things new.
He completely regenerates.
III. COMPLETE REVELATION
The Bible was not complete in New Testament days. Paul
explained, "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But
when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part
shall be done away" (I Cor. 13:9, 10). He was referring to the
completion of the Bible as we know it.
In the Old Testament, men were instructed by visions and
the voice of God speaking from a bush, a cloud or an angel.
On one occasion, we are told that "there was no open vision"
(I Sam. 3:1). Every man did that which was right in his own
eyes.
After the book of Daniel was written, he was instructed,
"O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the
time of the end" (12:4). In contrast to this, the book of
Revelation, a parallel to Daniel, was not to be sealed; "for
the time is as hand" (22:10).
A solemn word of warning was then given about adding
anything to the prophecy of this book. In other words, the
Bible is a complete revelation. It tells us all we need to
know about God and His plan for us.
IV. COMPLETE RAPTURE
There are many views concerning the return of Christ to
the earth. Some hold to a post-millennial view; others, to an
a-millennial view; and still others, a pre-millennial view.
Among the premillennial crowd, there are pretribulation,
midtribulation and posttribulation views. Now, there has come
forth a group advocating a partial rapture. These folks
believe that only a certain dedicated group of believers will
be taken in the rapture.
Well, there are two distinct groups of people living today--the
lost and the saved. All the living saved will be "caught up"
at the coming of Christ (I Thess. 4:17). Also the saved dead
will be raised and caught up together with the living (I
Thess. 4:13-18). No lost people, living or dead, will be
involved.
The rapture…it will include every born-again, blood-bought
child of God. It will be a complete rapture.
V. COMPLETE REPENTANCE
Here is where the trouble comes in. This is the
unfinished business. God has done His part. He has completed
redemption, regeneration, revelation and will completely
rapture us; but we have not completely repented.
Repentance means unconditional surrender. It suggests
wholly submitting to another’s will. There is a vast
difference, too, between penance and repentance. Judas did
penance by giving back the silver. Peter repented and wept
bitterly.
Jesus said, " . . .except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . ."
(Acts 2:38).
Paul said, "And the times of this ignorance God winked
at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts
17:30).
John wrote, " . . .repent, and do the first works; or
else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent" (Rev. 2:5).
To the sinner, without repentance there is no salvation.
To the child of God, without complete, wholehearted, full
repentance, there will be no power to overcome, no peace that
passes all understanding, no joy unspeakable, no cup running
over and no abundant life.
God did His part; let us do ours. Repent, submit, yield,
dedicate, give in, surrender, turn, sanctify ourselves and
commit completely to Him!
If we would all do this, there’s no limit to what God could achieve here on earth thru us…God left us here for a reason…there’s unfinished business to do!
