Finished part 4
On the cross Jesus cried out, "It is finished," right before giving up the ghost. Right before making the greatest sacrifice He could make. Right before giving the greatest expression of love that a man can give. But even though it's only three words... it's so big. We've already looked at a couple different aspects of it. Forgiveness. It is finished. We ARE forgiven. Love. It is finished. We ARE loved. The mountain of the Law. That's a big one. Tonight I want to look at the shift that happened on the cross. From the old to the new. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." And add this to that: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). I added that second verse (which is the red letters, by the way. Jesus speaking) so that we could be completely clear about whether or not we are in Christ. We are. On the cross He drew us all into Himself. And planted Himself in all of us. Through the cross the old passed away. The old man died. And three days later rose again as a New Man. The trick is that phrase "all things are become new." Because it means all things HAVE become new. All things ARE becoming new. And all things WILL become new. Past, present, and future tense. The constant unveiling of what is--and has always been--true. That's why it's ok for us to learn and grow. To take baby steps. To make mistakes. To let grace cover us. Grace to grow. It's a learning process. Just like when a baby is learning to walk. You don't condemn it for falling. You praise it even for those early shaky steps. Same thing with us living this abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love that is the gift of God. We are learning how to love. By learning how we are loved. Love is the only thing that can fill us up and make us whole. Love is the only thing that can fill that God-shaped (love-shaped) void inside of us. Nothing else quite fits. All of that old stuff that we've tried to fill ourselves up with... just doesn't fit. Just doesn't work. Works and labor don't work. Only love. Only love. So. Jesus was lifted up from the earth on the cross. And He cried out, "It is finished." The old passed away. The new came forth. And is coming forth. And will come forth. We are exactly who we need to be, even as we are learning who we are. There is no doubt that we will come into our own. Come into our maturity. One more time: Learn and grow. Just because you are complete in Him doesn't mean you don't have to learn what it means to BE complete in Him. So don't get down on yourself if you feel like you don't have it all together. Let it come. Let it go. Let it flow. Let go and let God. He reveals Himself to us, and that is how we BE who we really are. Because HE is who we really are. Who we are in Christ is who we really are. A new creature. A New Man. With a new nature. Our TRUE nature. The love nature. If you have a love nature, then love is your natural reaction. The more you fill yourself with God's love, the more God's love can, and will, flow out of you. And that, friends, is what this life is all about!