On Good Friday, Christians around the world gather to commemorate the excruciating death of Jesus on the cross.
In John’s account of Jesus’ death, he writes (19:30), “When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
How often do we live as though the work of Jesus on the cross is incomplete in our lives? How often do we get bogged down by the lie that our sin is simply too great for the death of the only innocent man to cover?
We can get caught in the deadly, ungodly cycle of punishing ourselves again and again for sins that God has already forgiven through the shed blood and broken body of Jesus. We barter and beg for the grace that has already been given to us.
Kirk Franklin says it this way in his collaboration with Maverick City Music: “The biggest fear is that the Resurrection was not complete. The biggest lie is that this life is all that there is. And so we live in a fear of not knowing that God’s work is complete in us. And the problem with not having confidence in the Resurrection is that we don’t know in the end if we will live again.”
There are thus two primary problems with failing to believe that the work on the cross is complete. First, we are tempted to return to the slavery we once shed because we do not believe that we have fully been redeemed from this sin. Rather, our sin is something like dormant lava, just waiting for the right moment to erupt and wreak havoc in our lives yet again. Paul warns us against this writing (Galatians 5:1): “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” If we believe that Jesus’ death is complete, then we can begin to have faith that even our darkest, most habitual, very worst sin cannot compete with the overwhelming love of God.
The second is that we can be tempted to believe that Jesus needs our help to complete our salvation. In contrast, the author of Ephesians tells us(2:8-10): “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.”
Yes, we need to grow closer with God so that we can produce good fruit. Yes, we need to cultivate an awareness of how our personal and systemic sin impact our world and our walk with God. Yes, we need to be in community. But even if we don’t do those things, even when we inevitably fail, we cannot lose our salvation, because it was never ours to win.
Friend, please hear me when I say this: the work of the cross is complete. It is yours to take, freely and without condition. God’s love for you is deep and it is wide. It is intimate and powerful. It is available for you right now. Friend, I pray that if this is an idea you struggle with, that you would picture me reading over you the following words:
“I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:18-19 NRSVue
Friend, I pray that God would grant you the wisdom and the knowledge that surpasses human understanding to, in just one moment, know how deep and wide the love of Christ is for you. You are so special to Him and His work is already complete in you.
And, if you have never had a conversation with God, if you have never invited God to guide your life, I invite you to make this a good Good Friday. There are no magic words and no magic processes. Simply close your eyes, and in the silence of your heart or on the boldness of your tongue confess to God that you have lived apart from God and ask if God would come into your life and lead you.
My friend, God already knows you and already loves you. This god, though, loves you enough to wait for your consent, to seek your invitation. I promise you there is no other choice in your life you could make that will bring you more satisfaction or deep joy, than this one. God is waiting for your yes, my dear friend. When you’re ready, I invite you to give it. God is worthy of it and trustworthy with it. And then let me or someone in your life know that you’ve made this decision today. I have spent so much time praying for you this week. And I know my God has heard me.
NOTES:
This post borrows wisdom from Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music. We encourage you to check out these resources. Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Bryce Van Vleet is the #1 selling author of Tired Pages and Before We All Die Let’s Have One Last Chat by the Fireside. He also hosts the podcast Death in Dakota, sells poetry art here, and masquerades as the spoken word artist Liihey. You can support him by clicking through blog posts or donating (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Living Beyond 
Leave a comment