“It Is Finished”

“It is finished.” These words were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ while He was hanging on the cross.
We might ask, “What was finished?” “Was it the physical pain?” He most certainly suffered terribly - having spikes driven into His hands and His feet, with His face marred beyond recognition, and with His back torn open because of the stripes (beatings) He endured. Yes, the physical pains had come to and end; but there was a reason for His suffering.
The Lord cried, “It is Finished!” His sacrifice for our sin was complete. Through the shed blood of Christ, salvation from sin was made available to all mankind. When anyone believes and receives what Christ has done on the cross, that person becomes a member of the family of God (John 1:12). In Christ we have “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Only Christ could pay the price of sin. There can be nothing added to the finished work of Christ. The word finished also means complete. We as believers are complete in Christ; therefore nothing should be or can be added to our salvation in Christ.
There are those who believe that the work of Christ is not enough. Some say that you cannot be saved from your sins unless you are baptized in water in a certain way. All the water in the world cannot cleanse us from our sins!
Others claim that you cannot be saved unless you belong to a certain church or that you must do a certain amount of good works. The question may be asked, “Just how many works or how much praying must I do?” Anything added to the finished work of Christ is not grace, but disgrace - for by the works of the law shall no one be justified in God’s sight (Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:11).

“My sin-oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin-not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord O my soul!

--H. G. Spafford

For by grace are ye saved by faith, and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
How about you? Are you working and striving to please God? Your religious doings will not save you; simply believe and receive what Christ has done for you.