The Most Powerful Words You'll Ever Hear (part 2)

Jesus spoke the most amazing, powerful words. I already mentioned some of His life changing words, but Jesus had alot to tell us and it was all powerful:

Jesus said: "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:44-45  

(Are you kidding me?!!-It's more like hate my enemies and gossip about them behind their back-Why not? they hate me anyway! I have, obviously, been personally convicted by this Bible verse).

Jesus said, "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Matthew 20:16

(What!!! It's is all about ME being first. I grew up being told to, 'Take care of # 1'-me).

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24 

(Really??? We are a nation of people who love money- we love new cars, new clothes, a Martha Stewart style home, the best of everything).

Jesus said,  "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:35

(I was taught, by watching my father, that if you are a leader you lord your power over those under you- you make the servants do all the work. how is it possible that the head serves the foot???).

These words are radical, powerful, life changing, convicting and yet- still not the most powerful words you'll ever hear. The absolute most powerful words you will ever hear is this:

Jesus said,
 "It is finished."

John 19:30

"It is finished." amazing. done. complete...but what does it mean?

Our sin, our mistakes-our "mistakes" done on purpose- all of it, makes us imperfect. God, however, is perfect. Perfect-no sin, no mistakes, no unjustified  anger, perfectly patient, perfectly kind, perfectly loving, perfectly joyful, perfectly at peace, perfectly wise, perfectly self-controlled. Our sin-our 'not-perfectness' separates us from God. nothing we do can ever change the fact that we are imperfect and He is perfect. we can't make ourselves perfect. sure, we can try, but it's of no use.

We can go to church every Sunday, we can be in ministry-even be a missionary, we can give up drinking, smoking, drugs. We can give up promiscuity, stop having fits of rage, lying, stealing, basically- stop breaking the ten commandments, but if we haven't come to the place where we believe that Jesus paid for our sin by dying on the cross -that He took the punishment for all our 'wrongs' well, then, it is all for nothing. All that hard work of trying to be good, trying to earn our way to heaven is for nothing. We can't not be a sinner- we are sinners! We sin in our thoughts! In our words! In our actions! and like any good parent knows, if you disobey the father--there will be a punishment.

Jesus, who was perfect -who never did wrong, took the punishment for our wrongs so we wouldn't be punished. When He uttered the words, "It is finished" He was saying, 'My children who believe in me will never, ever, ever, ever, know punishment. They will not know the threat of being punished or carry the fear of being punished- it is over- it is finished.'

 When the enemy whispers to you and says,

"Jesus will never forgive you for that!"

 it's a lie because,

 "It is finished."

When you have guilt over doing something so dreadfully wrong,

stop.
you know why?

"It is finished."

If "religion" is keeping you from believing
understand- this is not religion-
it is the very words that came from
Jesus' mouth-
He said, "It is finished." not man.

And I think what adds to this amazing statement is that when Jesus died on the cross over 2000 years ago all our sin was in the future then- which means all our sins- past, present and future are taken care of- He took the punishment for it all- for everyone--forever!!! "It is finished!"

"It is finished" are the most powerful words you'll ever hear

 for it carries freedom for the whole world!

"Don't be afraid; just believe." (Mark 5:36)