The Wednesday Word ~ 24 August, 2022 A.D.

 The Perfect Christ and His Perfect Gospel, Part II

 by D.G. Miles McKee

  
Consider this! The blood-shedding of Israel's sacrifices could not take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). Although the Old Testament sacrifices pointed towards the truth of the sinner’s substitute, these sacrifices were, in effect, more of a remembrance of sins than an act that took them away.
 
The Old Testament sacrifices demonstrated that before sin could be forgiven, an innocent life must be taken. However, the continual repetition of the same kind of sacrifice year after year actually exposed the weakness and insufficiency of the Old Covenant. A more powerful and effective sacrifice was needed to, fully and finally, put away sin.
 
But where could a new more powerful and effective sacrifice be found? The answer is “In Christ Alone.” One man and one man only, the God/Man, has accomplished and finished the final blood sacrifice.  In Christ, a perfect life has been presented as the sinner’s substitute. By His perfect death, He has accomplished that which all the Old Testament sacrifices could never do (Hebrews 9:25-26). He has put away sins by the offering of Himself.
 
And now for some more good news; God neither asks for two deaths, nor two payments. "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28). In that He died, He died unto sin once" (Romans 6:10). "He offered one sacrifice for sins forever" (Hebrews 10:12). It is finished!  It is complete! Redemption was accomplished at the cross! 
 
Consequently, there is no need to repeat this sacrifice for it is finished. To teach, as some do, that Christ should be offered each week or each day as a bloodless sacrifice is a form of blasphemy. There is neither need nor reason that He should be summoned from His throne and sacrificed repeatedly for the sins of men.
 
When Jesus said: "It is finished" (John 19:30), righteousness and peace kissed (Psalm 85:10); redemption was accomplished and, as one old time preacher said, “Hell went into a panic.”
 
In the Greek language, Christ’s statement, “It is finished” is actually one word ‘tetelestai’ (perfect passive indicative of teleo). This word can equally be translated, “Perfect.” Think about it. Christ, on the cross, when He considered all that He had accomplished in His doing and dying, evaluated it against the purpose for which He had been sent and declared, “Perfect!” In the midst of the writhing pain and the mocking, having accomplished our redemption, He leant His head back and said, “Perfect.”
 
Redemption is perfect,

His work is perfect,

His salvation is perfect,

Our acquittal is perfect,

His grace is perfect,

His mercy is perfect.

In Him we are perfect.
 

“It is finished; it’s all perfect!”
 
The momentous events of Calvary can be remembered, but they can never be repeated.  Why not? It’s because His work of redemption is finished—it is perfect.

The Puritan, John Flavel, applied this perfection of Christ to the believer when he said, “How dangerous it is, in pursuit of justification before God, to add anything of our own to the righteousness of Christ! Jesus Christ will never endure this; it reflects upon His work dishonourably. He will be all, or nothing in our justification. If He has finished the work, what need is there of our additions?”

He goes on to say, “Christ is no half-Saviour. It is a hard thing to bring proud hearts to rest upon Christ for righteousness. God humbles the proud by calling sinners wholly from their own righteousness to Christ for their justification.”

Jesus is Perfect!

How can we improve on perfect? We can’t!
 
And that’s the Gospel Truth!