THE FINISHED WORK
CHRIST
16
OF
the Saviour died can never perish, neither can any pluck them out of His hand. Salvation is the great covering term
that stretches from the first awakening to the need of a Saviour to the time when the redeemed are presented
faultless before His throne. Salvation includes justification by faith without works, forgiveness of sins, the gift of
eternal life, and the hope of glory.
`This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'
(1 Tim. 1:15).
CHAPTER 8
THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST
1.
THE DECLARATION.
We believe that the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is fourfold :
(1)
His one sacrifice for sins for ever.
(2)
His resurrection, as the last Adam. Head and Lord of all.
(3)
His ascension to the right hand of God.
(4)
His second coming, reign and final triumph, when at the consummation of the ages, as a result of His cross,
His resurrection, and His reign, God shall be all in all.
2.
SCRIPTURAL GROUNDS.
`I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do' (John 17:4).
`After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I
thirst ... When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His Head, and
gave up the ghost' (John 19:28-30).
`Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God ... by the which will we are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once ... This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice
for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God' (Heb. 10:7-12).
`Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in
that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God' (Rom. 6:9,10).
`Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth
we should not serve sin' (Rom. 6:6).
`Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification' (Rom. 4:25).
`He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things' (Eph.
4:10).
` ... henceforth expecting' (Heb. 10:13).
` ... He shall send Jesus Christ ... Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which
God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began' (Acts 3:20,21).
`When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory' (Col. 3:4).
3.
AN EXAMINATION AND EXPLANATION OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST.
It is the unspeakable joy of the believer that the work of Christ on his behalf is finished. Man had utterly failed,
both under the law of conscience and creation (Rom. 1:18-32, `without excuse'), and as favoured under the law of
Moses (Rom. 2:1-29, `inexcusable').
It is usual in considering the work of Christ to focus attention upon that supreme moment when the Lord Jesus
offered Himself without spot to God, the one sacrifice once offered for ever. This we believe to be right, and all