Is It Finished For You?
Photo courtesy of Magnific.
“It is finished,” Jesus declared as He breathed His last breath on the cross, as recorded in John 19:30. With these words, His sacrifice was complete. All sin was atoned for and the relationship between God and humanity restored. There is a weight to these words and this moment, though, that we struggle to fully live into on this side of heaven.
The Sin-Atonement Cycle
In the Old Testament, it is explained that whenever a sin was committed inside the Hebrew culture, a sacrifice was needed to 1) atone or pay the price for the sin and 2) restore the relationship between the sinner and God. Though what Christ did on the cross centuries later abolished the need for such rituals, in counseling I often find people going through a cycle of “sin-atonement” in their day to day life. The human spirit deeply fears being lost and broken, abandoned, ashamed, and unsafe, and before too long it will seek some sort of restoration to avoid those feelings. But this cyclical process never feels completed and, thus, it leaves people with an unbearable weight on their shoulders, a need to continually pay for their own sins/mistakes. In so doing, people live as if Christ’s sacrifice did nothing.
Attempts at Atonement
When we sense a brokenness in ourselves (in whatever form that comes), we often react in unhelpful ways. The overthinker might try and figure out what they did wrong so that they don’t make another mistake, believing that they’ll never be loved, accepted, or forgiven unless they get it right. The one stuck in addiction might try to hide evidence of their addiction, as if clearing the evidence could clear the addiction itself. Someone else might try to justify their actions or point blame elsewhere, believing that an airtight case will protect them from being unworthy. All of these examples are attempts to cleanse shame or guilt and therefore restore some self-esteem or restore a relationship once it’s been ruptured. The problem is that so many of these atonement or restoration attempts don’t work. They don’t heal wounds and they don’t make change. The one who overthinks still overthinks, the one addicted still feeds their addiction, and the one who defends themselves continues to do so. For these individuals and many more, it feels as though “it is [not] finished.”
Ending the Cycle
What does it look like for people to believe, feel, and act in the reality that sin really is paid for and their own attempts at atonement are unnecessary? Consider the one caught in addiction. By living in the belief that it is truly finished, that individual can safely (albeit perhaps uncomfortably) stop hiding and admit to their wrongdoings, knowing that it is confession and not deception that can move a relationship forward: “I was wrong to do this, and I understand the effect that it had on you. Will you forgive me?” Likewise, the overthinker can be free to be transparent and honest with their mistakes, receiving mercy when it is offered and avoiding the false hope and prison of perfectionism. And lastly, the one who defends themselves or points blame can humbly lower their defenses and finally open themselves up to being fully known and loved for who they are.
In the end, God is the only one who can truly give restoration and be our restoration, but God, “being rich in mercy,” is always ready to joyfully do so. If we try to find restoration in our own atonement processes, we will find ourselves drawing from an empty well and drawn into despair. God loves you, takes delight in you, and has made you worthy of love and acceptance. If you don’t believe that on its own, trust in Christ’s work on your behalf. Come to Christ and receive His grace, trusting that “...we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
Reflection Questions:
When you make a mistake, what do you immediately feel?
When you feel that, what do you do to try to rectify the mistake (i.e. atone for it)? Justify yourself? Cover up the mistake? Ignore it?
If you were to live in the reality that Christ’s sacrifice is enough, that “it is finished,” how does that change how you process your mistake?