No One Escapes Judgment

It is Finished!

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)

When challenged with the question, “When you die and meet God face to face, and He asks you, ‘Why should I let you into My heaven?’ how will you respond?” many answer by saying that they have been basically a good person, they have been kind to others, they have given to the poor, etc. They mistakenly assume that God will weigh their good deeds against their bad deeds, and that their good will outweigh their bad. The Bible clearly says, “for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16). This fact not even the sinless Son of God could escape.

From the dawn of creation, sin separated man from God (Genesis 3:23-24), and innocent blood has been shed to cover (atone for) the sin of man (Genesis 3:21). But this was only a temporary fix. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Animals did not sin. Man sinned. Man is the violator, and responsible for his own infraction; but the infraction demands payment in blood. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11, emphasis added); but it must be innocent blood. What man can claim innocence? “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20); “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). What can man do! “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Can man live a sinless life? “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10, emphasis added). There is nothing man can do. Man is doomed to die for his sin.

There is only one solution to this dilemma: “Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8, emphasis added). And “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, emphasis added). “[God] hath made [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Alone, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5). As our sin, for which we could not atone, was cast upon Him, He looked up into heaven and cried, “It is finished!” (Paid in full) “and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30)

Problem solved! Now He says, “I am the way, they truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, emphasis added). Jesus’ death on the cross provided the way for you and me. He took upon Himself our judgment so that we would not have to, but for the one who insists on making it through his own merits, that one will face the judgment on his own. No one escapes judgment.