Morning Thoughts - by Elder Philip Conley

Morning Thoughts

John 19:30, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."

This morning, there are many going about to try to deny that Christ finished the work that His Father gave Him to do. They are doing as Israel of old did by going about to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of Christ. They are acting like the 7 women of Isaiah 4:1 behaved. They want the name of Christ, but they do not want His doctrine, food, clothing, etc. They
do not want the doctrine that Christ paid it all for them. They want a theology of doing something for themselves.

Notice the language of our Lord. When I first started to try a bit of writing, my English teacher told me that I had to quit writing in the present tense. Her reasoning was, "When you write something in the present tense, it has to remain the same no matter how many people read it years into the future. Therefore, if the things you write about become dated, you have an obsolete piece of writing." This was pretty sound advice, but such things do not concern our Lord. He can Divinely inspire His prophets to pen down Scriptures in the present tense, for His precepts, doctrine, and statements do not ever change. He changes not, and there is no variableness or shadow of turning with Him.

Therefore, when He says something presently, it stays just as fresh and vital no matter how far out into the future you go. Christ said, "It IS finished." That means it is just as finished today as it was yesterday. It will still be just as finished tomorrow as it is today. Throughout all eternity, it will still be just as finished as the day that Christ spoke those comforting words from Calvary. That means that Christ today does not need anyone else to do anything to finish that work. He did not need any assistance yesterday or tomorrow either. He did it ALL!

What did He finish? He tells us that the will of the Father was for Him to come down to save His people from their sins. He will also raise up all of His people at the last day to live with Him in heaven and immortal glory. That has all been finished. Also, He redeemed us from the curse of the law. We were condemned forever by that old law, but Christ finished all that the law required. To show this, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom. Now, all those handwritings of ordinances that were against us have forever been blotted out. Oh what a blessed knowledge it is to know that Jesus Christ has finished it all. IT IS FINISHED!

In Hope,

Bro Philip