B. WHITING, Th.B.
relation to sin. Sin had done the damaging work of separating man from God, but now at the cross, the breach is bridged, the ravages of sin are overcome, the power o f sin is broken. Man can now en joy contact and communion with God Himself. In the great art galleries of Lon don there are many paintings de picting the horrors of war. The Royal Corps of Signallers of the British army had a painting made of a special incident which occurred in W orld W a r I. An unarmed sig naller was shown lying dead in no man ’s land. He had been sent to repair a broken cable and restore the interrupted contact and had ac complished the task on ly at the cost of his life. The canvas shows him lying there lifeless, but holding to gether in his dead hands the broken ends of the cable, thus restoring contact. Beneath this graphic pic ture is the one dramatic word “ THROUGH .” That is what the Saviour did for us by His death. Sin had broken contact between man and God. Man was cut off from God. A lone and armed on ly with a burning love for lost souls, the Lord Jesus b y His death made it possible for God and man to be together again so that nevermore should they be separat ed. Beneath the cross o f Calvary we see one word: “ THROUGH .” Through the Lord Jesus, contact with God can be made, a contact that is eternal, indissoluable. The work is all accomplished by the Lord Jesus; it is finished. N ow all that is needed is for the individual to appropriate. A p p r o p r i a t e by faith the work the Lord Jesus has accomplished at Calvary, and in H im you are through — through from death to life, through from sin to holiness, through from defeat to victory. END.
tabernacle and its ritual foreshad owed H im ; the prophets spoke of Him. N ow He had come, and His sacrificial work was accomplished. He had made an end of our sins and guilt. He had paid the price of our redemption. He had performed the utmost requirements of the law. He had made fu ll atonement. Sacri fice was now finished; it was per fect; it was complete (Heb. 10:9- 14). Proof that this was so is seen in four things. First, there was the rending of the veil of the temple (Matt. 2 7 :5 1 ), indicating that the way to God was now open. Second, there was the resurrection of the Saviour’s body, revealing that the purchase' price of our redemption was accepted of God. Third, there was the Saviour’s exaltation to God’s right hand demonstrating the infinite values of His work and His perfect acceptance b y the Father. Fourth, there was the sending of the H oly Spirit to apply the virtues and the values of the Saviour’s death. W hat was finished, then? The giving up of Himself in death for the satisfaction of the demands of divine holiness and justice. A ll that needs to be done- for a sinner to be accepted by a holy God has been done. The distinguishing word o f world religion is DO: the character istic word of Christianity is DONE. H ow do you spell your religion? One thing is certain: the on ly way to peace and pardon, poise and purity, is through faith in the per fect sacrifice accomplished b y the Lord Jesus in His death. The sacri fice of Himself in death was the sacrifice to end all sacrifice for sin. Thirdly, and finally, the Lord Jesus could say “ Finished” concern ing th e conquest o f sin. The Scrip tures always interpret the cross in
the mob, the cultured ignorance and cruel mockery of the priests -— all was climaxed b y the hitter cry of soul dereliction: “M y God, M y God, w hy hast Thou forsaken M e ?” T h i s w a s t h e m o s t perilous voyage any captain ever undertook. Can not you hear H im cry w ith in expressible relief, “ Finished” ? The suffering is ended now ; the storm has been weathered; the port has been reached; the penalty for sin has been paid; divine justice has been satisfied. So with a cry of tri umph that reverberated throughout creation the Saviour e x c l a im e d , “ Finished.” Never again would He suffer in this way. A ll was now fin ished. “ The head that once was crowned w ith thorns Is crowned with glory now, A royal diadem adorns The mighty V ictor’s brow .” Secondly, the Lord Jesus could say “ Finished” with reference to the com pleteness o f sacrifice. As we well know, the Old Testament sac rifices were typical of Him. The
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Dr. Arthur B. Whiting is a member of the faculties of the Bible Institute, BIOLA College and Talbot Theological Seminary of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. He is also pastor of the Calvary Church of Placentia.
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