Answer: When the Lord Jesus said on the cross “It is finished,” really what was He referring to? Did He mean that the work of redemption was finished, or did He mean that God’s work of fully saving mankind was finished? Could the people of the time really know? It can be said that no one knew. All the Lord Jesus said were the words: “It is finished.” He did not say that God’s work of saving mankind was finished. Humans cannot ever truly understand what the Lord Jesus referred to when He said, “It is finished.” Why would anyone dare to explain the words of the Lord according to his own ideas? Why dare arbitrarily to interpret this phrase “it is finished?” This is none other than randomly putting one’s own human ideas upon the words of the Lord Jesus. Consider this, everyone, if the Lord Jesus saying “It is finished,” indicates that God’s work of saving all mankind is thoroughly complete, then why did the Lord prophesy, saying, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (Jhn 16:12-13). How do you understand this? Also, as recorded in the Gospel of John, Chapter 12, Verses 47-48, the Lord Jesus said: “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” The words of the Lord Jesus tell us clearly that the Lord will return to express truth and to do judgment work. There is also the Bible prophecy: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). According to what the pastor and elder say, if the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus completed all of the work of saving the human race, then how would the prophecy of the Lord Jesus, “However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth,” how would these words come true? Wouldn’t the Lord Jesus’ prophecy that He would return to express truth and do judgment work fall through? Therefore, what the pastor and elder say clearly does not tally with the Lord Jesus’ words, and does not tally with the reality of God’s work. We should all know that what the Lord Jesus did was the work of redeeming the human race. All we must do is accept the Lord Jesus, confess and repent before Him, and our sins will be pardoned. Then we are qualified to pray to the Lord, and can enjoy the grace that the Lord bestows. Regardless of the sin, we will no longer be condemned by law. This is the outcome of the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption. This is the true meaning of the phrase “salvation by faith” that we often say. From the outcome achieved by the work of the Lord Jesus we see even greater verification that the Lord Jesus’ work was solely that of redemption. By no means was it the work of judging, purifying, and perfecting people of the last days. Though our belief in the Lord Jesus pardons our sins, and we no longer commit obvious sins, and behave quite well, yet we have not thoroughly separated ourselves from sin and become pure, and been fully saved, have we? Do we still frequently tell lies and commit sins? Do we still act greedily and have wicked thoughts? Do we still envy others, and hate others? Are our hearts full of arrogance and trickery? Do we still mimic worldly trends, cling to wealth, and covet glory? Some people, when caught or persecuted by the Chinese Communist government, even blame God. They even provide written statements in which they deny God, and betray God. Especially concerning the expression of truth and judgment work of Almighty God during the last days, people cast judgment upon and condemn God’s work based on their own notions and fancies. Isn’t this true? In our belief in the Lord, therefore, we gain only pardon of sins. But within us remains Satan’s nature and Satan’s disposition. This is the source of our sinning and resisting God. If our inner sinful nature is not resolved, then we will resist God, betray God, and consider God an enemy. Would you say that such a person is qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven? It should be clear by now that in saying “It is finished,” the Lord Jesus meant only that God’s work of redemption was complete. Most certainly, He was not saying that all of the work of saving the human race was complete. Almighty God incarnate of the last days came to express all truth, and to do the work of judgment starting from God’s house. This coming is to thoroughly make people pure, and to fully save them, to resolve the foundational problem of sin inside people, to allow people to be free from sin and attain purity, to achieve full salvation and enter God’s kingdom. let us read a few more passages of Almighty God’s words, so that all of us can understand more clearly.
