This past Monday evening I had a fantastic pork chop dinner with Barb and our daughter Solveig. I love pork chops! This is a well-documented fact and in my opinion, pork chops are far superior to any dessert item you could put in front of me. A grilled pork chop is undoubtedly one of God’s greatest creations. Our dinner simply consisted of pork chops and a pile of roasted cauliflower with scapes in olive oil. If you don’t know what a scape is - look it up. The three of us sat down and visited over this culinary masterpiece.
Solveig and Barb tended to talk and interrupt me from my main task of eating but I did manage to fill my gut to the point of “that’s enough.” I was all set to pull away from the table when I noticed meat clearly left on the bones of both Barb and Solveig’s chops. They were nowhere near “finished” as far as I was concerned. How could you think of tossing them in the garbage when there is still work to be done? There was still a blessing for me that I needed to receive with thankfulness. Barb and Solveig need to grow in their understanding of God’s glory as it is revealed in pork chops – says me!
I tell you this silly little story to drive home the point that when our God says that something is complete He means there is nothing left. Jesus told us from the cross that “It is Finished” and He meant it. The book of Hebrews has numerous times declared “once and for all” so that we find confidence in God’s gifts of grace and mercy. We can rest in the fact that we don’t need to add anything to what Jesus has already done to be found at peace with our God in heaven. Because it is finished we can know that we have been made children of God. We are the rescued family members that Jesus came to bring home.
There is no further need for any offering or sacrifice on our part to be made ok before our God. All our failures, sins and messes have been taken care of. Our passage for Sunday clearly declares to us that nothing is left for us to do – Jesus wants each of us to know that Today…It is Finished.
14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy…. 17 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Hebrews 10
So, I will leave you with the silly little comparison. As much as I enjoyed the fact that Barb and Solveig left the pork chops unfinished for me to “fill in the cracks,” I am infinitely more thankful that regarding my problems and my debts to my God, Jesus finished all that was needed to make things right. There truly is nothing left for me to do. I just say thank you!
Filled with Grace, [That is even better than Pork Chops]
Pastor Nick
Solveig and Barb tended to talk and interrupt me from my main task of eating but I did manage to fill my gut to the point of “that’s enough.” I was all set to pull away from the table when I noticed meat clearly left on the bones of both Barb and Solveig’s chops. They were nowhere near “finished” as far as I was concerned. How could you think of tossing them in the garbage when there is still work to be done? There was still a blessing for me that I needed to receive with thankfulness. Barb and Solveig need to grow in their understanding of God’s glory as it is revealed in pork chops – says me!
I tell you this silly little story to drive home the point that when our God says that something is complete He means there is nothing left. Jesus told us from the cross that “It is Finished” and He meant it. The book of Hebrews has numerous times declared “once and for all” so that we find confidence in God’s gifts of grace and mercy. We can rest in the fact that we don’t need to add anything to what Jesus has already done to be found at peace with our God in heaven. Because it is finished we can know that we have been made children of God. We are the rescued family members that Jesus came to bring home.
There is no further need for any offering or sacrifice on our part to be made ok before our God. All our failures, sins and messes have been taken care of. Our passage for Sunday clearly declares to us that nothing is left for us to do – Jesus wants each of us to know that Today…It is Finished.
14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy…. 17 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Hebrews 10
So, I will leave you with the silly little comparison. As much as I enjoyed the fact that Barb and Solveig left the pork chops unfinished for me to “fill in the cracks,” I am infinitely more thankful that regarding my problems and my debts to my God, Jesus finished all that was needed to make things right. There truly is nothing left for me to do. I just say thank you!
Filled with Grace, [That is even better than Pork Chops]
Pastor Nick
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