Τετελεσται

Have you ever read one of those books where the main character is just too close to perfect? I have, and though the storyline may be good, it just doesn’t sit well with me. And it doesn’t make it on my favourite books list.

Why does a perfect character bother me? The answer lies in Romans 3.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God …”

In the real world, there is no such thing as a perfect person. There are crumbs of sand with hearts and souls, many spending their days trying to find that elusive feeling called happiness.

The reason they can’t find it? They’re looking in the wrong places.

“… happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 144

“… whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.” Proverbs 16

What’s more, God doesn’t leave you to try to find Him like some kind of hide-and-seek game. Though you must seek Him, He is seeking you.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” James 4

He does not force you to accept Him, but He created you and longs for you to love Him, to find fulfillment in Him, and to escape eternal separation from Him in hell.

Perhaps you ask, “Well, if He loves us all so much, why is there a hell?”

Because God is as just as He is loving, and justice does not allow the guilty to go free. A payment must be made. To make that payment, Jesus, God’s only son—the only perfect man to ever walk this earth—came down to live as another crumb of sand like you and I … to die. He died on the cross with the sins of the whole world weighing on His shoulders.

τετελεσται*: It is finished.

The payment has been made. Justice has been met. Because the Son of God died.

And then He rose, conquering death and the grave for all time. Did you get that? He is alive! He has made a way for us to be with Him forever—not by works, lest we should boast, but by trusting in the work that He has done. By accepting His forgiveness for all that we’ve done against Him and His perfection. And by serving Him as our King.

Someone may offer you freedom—but you have to step out of the prison cell yourself. Will you accept what Jesus has done for you? Today? Only He knows what tomorrow will bring.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10

“Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.” Matthew 28

What unfathomable love! What glorious hope!

Τετελεσται!

T.R.Q.T.

*Te-tel-e-steye. Ancient Greek meaning “it is completed” or “finished”