He Finished the Work (You Don't)

The very idea of waking up every day and staying one step ahead of any addiction or perversion, whether it's alcohol, drugs, sex, or anything else is not a life worth living.

We do not need an examined life.

We need life, and that more abundantly.

We find life in one Person: Jesus!

He finished the work, paid the full payment for all our sins in our life, and every sin we will ever commit, too.

The pain which keeps so many of us in bondage stems from the lie, propagated by AA, which suggests that men and women have to work to put out the fires, to make sure that we put out the fires.

Excuse me?

"16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" (Ephesians 6: 16-17)

We may feel guilt or shame, but we are not saved by feelings. We are saved by grace, which we receive through faith.

When Jesus purged all our sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, signalling to the universe and all eternity that He had finished paying for all our sins forever (Hebrews 1: 3)

What has been difficult for me in the past, and yet what has created great peace for me today, has been to seen more of Jesus, less of myself.

He has been since the beginning (1John 2: 12-14)

The life of grace and truth in Christ is about seeing more of Him, growing in greater understanding of how forgiven we are in Christ.

Not how much more we need to do in order to be forgiven.

The greatest bondage in my life, much of the time, would begin and end with the false notion that I had to think/not think a certain way in order for Christ and His life to flow in me.

Wrong!

I am alive because of His righteousness, not my own! It's not about working a program, but allowing Christ to work in us. It's not about following steps, but allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me by His peace.

How can the Spirit not lead us? If we believe that all our sins are forever paid for, then we have nothing to worry about, because we are always casting our cares upon Him who cares -- present tense, cares! -- for us!

His Finished Work works, everyone! Anything that you and I do will not work, because He has already taken care of everything!