John 19:30 says, “It is finished!” Colossians 1:24 says, “Fill up...that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ.” What does it mean to be “finished,” and what does it mean to be “lacking”?
At first glance these two verses seem to contradict each other. But if you read them carefully, you will see the distinction between them.
In John 19:30, “It is finished” refers to the redemption of the Lord Jesus; it refers to the punishment which the Lord received on the cross, the suffering for sins which the Lord received from God’s hand on the cross.
The term afflictions is sometimes translated as “tribulations” or “distresses.” The “afflictions” in Colossians 1:24 refer to the afflictions received from human hands. No one can share the afflictions which Christ received from God’s hand. The afflictions that Christ received from God have already been accomplished. But, at the same time, our experience of the afflictions which Christ suffered from man’s hands is still lacking. This is the portion that every Christian should fill up.
Although the work of redemption has already been accomplished, many Christians have not clearly comprehended it. Some think that if they are good in their behavior, they are qualified to go to heaven and able to go boldly and confidently. But if they misbehave, they are not as bold, and they think that they can only crawl into heaven. Actually, there is no such thing! Suppose that the thief who was nailed on the cross did not die after he believed in the Lord. Suppose, instead, that he came down from the cross and lived for many more years. If, during that time, he accomplished ten times more work than Paul, loved ten times deeper than John, and saved ten times more people than Peter, would all of these works make any difference in whether he could go to heaven on the day of his crucifixion? Would they make him any more worthy? All those who know the grace of God would say that he would not be any worthier than before, because all of the qualifications for going to heaven were completely accomplished by the Lord. Among those who believe in the Lord, no one is unworthy, and no one is more worthy to go to heaven. Christ has accomplished the work of redemption. No one can add anything more to it. Even if a person becomes a so-called holy man, his qualifications for going to heaven are still based on what Christ gave to him when He said, “It is finished.”
We should not be misled to think that believers cannot sin. No, definitely not. If a saved believer misbehaves, he is not disqualified from heaven, but he will not be able to enter the kingdom. Our behavior does not affect our entrance into heaven in any way. Even God cannot change this fact. We have been judged, and we have died because the Lord Jesus was nailed on the cross. God cannot be unrighteous. God in Christ has already accepted the death of Christ as our death, and He cannot judge or condemn us again. It is finished; this fact is unchangeable. But if we sin, we will be cast out of the kingdom and left outside of the glory of the kingdom.
There are two passages in Romans which specifically speak of God’s glory. One says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23), and the other says, “Through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and boast because of the hope of the glory of God” (5:2). We fall short of the glory of God because of sins; whereas we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God because of the blood. Whatever loss sin has incurred, the blood has replenished and replenished with added abundance. Because of the death of Christ, we can “boast because of the hope of the glory of God.”
The redemptive work of Christ is finished, but there is still a lack of the afflictions of Christ. He has accomplished redemption, but does everyone know what He has accomplished? Many still do not know. Therefore, we should tell people what Christ has accomplished. Christ preached the gospel only to the people who contacted Him directly, and His preaching was limited only to those in that generation. His afflictions among mankind are still lacking. This is why we have to take the responsibility to preach today. When we do this, we will inevitably meet afflictions. Preaching the gospel will cost us our face. Even distributing a gospel tract is very embarrassing. Yet this is something we must bear. Christ has accomplished the work of redemption, but the preaching of this work of redemption is still lacking. Therefore, we must go and preach.
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