“It Is Finished”

By Tammy Lacock

“Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?” (Romans 7:1, KJV)

Warren Litzman elaborates on Romans 7:1 by explaining Paul’s emphasis on the detrimental effect of believers holding onto what they knew before coming to Christ. Paul tells us that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to let go of our old selves of adhering to law, a “doer” mentality. The law given to Moses by God is no longer needed. Even Jesus of Nazareth preached the law, but when He died on the cross, we were freed from it.

Paul tells us that the law will only keep us from fully knowing Christ as our new life. God ended the law by the death of Christ by bearing all of our sins in His body. When He died, our sins died, too. Christ did the work. There is nothing we can do to be saved. By His death and resurrection, we now live in grace and are bona fide children of God.

The law, and those bound by it, killed Christ. When on the cross, just before His death, Christ said “It is finished.” He meant we are no longer bound by the law and what we do to be saved. As believers, the finished work at the Cross ushered us out of sin and death and into grace, a new life in Him.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2 KJV)