“And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the LORD God” (Ezekiel 29:16).

The Holy Spirit is really grieved when we don’t consistently live from the viewpoint that Jesus Christ paid for all of our sins and did so much for each of us. Instead, our viewpoint is often to treat others the way we think they should be treated because of their faults. Consider Paul’s failures, as he related them in

Romans 7. He said, “The things I do, I shouldn’t do. What I should do, I do not. O wretched man that I am!” (see Romans 7:15,24). Paul was saying, “I’m in a problem here, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.” And there is no record that he changed in Romans 7; but in Romans 8:1, he cried, “No condemnation.” Those are the only two words expressed in the original Greek text of this passage, and they show how Paul got out of his problems.

Paul entered into a “no condemnation” viewpoint and went on to mention the work of the Holy Spirit in him nineteen times in Romans 8, whereas in Romans 7:14-24 it was “I” and “me” thirty-two times. The difference was that he became occupied with the Finished Work because of the work of the Holy Spirit. It changed him, although it didn’t change him overnight. As Paul was now occupied with the Finished Work, he started to grow in understanding and experience by living in it.

The Author and Finisher of Our Faith

Attacking the Finished Work is one of the greatest transgressions against Jesus Christ we can commit. Satan consistently attacks the Finished Work, which speaks of what Jesus Christ did once and for all, for each and every believer. Demon forces work to make people familiar with the Finished Work. Their focus is on attacking Finished Work relationships. As a result, many Christians attack the Finished Work by not living in it.

In Deuteronomy 9, Jesus said in so many words, “God doesn’t look at our sins, so you shouldn’t either.” What God is looking for is the opportunity to give us His righteousness. He wants us to receive His grace (Isaiah 30:18). Israel often brought their iniquities and sins to remembrance (Ezekiel 29:16). They were occupied with failure, while God was waiting to be gracious to them.

We don’t get anything out of being occupied with what we have done wrong in the past or what we are doing wrong now. We are to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and what He has done. Look to who He is, and be occupied with what He says about our position in the Finished Work. All of our sins were placed upon Him (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24), and they were judged once and for all.There can never be a sin question.

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12).

As sins are no longer an issue in my life, they surely cannot be an issue for me in anyone else’s life. We are to know no one after the flesh. It is impossible to judge in another what has already been judged by Christ. He bore all of our sins in His own body. “It is finished,” He said (John 19:30). It is finished.

Remember, when we make the Finished Work relative to our salvation but disregard it in our interpersonal relationships (such as marriages and friendships), then we are attacking the grace of God. We are taking the blood of Jesus Christ, wherewith we are sanctified, and putting it under our feet, treading on it, and doing despite to the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29). That means if we do not live in the Finished Work with our spouse, then we take the Blood, put it under our feet, and insult the spirit of grace. We tread on the New Covenant, under which old things are passed away and every single thing is new.

Let the Holy Spirit work this into our hearts: We start out in the Finished Work; we pray in the Finished Work; we live in the Finished Work; and if we fail, we rebound and recover because of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ.