He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit (John 19:30). Those two scriptures are bookends in the life of Jesus Christ. The prayer recorded by Matthew of the cup, He was to drink of over the next few hours, is the subject of the sentence, “It is finished,” recorded by John as the last words spoken by Jesus on the cross. Matthew records that Jesus cried out with a loud voice, but not the words He spoke. The same word translated as “finished” is translated as “pay” in Matthew 17:24 and Romans 13:6. Jesus had paid the price for our redemption. The cup that would not be passed was finished; the death penalty paid; the blood was poured out into the communion cup.

The cup that would not be passed explains grace is the simplest of ways. Grace cannot be earned – it cannot be purchased – there is nothing one can do to deserve grace. It is finished – the payment is made. Grace is not based on some secret understanding of the scriptures, but is plainly spelled out for all. Grace is not only for the ones who fast and pray for hours and days. Grace is not only for those who search the scriptures seeking eternal life. Grace doesn’t depend on you. Grace is something we have because of something that is finished. Grace makes it possible for the world to be saved, because of the price of grace. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). The cup that would not be passed is the cup of communion with God – a drinking in of the word of God who abides in us and us in Him.

Deception is a pretty word for lie, and a deceiver another word for liar. Deceive (or deceives) means, causes one to believe the lie. “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:5). Not everyone who claims to be the body is the body. Not everyone who claims to speak for Christ speaks for Christ. Some come to the body with lies (deceptions) in an attempt to deceive. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Isn’t that a contradiction to the idea of the saving grace of the finished work of the blood of Jesus? Yes it is a contradiction, but the contradiction is in the deception of the deceiver and not in the power of the blood.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). Jesus provided the way for the world to be saved. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous (1 John 3:7). Those who walk in deception are walking in a lie and not the truth. The way is still available, and their sins are forgiveness – grace is real, but the path they are on is not the way. The blood of Jesus has more power than the sins, but some choose to continue to live in the lie. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life (John 5:39-40). Even among those who search the scriptures there is a deception. That does appear to be an oxymoron.

If grace is already paid for, and nothing can be done to earn grace; how can there be anything we can do to cause one not to have grace? The redemption price is still paid. So what is the conclusion then? Does a liar enter the kingdom of Heaven? If the price of death has been paid for the sin, what keeps the lair from entering into the kingdom of God? But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Seeking the scriptures isn’t the answer; the answer is to come to Him, and to come to Him one must believe that He is (have faith). So is faith a requirement for grace? Isn’t grace what allows us to come to Him? Without grace we can not approach God. Grace paid the penalty in advance of faith. Is it then that saving grace is not the only requirement to enter the kingdom of heaven?

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:1-4). Who is it that judges our faithfulness? You may judge if I am faithful to your theology and doctrines, but only the Lord can judge if I am faithful to Him. “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others (Luke 18:8b-9). Jesus then spoke of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple. The Pharisee used his own theology to judge the tax collector and the tax collector’s perceived sins to judge him self as righteous. It was the tax collector who was righteous, justified by grace.

The requirements of the kingdom of heaven are not in the hands of men. How is it that the Pharisee did not also receive grace and his sins be forgiven? Jesus spoke, in Matthew 25, of some who gave clothes to the naked, fed the hungry, visited those in prison, etc. He also spoke of some who did not. The Pharisee saw the nakedness of the tax collector, who came before God with nothing, and used the tax collectors nakedness to cover him self. The tax collector hungered for the love of God, and the Pharisee fed him self with the emptiness of the tax collector. The Pharisee saw that the tax collector was in prison, and kept his distance and would not visit with him. The Pharisee was among those who considered themselves righteous enough to judge the word of God. But the requirements of righteousness were not in the hands of the Pharisee, for He who judges is the Lord.

Is it then that our works buy us grace? Absolutely not! Our righteousness is in our coming to God through Jesus the Christ. We must have faith, because to come to God we must believe God exists and rewards those of faith. The tax collector did not leave the temple coved by his own sins but by the righteousness of Jesus, paid for by the blood sacrifice of communion with God (saved by grace). The Pharisee left the temple covered by his own self-righteousness, based on his own theology and doctrines. The tax collector was not judged by the Pharisee, but by the Lord. As the Pharisee judged he was also judged; as the tax collector left the judgment to God, the Lord judged. But grace is already paid for and for everyone. Yes, and grace was in the temple that day. Grace was available to the Pharisee. Jesus covered the Pharisee’s sins at the cross, but the Pharisee refused the gift and tried to use the sins of the tax collector to purchase grace. God did not accept the judgment of the Pharisee for the tax collector or for the Pharisee, for He who judges is the Lord.

Those who are self-righteous despise the freedom of those whose righteousness is the Lord, but they will not come to the Lord to have life. Instead they judge others by their own doctrines, and judge themselves by their own opinion of others. The self-righteous have a perceived righteousness as long as they keep others in captivity in their own mind. They search the scriptures to find eternal life, but will not come to Jesus to have life. They are those who have a form of godliness but deny the power of the cross for themselves, and attempt to deny the power for others; but He who judges is the Lord. They use His name and say, “Lord, Lord,” but know Him not. Jesus came to set the captives free. The freedom is in the blood of Jesus, the cup of communion with God. Faith is trust in the righteousness of God, and depending on the blood sacrifice of the Son of God for freedom. He who judges is the Lord.

    © 2011, Tim D. Coulter Sr.