Can one man pay for the sins of the world?
As we celebrate the Easter season this year, the words the Lord spoke on the cross—“…It is finished…” (John 19:30)—still echo down through the ages. And they provide salvation and healing for everyone who trusts in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Christ uttered those words, it meant that He had borne the sins of the whole world, along with the penalty of sin for every human being who has ever lived or ever will live. “It is finished” are the most powerful words ever spoken, and they have given you and me divine healing and eternal life.
There are people who say, “How can one man pay for the sins of the entire world?”
But this was no ordinary Man. This was the Lamb of God. Consider for a moment Who He really was.
The Bible says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). That’s talking about Jesus Christ, the One Who hung on Calvary’s cross. He’s also the One Who was there in the beginning when the heavens and the earth were made…and that’s why He could pay the price for the sins of all mankind!
Ephesians 1:7 tells us, “In whom [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins….” Forgiveness for sins comes only one way, and that’s through the blood Jesus Christ shed on Calvary.
What significance those three words—“It is finished”—have for us today! What is finished? Our sins have been forgiven because Jesus paid the price for them with His blood.
What is finished? Our sickness has been done away with by the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Every man, woman, boy, and girl should be exceedingly glad that He spoke the words “It is finished.” They signify that we have been redeemed, and we don’t have to bear the burden of sin, sickness, and poverty anymore.
Praise the Lord!
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Kenneth W. Hagin, President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and pastor of RHEMA Bible Church, ministers around the world. Known for calling the Body of Christ to steadfast faith, he seizes every ministry opportunity to impart an attitude of “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit.”
Rev. Hagin began preparing for his call to ministry—a ministry that now spans 50 years—at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Faith Theological Seminary in Tampa, Florida.
In his early years of ministry, Rev. Hagin was an associate pastor and traveling evangelist. Later, he went on to organize and develop RHEMA Bible Training Centers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and in other countries around the world.
Kenneth W. Hagin’s array of responsibilities also includes International Director of RHEMA Ministerial Association International. He hosts the annual A Call to Arms® Men’s Conference, and with his wife, Lynette, cohosts RHEMA Praise, a weekly television program, and Rhema for Today, a weekday radio program broadcast throughout the United States. They also conduct Living Faith Crusades, spreading the message of faith and healing around the world.
Recognizing the lateness of the hour before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Rev. Hagin has expanded his speaking schedule beyond his regular pastoral duties. To fulfill the urgent call of God to prepare the Church for a deeper experience of His Presence, Rev. Hagin delivers messages that reveal key spiritual truths about faith, healing, and other vital subjects. He ministers with a strong healing anointing, and his ministry leads the Body of Christ into a greater experience of the glory of God!
Kenneth W. Hagin and his wife live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of the late Kenneth E. Hagin.