Finishers Hall of Fame
Now that the 2009 NFL season has officially ended,
aficionados of professional pigskin will begin to ask afresh whether
its iron man Brett Favre will announce that he too is finished.
Whether this year or next, Favre will have played his final game and
finished one of the great NFL careers. After the obligatory five
years for eligibility, he will no doubt be a first-ballot inductee
into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Word of God makes no mention of a Hall of Fame
for believers although Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the Hall
of Faith. It does, however, have much to say about finishers and
finishing. One of the greatest accolades that God can bestow upon an
individual is that he or she finished the tasks that were assigned.
If a Finishers Hall of Fame did exist, there are several folks that
would be first-ballot inductees. Let’s consider a few.
The Lord Jesus Christ would top the list. At the end
of creation week, we’re told that “the heavens and the earth were
finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1). We know this
was the first of his many finished works in that “all things were
made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made”
(John 1:3). This fact was reiterated by Paul: “For by him [his
dear Son] were all things created” (Colossians 1:15). One only
needs to use his or her innate powers of observation to see the
grandeur, vastness and precision of the finished work of
creation…the pinnacle of which was man. Christ the Creator was a
Finisher of the first order!
Four or so millennia later the Christ of creation
assumed the role of God Incarnate. Early on Jesus stated to his
disciples the purpose for which he came: “My meat is to do the
will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34).
He reaffirmed that mission to his critics: “the works which the
Father hath given me to finish, the same works…I do” (5:36). At
the end of his ministry, he prayed: “Father…I have glorified thee
on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do“
(17:1-4). Three years of glorification by means of teaching,
preaching, miracle working and holy living were finished. The
perfect Lamb of God was thus prepared to offer himself as the
sacrifice for our sins. The mind of man is incapable of
comprehending the dire consequences that would have been incurred by
sinners (and for that matter, the Godhead) if that work had been
left undone.
Jesus went on to finish his redemptive work. In his
final words, he cried: “It is finished” (19:30). The perfect
tense signified a one-time redemptive act that would stand for all
time! Apart from a resurrection from the dead as validation of that
sacrifice, nothing else would ever be required as a basis for
redemption. Jesus paid it all! We simply appropriate by faith the
eternal benefits of that finished work. And in order for us to
finish our race successfully, we must keep our eyes on Jesus—the
Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
The Bible affirms that Moses was a finisher, having
brought to completion (1) the tabernacle, and (2) the writing of the
first five books of scripture. The Lord provided a bevy of detail
about the tabernacle design, furniture and its configuration. Moses
recruited artisans to build its components as instructed. In Exodus
39:32, we are told: “Thus was all the work of the tabernacle
finished.” And again: “Moses finished the work” (40:33).
In addition, Moses “made an end of writing the words of this law
in a book, until they were finished” (Deuteronomy 31:24). Few
men have finished so well with such great responsibilities placed
upon their shoulders!
Solomon was a finisher. His father David desired to
build a temple for the Lord, but was prohibited from doing so.
Solomon inherited that task. He completed the temple in seven years,
and offered “burnt offerings and peace offerings” to the Lord
three times a year until the house was finished (1 Kings
6:38; 9:25). The Bible mentions several times that he finished
the house. In 2 Chronicles 7:11, 8:16 we are twice told that he
built and finished both the house of the Lord and his own
house…IN THAT ORDER! Nowadays many professing Christians spend their
best energies establishing their own houses, and then (maybe) get
around to kingdom endeavors.
The apostle Paul was a finisher. He spoke these words
to the saints at Ephesus: “But none of these things move me,
neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my
course with joy” (Acts 20:24). And as he awaited execution in
Rome, he affirmed: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). The ultimate
reward for any disciple is to meet the Lord face-to-face as a
finisher!
Our last finisher is an unseemly one. But he is a
classic finisher with a success rate of one-hundred percent. His
name is sin! James teaches us: “Then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death” (1:15). While lust is a prerequisite to sin, it is by no
means a guarantee that sin will follow. Sin is the offspring of a
conception that takes place when lust is impregnated by the will.
Its gestation period is closer to nine seconds than nine months.
Sin’s birth and the death of its perpetrator are virtually
simultaneous! For a believer, it is the death of fellowship and
dulling of the spiritual senses. For an unbeliever, it is one more
nail in the coffin of conscience as he or she travels the road that
leads to eternal separation from God.
Our Finishers Hall of
Fame consists primarily of biblical heroes. But there is that one
noxious exception that continues to be the ruin of many. May we
determine afresh to emulate the Lord Jesus as our Finisher-in-Chief
and the other finishers who completed their assigned tasks. What has
the Lord assigned to you? This much is certain: the words “well
done, thou good and faithful servant” are reserved for finishers…and
finishers alone!
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