“I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it...” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

Those words were written about the works of God generally, but they express an important truth: what God does does not need man to improve it. His work is complete, perfect, and sufficient.

That principle should make us stop and think about salvation.

What did Jesus Christ accomplish on the cross?

Did He begin salvation and leave us to finish it? Did He do most of the work while religion supplies the rest? Do we need Christ plus rituals, Christ plus religious ceremonies, Christ plus human mediators, or Christ plus a church system?

Scripture keeps bringing us back to Christ Himself.

“It is finished!” (John 19:30)

Jesus did not say, “It has begun.” He said it was finished.

The writer of Hebrews says:

“By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” (Hebrews 10:10)

And again:

“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)

Christ's sacrifice was not a partial payment. It was not the first installment on a salvation that religion must complete. Jesus offered Himself once, and His sacrifice was sufficient.

Paul wrote:

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)

One mediator.

Not Christ plus another mediator. Not Christ plus a priest. Not Christ plus a saint. Not Christ plus religious tradition.

Christ.

That does not mean obedience is unimportant. It does not mean repentance is unnecessary. It does not mean a person can claim to believe in Jesus and then live however he wants.

True salvation changes a person.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

But there is an important difference between what saves us and what flows from salvation.

We obey because we belong to Christ. We do not obey in order to complete what Christ failed to accomplish.

We repent because Christ has called us to turn from sin. We do not repent as a payment toward salvation.

We are baptized because Christ commanded His followers to be baptized. The water does not add something missing from the blood of Christ.

We gather with believers, study Scripture, pray, serve, and grow in holiness because we have been saved and belong to Him.

None of those things replace Christ, complete Christ, or improve upon Christ.

Paul warned the Galatians because people were trying to add religious requirements to the gospel. He wrote:

“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

That question still needs to be asked.

Why do people keep adding things to what Christ has already done?

Religion has a way of making salvation complicated. Man builds systems, creates traditions, establishes rituals, and sometimes places burdens on people that Christ never placed upon them.

But the gospel remains remarkably simple.

We are sinners.

We cannot save ourselves.

Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.

We must repent, trust Him, surrender to Him, and follow Him.

And when Christ saves a person, that life begins to change.

Nothing needs to be added to Jesus Christ.

Nothing should be taken away from Him.

His sacrifice is sufficient.

His grace is sufficient.

His authority is sufficient.

His Word is sufficient.

And Christ Himself is sufficient.

Nothing added. Nothing taken away.