#533 – “IT IS FINISHED”

                        What Was Finished?

                                    The Mystery Of The “Finished” Work

            THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH TO COMPLETE A WORK

November 4, 2012

John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

“IT IS FINISHED” is not explained or defined by what was finished. Therefore, we have conceptualized this statement and made up our own definitions. For example; Calvary is finished, my life is finished, salvation is finished, redemption is complete, man is reconciled to God etc. “IT IS FINISHED” has been interpreted as completely man centered. We may have been taught that every thing about Calvary was done FOR man. This needs another viewpoint.

“Not my will but yours be done” makes Calvary a work between the Father and the Son. In fact, man (disciples) were resisting the whole process of Calvary. Until the resurrection the disciples considered Calvary a defeat and disappointment. Since Calvary is related to the brass Altar in the Tabernacle / Temple it has ONLY been related to sin and the forgiveness of sin through the shedding of blood. We speak about the “blood of Calvary” as if that was all that happened there. It is certainly true that His blood was shed there and that we were redeemed through the blood. However, the Brass Altar and the blood with the sacrifices were the ACCESS for the Priests to the other parts of the Tabernacle. Even the Consecration Offering and ALL the offerings were related to and offered on the Brass Altar. The brass Altar provides much more than forgiveness of sins. In the New Covenant it provides access to the whole purpose of God.

The point I am making is this; We must begin to adjust our “belief system” and our consciousness from “a Calvary that is man centered” to “a higher dimension of Calvary” that is wholly God centered! Why? Calvary was NOT 100% for man but was 100% for God. But wasn’t man included in Calvary? Yes! But man and his needs were NOT the whole purpose of Calvary. Calvary was to solve the various needs of God and His Purpose! I am guessing that we have not understood the extent Calvary and the depth of what happened there and have misinterpreted His sacrifice as it relates to its greater and eternal dimension.

Like EVERY concept, we must begin with God rather than with man. We must BEGIN with God and then reason down from God to man in order to get the right perspective on eternal things. In other words “It is finished” must begin with the highest level of God, as first priority, and then reason down to the lowest level of man.

Calvary was “confrontational” in its highest order. It concluded EVERYTHING that preceded it and signaled a totally new beginning with a totally new provision and ability. It confronted mankind with all their failures in the past. It confronted the man of flesh and signaled his end in serving God out of human effort. It confronted the apathy of the religious systems of man.

“IT IS FINISHED” signaled the end of most all religious things and concluded all the former sacrifices, offerings and processes of serving God. It signaled the end of the old creation and announced the beginning of a New Genesis with a New Creation. It signaled the end of the first Adam and the beginning of a totally New Adam, the Last Adam. It signaled the end of an outward and visible form of religion with its natural life and the beginning of a new inward and invisible life by which we can serve God in the Spirit. It signaled the end of the old race of people and the beginning of a new species of people. This new race of men are NOT Jews or Gentiles! They are not white or black or brown. They are not even male or female. They are NOT poor or rich but this watershed event signals a totally new creation where there are NO DISTINCTIONS. Calvary really announced a totally new kind of religion related to a new open realm. It signaled a new kind of birth where now God’s people were to be born of God and not by the will of man like the outward person.

Calvary signaled a new dimension of the Holy Spirit. Before He was with them but NOW he could be IN THEM. Before, men were taught by men but now they shall be taught by God. Before Calvary, the anointing was with a physical anointing oil but now the Priestly Anointing is 100% by the Holy Spirit. There are realms of nearly every area of life that came to a close and whole new realms of life and relationship could begin that are in harmony with the New Creation. Calvary was the water shed moment where EVERYTHING changed, old things passed away and everything became new. The Old Covenant ended and a completely New Covenant began. This CHANGE was so complete and so radical that we must search out what really happened! Why? Because, if we don’t start in the right and eternal dimension of Calvary we will end in some degree of error. For example, we can make Calvary wholly man centered! Therefore, let us BEGIN in God so we can End in God rather than BEGIN with man and end in man.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

If we are going to BEGIN in God, this is the place we begin to understand Calvary. It begins with the Word that was with God, and it begins with the Word which IS God. The Almighty God then is Father, Word and Holy Spirit. This is NOT speaking about Jesus but about the Word of God who became flesh. Once again, let us begin with God and NOT with man.

It was the Eternal Word (Christ) that was made flesh and dwelt among us. In this dimension He is called the Spirit of Christ. However, the Spirit of Christ has now, in the New Covenant, provided us with a New Birth and a Life that is From God, Zoe!

Rom 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.10 And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead ( the Holy Spirit) will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.

1Peter 1:10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.

“You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit” is a totally new provision from God that was unknown before Calvary. It is this NEW MAN that is NOT in the flesh. The New Man is in this body but has escaped the fallen flesh realm. The Eternal Word of God ( the Spirit of Christ) invaded humanity at Bethlehem and became part of humanity in the Person of Jesus. He is one of us but He is the first born of this new kind of Man. Jesus became the first born of a whole new creation of men. The Life was in THE WORD. It was THE WORD that was with God in the beginning. It was THE SAME WORD through which all things were made. It was this WORD that became flesh. The WORD began a totally New Kind of Creation of mankind ( a new species). The WORD (conceived in Mary) was born into a human family after Adam. It was THIS new species ( born of God) which became an ekklesia or the called out ones. The EKKLESIA does NOT include the race of first Adam.

G1577 ἐκκλησία ekklēsia ek-klay-see’-ah From a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church.

The “church” is made up of “CALLED OUT ONES” but it doesn’t define what they were called out of. Were they called out the world or out of the Old Covenant or were they called out of Adam to be wholly IN CHRIST (the Word of God)?

Were they called out of the old species to become part of a totally New Species called “the church?” Was the church made up of members and visitors ( lined up in pews) or made up “of citizens and participants” who are birthed into a new species. This New Species are part of a Corporate group of new creation persons who are called to be part of an assembly of Christians who are of the same species!

Did God “call out some buildings” to be set aside and consecrated as “a church” or did “He call out” a selected and corporate group of people who are ALL of a new and unique species?

Then we need to ask WHERE is this group of “called out ones” supposed to meet? Does it really matter? Could they meet by the sea shore or on the side of a mountain. Could they meet at Peter’s house or maybe at Priscilla and Aqilia’s house? If there were no specific buildings where the church always met for the first 100 years, could they really fellowship together? Since the Bible was recorded during this time, what was considered a proper meeting place?

It seems obvious that we have ASSUMED certain things about the church as a meeting place that has NOTHING to do with God’s Called Out Ones. It is assumed that everybody must go to one place before we could fellowship together. But when we really examine what is passed off as “fellowship” we question the validity of that system.

Of course I have been in all kinds of groups in nearly 43 years and in all kinds of locations but a valid “Christian fellowship” has been difficult to find. In some places it seemed impossible simply because I didn’t speak the language. In other groups it was because there was no basis of “fellowship” unless we “fellowship” around non Christian things. In past years we had some great fellowship around horse shoes and Jart games or with cook outs. I have had fellowship in a boat, fishing, or at a lake or in an automobile and even in an airplane. Still, I have been in church buildings where there was NO fellowship at all.

One problem is that we have created concepts of fellowship and then insisted that our concept was the only scriptural way to fellowship. In one specific church, unless there is the Lord’s Table served NO fellowship can happen. Another church I was in only foot washing could be considered as proper fellowship. It is really difficult to specifically define what proper church fellowship really is. However, most groups have a rigid interpretation that involves the greeting, songs, preaching, collection, prayer and shaking hands and waving goodby. One group I was in the Pastor said to not forget to fellowship so shake hands with at least 10 people before you leave.

This “church activity” is done on a specific day that has been sanctified for the purpose of Fellowship. That day is Holy and set aside for God. In many places that day in Sunday.

If we suggest that what is called “the normal way” to fellowship may not be cut in Biblical Stone but is foolishly established as an absolute, it sounds like some strange new teaching.

When Jesus said “IT IS FINISHED” it signaled a new dimension where we should question every human concept and church tradition and cultural difference that has eroded the life of the Corporate Church. Our purpose should be to seek out the ONE CHURCH that He is building. His Church is built upon LIFE and not on human concepts. Therefore, it is OK to question every human concept and the limitations they insist upon. “IT IS FINISHED” might signal the end every religious system that we have created and all human concepts concerning the church, including its fellowship.

James 1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James’ concept of pure religion seems strange and old fashioned. This “pure religion” could not be considered as “normal” Christianity today. Why? We pay our tithe so the Pastor can do this “ministry” for us. We participate vicariously in “pure religion” through giving to the church. This “Vicarious Religion” is considered the “normal way” today. Our fellowship is also vicarious through the rituals of the church while we look at the back of the head of the person in front of us or side ways in the pew.

vicarious >adjective 1 experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person. 2 acting or done for another. Latin vicarius ‘substitute’

Yet this concept of fellowship is held in great esteem today by those who have never entered into real fellowship. Of course, the “normal fellowship” is just our imagination and another human concept. In some places it is just another cliche! Again Let us start with the Father and reason downward to man!

1John 1:3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we begin with God and reason down to man we will understand that fellowship is primarily VERTICAL with the Father and Son. However, this fellowship is based upon each of us walking in the Light. When this fellowship is real then it is possible to have some horizontal fellowship with others who are walking in the Light. In this dimension of fellowship those who are walking in darkness exclude themselves from Biblical fellowship.

In the popular concept of fellowship it is all about meeting together with a group of people with various levels of Christian Light or with some who are still living in their former darkness. Many in these church groups are still walking in Biblical darkness but that doesn’t seem to effect their concept of fellowship on Sunday Morning.

Still, what John heard from God is the Bible definition of fellowship. Fellowship with one another is based upon our primary fellowship which is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. After that FELLOWSHIP is real, we may have Biblical Fellowship with others who have entered into the primary FELLOWSHIP with the Father and the Son and walk in His Light!

I only use “fellowship” in this study to point out that we accept certain human and religious concepts that are based more upon humanism than on Bible truth. For example;

One of the popular “CONCEPTS” today is; We are an inclusive church. Some churches are EXCLUSIVE but we accept anyone. The homosexual, the adulterer, the fornicator, the unbelievers, the liars and thieves are all welcome here because we include you with us in the Love and acceptance of God. So let us all stand and give a clap offering to God who loves and accepts everybody just as they are. The corporate “clap offering” is our fellowship!

It seems reasonable to assume that we might be able to do better than this human concept of religious fellowship. Here again, let us BEGIN with God in our Fellowship and then reason down to man to define the proper horizontal fellowship. John said “THIS IS WHAT I HEARD FROM GOD” so we might BEGIN there! But wouldn’t that eliminate a large group “of believers” from our fellowship? Yes, and that is the problem. We must accept everybody because we need all the tithe possible just to survive in this economy so it is not practical to not accept everybody.

“IT IS FINISHED” must also include all our preconceived ideas about “serving God.”

Why? Because, those who serve in the flesh are not acceptable to God. But, shouldn’t God be pleased if I do the best I can to serve Him? No! That kind of serving God is now finished.

Rom 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But, brother, if we used that standard who could serve God? That standard would be so

difficult and so exclusive that nothing could happen in the church! If all those who are presently serving God, but who are NOT living in obedience to the Laws of God, are rejected by God, we would have to close the church.

The popular opinion seems to be that God is so desperate to get SOMEONE / ANYONE to serve Him that He MUST accept EVERYONE who is willing! Actually, God is Not that desperate at all! He is Sovereign and sets His own standards which are Absolute!

“IT IS FINISHED” brought that former kind of serving God to a close! If we honestly look at what the New Order, the New Covenant, the New Standards of the Kingdom, have established, it is obvious that MOST of what we are doing is irrelevant. Why? It is not being done within the New Covenant requirements of the Kingdom of God. Even those who are serving God “full time,” but are “LAWLESS,” are rejected by God!

Mat 7:22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.

As we examine the scriptures, it becomes more and more clear that “IT IS FINISHED” has brought the old ways of man to a radical and dramatic close! It signals a new beginning and has opened up a radical new dimension of the Kingdom of God as a practical and functioning Government that should be active in the church today. However, since the visible church has nearly ignored the Kingdom, or postponed the Kingdom to another time, it has lost a lot of the Kingdom imperatives for today. For that reason there remains a strange ignorance of what the Kingdom requires. In fact, when any Kingdom requirements are presented today they are seen as an invasion of our Christian Rights and an erosion of our freedoms in Christ.

However, what Calvary and the Kingdom requires from us can never be compared to what Calvary and the Kingdom on earth has provided FOR GOD! Calvary was the decisive action that was required to set in motion the Final Answer to God’s Total Need manifested in the original creation. This “need” was demonstrated in Genesis 1 and the reason for the first creation. Calvary was step one toward His plan to usher in the completion of God’s Purpose and preparation for Eternity. We are using the term “God’s Total Need” in order to BEGIN with God and His viewpoint for man in the creation.

In order for God’s Total Need to be fulfilled, He must provide for Man’s Total Need and correct man’s inherent inability to meet God’s Total Need in the creation. Now, to meet Man’s Total Need so he can meet God’s Total Need we must NOT think in terms of reforming the natural man. Forgiving the natural man is not a total solution for the effects of the fall in Genesis 3. Forgiveness of sins are necessary but that alone is NOT the Total Solution to the fall of man! Why? Because “forgiveness” still leaves man in his natural state and fully attached to the disastrous fall and life (psuche) of the first Adam.

In other words, we must begin to think about a Totally New Creation and a New Genesis for the New Species of the same order of Christ Jesus, the Last Adam. Why? Because, the last 6000 years have been sufficient proof that the natural man, even though forgiven, can never please God or fulfill His Original Purpose. A totally new kind of man, without a connection to the old creation, must be established as reality at Calvary. At this critical point, the Last Adam must begin a Totally New Creation of People who are not affected by the fall in Genesis 3. Why? This New Species must have made the transition out of that death dimension and into a Totally New Life dimension. They must have escaped out of the former darkness into New Light dimension with an inner illumination. This New Creation of Mankind must rise above the limitations of sin into the Power of the Indestructible Life. The Old life (psuche) of the first Adam and his genealogy must die and be buried. Then the New Uncreated Life (Zoe) of God must become the source of the New Creation Man. It is THIS Life (Zoe) that raises the new man into the realm of producing eternal fruit for God.

John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 “He who loves his life (psuche) loses it; and he who hates his life (psuche) in this world shall keep it to life (Zoe) eternal.

It is through this death and burial of the old man, after first Adam, that we transition out of the first Adam into the Last Adam. The first Adam only has psuche life while the Last Adam has the Uncreated Life of God, Zoe! It is in Living by this New Life (Zoe) which qualifies us to function as a New Creation of Men. This is the reason that the New Man is of a much higher order than the first Adam because they have received a much higher Life (Zoe). The New Covenant cannot be effective EXCEPT within the New Creation Man. Neither can the Old Creation function within the Kingdom of God! Why? They are NOT of the New Species which are designed to meet its requirements.

This Totally New Creation is essential for the New Order of Men that are to become members of the Body of our High Priest. Only the New Order of Man can become a Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. The first Adam and all of the genealogy of the first man are limited to the realm of flesh that can never serve God acceptably. To escape the “flesh” realm we must enter into the realm of the New Spirit / Life /Truth dimension. The New Spirit Realm is the realm of Life (Zoe) of the New Creation. This “REALM” is what we are relating to the Holy Place Life and Ministry! The “baptism” or “LAVER” is the place of separation from the Old and a resurrection into the New.

When any person of the old creation attempts to live in the Realm of the Spirit he immediately discovers his inability. Why? He is of the wrong Species to Live in the Spirit. The old species can ONLY function in the flesh realm. Then what IS the solution? We must change Species from Adam to Christ. Saying certain words and believing a certain doctrine is NOT the way we change Species. Only Calvary can provide for this exchange and ONLY the New Species can fulfill God’s Purpose and bring joy to God’s heart.

Therefore, “IT IS FINISHED” signaled the end of the Old Creation after first Adam and the beginning of a New Creation after the Last Adam. It is ONLY this New Species that should be called “CHRISTIAN.” To call anyone of the old species “Christian” because of what they believe is to misunderstand the radical event of Calvary. Because the old species can NEVER please God it can never fulfill the Purpose of God and is incapable of functioning in the world yet to come.

Conclusion; To spend our life “ministering” to the old species is a big waste of time that produces NOTHING eternal.

But why are we always so concerned about these failures of the “ministries” to address these basic problems? The reason it is so important to deal with the individual foundations is because there can be NO corporate building without proper “Christians” who are effectively functioning members OF THE NEW SPECIES. We should all be concerned about a “Spiritual and Visibly New Corporate Society” functioning together. This is the definition of a Local Church that can properly relate to the Kingdom of God with a visible testimony of participating in a valid functioning “BODY.”

The popular cliche which is: “WE ARE ALL THE BODY OF CHRIST” is generally a lie if we examine the “Corporate Function.” The failure of the “Corporate Function” can be attributed to the lack of proper foundations and preparations in the individual believers. For that reason it is obvious that just holding the popular Sunday meetings and preaching a concept or a verse is not working! Why? Because, this is NOT really preparing the believers to function as a “Corporate Society” that can accurately be called “church.” Why?

Without “CALLED OUT ONES” functioning as a “Corporate Society,” the term “church” is just another popular fantasy. A body that is NOT functioning is generally considered as comatose or even dead! “Churches” that are existing on a life support system on Sunday can hardly be called the “body of Christ.” Many “bodies” can just qualify as a better corpse. Unless EVERY member has received His Zoe Life and has become a New Species they cannot qualify as part of His Body.

One provision that is very essential to correct this system which has produced one failure to the next, is the introduction of the Kingdom Government of God as first priority. The ideal outcome is to have a “Corporate Society” functioning under the absolute Government of God. Of course this is not possible until each individual member is living within that Government, experientially.

The calling and purpose of EVERY minister who is “building a church” is to function within the parameter of Ephesians 4:11! This is to perfect and prepare EVERY member with instructions and foundations and guidance until EVERY member is living within that Kingdom Government. It is ONLY then that a “functioning Body” can become a visible “Corporate Christian Society!” It is at that time that we can say

“NOW, WE HAVE A MATURE AND FUNCTIONING CHURCH.”

If Every obstruction was NOT removed at Calvary He could NOT have said

“IT IS FINISHED.”

Otherwise He could have said (like us) “Well, I did the best I could.”