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It is Finished FOR ALL - Easter
March 23, 2008
It is recorded within the bible that Jesus said ” It is Finished ” upon the cross, what was meant by this?
Well to start off… its a shot in the PAN to assume that we understand it, it could have meant any number of things.. but lets for a moment go on the most common thoughts of what it meant…
Some would say
- Sin was Atoned for those who choose to Believe
- Sin was Atoned for ALL including those who choose to not believe in this life.
Some will want to fight nail and tooth that it only applies to those who BELIEVE, who make a statement of Faith, who in other words hand over their life to Jesus, Trust and show some evidence of Fruit that Christ is in their life
But.. compared to what????
Each person is different.. you cant compare what christ looks like in one persons like to another as depending on when you catch them in the day and what they are saying and doing it may paint a completely different picture of them, compared to your IDEAS and External teaching of what a Follower of Christ is..
Some, say it should be compared to the bible and the fruit mentioned there?
Again I would have to disagree as there are many a person who lives in the world who dont confess Jesus as Lord or Belief in him, that show signs of Fruit… i.e Patience, Love, Kindness etc etc… EVEN more at times than those who claim to follow Jesus.
I have come to believe that IF and i use the word IF as much of what we know today is based in Assumption and hope that we have today accurate recordings of the original writings
Which scholars today say we dont, just copies of copies of copies that have intentional and unintentional errors..
If you wish to debate that.. read ” Misquoting Jesus ” author is a New Testament Scholar and Textual Critic who studied at 3 theological colleges in the USA ” Moody, Princeton and Wheatly “
So.. If it is recorded correctly that Jesus said ” It is Finished ” and we have UNDERSTOOD accurately what was meant by that.. as that is another thing to consider… then…
I would lean more towards the ASSUMPTION that it is FINISHED for ALL.. not just some.. but for ALL MANKIND
As through ONE man came sin and all were effected without choice
Through ONE man sin is atoned for ALL without choice.
Let’s not just assume or ride the common train of thought that we understand the meaning of the scripture
” God so loved the world, that he gave his only son for the intent, that none that believe in him, should perish: But should have everlasting life “
Many equate the meaning of that as being related to ” AFTERDEATH ” yet we know from scripture that Jesus talked about the LIFE he came to bring as being available, and accessible NOW..
The scripture above DOES NOT put a TIME FRAME of when ETERNAL LIFE starts, or Perishing Starts
In the old Testament it says ” Without VISION the people ” PERISH “
Lets not be quick to jump to conclusions and assumptions about what we think PERISH and Eternal LIFE relates to and when it relates too..
To assume God REQUIRES, NEEDS you to believe, paints God in a light which is LESS than who God is.. WHich is ALL, it paints God as NEEDY, Lacking and Not Whole.. yet that conflicts with the Christian Message of who God is.. which is everything and has everything.
There is difference between WANT/NEED and DESIRE
God may desire all to experience in this lifetime God/Spirit Living/ Relationship
Yet God doesn’t need.
Now to assume that only those who BELIEVE, can experience connection with God in this lifetime and afterdeath, is potentially Accurate and yet potentially Inaccurate on one level
If a person believes, what they believe becomes their reality, their focus and so they will begin to associate things with their belief.. and in essence they then experience what they believe..
Yet on another level its inaccurate as the moment we place that as the GUIDELINE, the Qualifying ENTRY factor… we create a framework which we can judge and be judged by others inaccurately… and today we are seeing that happen with christians telling other christians they are not christians, and religions telling other religions they are right and all are wrong….
In essence.. A believer cannot be determined by what they confess they believe, or someone that says they have handed their life over to Trusting Christ, only God will and can…
It is FINISHED.. call it sin, damage, unconscious of our origin, forgetting God..
It is FINISHED through Christ once and for all.. ” for all “..
Some will choose to believe that in this life and so will experience on one level the start of CONSCIOUS connection with God and may experience the TRUE life they were meant to experience, ” connection with God “.
Some will not choose to believe that in this life and so they will remain UNCONSCIOUS of this connection, and will be unaware of the LIFE they can FULLY live which comes from this CONSCIOUS connection to Source, God.
Yet regardless of CHOICE,
It is Finished applies to all, its all encompassing.. Just as the notion of SIN is all Encompassing to those born who never made a choice to be born into it…
This LIFE, this Spirit Living can be experienced Now or Later… yet its accesible now through Belief… as this world is driven by BELIEFS… and in this case ..the Belief that we are not just a meat suit but Spirit, having come from SPIRIT.
” If I Am Lifted Up, I Will Draw All Men to Me ” EMPHASIS on ” ALL ” not just a Few!
Now, this is going on the basis that you hold to the belief of the idea of SIN, what Sin is, and its apparent effect on mankinds relation to God.. if you dont.. then none of the above will matter to you.
Sin is for another discussion..
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