(The Finished Work of Jesus is the truth and focus for the Christian) 

Why is understanding and living to the finished work of Jesus on the cross important to the Christian? Our trying to live the Christian life aside from Christ, causes undue stress and frustration. It is Christ, who lives His life in and through us as us, that is the reality of the Christian life. Someone once said, "When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds." Oh, how true that is! Christ is the ONLY one who can truly live the Christian life in us. How can we have liberty because of His finished work on the cross? What has Christ fully accomplished for us on the cross? Why and how does the Spirit rebirthing seal the deal? Holy Spirit, please guide us today!

THE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS

First, We Need to Know the Finished Work of Jesus for Us On the Cross
Jesus said in conclusion on the cross, "It is finished!" (Jn.19:30). The plan of redemption was complete. The ability for our Father to rebirth us and place us in Christ and Christ in us to live His life through us was now possible. We need to know the finished work that was accomplished by Jesus in His body and by His shed blood on the cross. For us to fully know and live according to those realities, will liberate us from the bondages of the flesh and the lies of Satan.

Second, Redemption is through the Shed Blood of Jesus On the Cross
The Father chose us to be in Christ first (Eph. 1:4). Then, Jesus redeemed us for the Father by His shed blood on the cross (Eph. 1:7). The High Priests of the Old Testament could only have the sins of the people remitted for a year at a time, with the blood of goats and calves. For "according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebr. 9:22). Jesus, as the High Priest of the New Covenant went into the Most Holy Place in the heavenlies, to the perfect tabernacle not made by man or of this creation (Hebr. 9:11-15). Now, Christ ever lives in the presence of God for us (Hebr. 9:24). His eternal redemption, through the eternal Spirit, provides us promise of eternal inheritance (Hebr. 9:12-15). Christ, our eternal High Priest, ever lives to make eternal intercession in behalf of us (Hebr. 7:25).

Third, Justification and Righteousness is through the Shed Blood of Jesus
Part of our eternal inheritance, is that we are now justified before the Father by Christ’s shed blood (Rom. 5:9). The blood of Jesus covers us fully in the Father’s eyes, just-as-if we never sinned. At the cross the price of eternal redemption is fully and completely paid. Only as a result of His justification through His shed blood, can we now have the righteousness of Christ (Rom. 3:24,25). The Father made Christ "who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21). We are in Christ, so we can receive the benefit of His justification and righteousness, paid for through His own shed blood. The Father made Christ to be our righteousness (I Cor. 1:30).

Fourth, Original Sin of Adam Put to Death through the Shed Blood of Jesus
Adam was created in the beginning, strictly soul and body (Gen. 2:7). God planned that Adam choose out of his soul/mind and will, who would be his Father. The instant Adam made the disobedient choice; he committed the original sin. His choice separated him from God, and the opportunity for God to be his Father, nature, and Spirit. Instead Adam by that original sin had put all men into spiritual bondage to Satan, as their father and spirit nature (Rom. 5:12). The original sin of Adam, the root of all other sins, was finally put to death by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross (Rom. 5:15-21). The righteous, pure shed blood of Jesus on the cross now covers all sin throughout eternity. We should continually praise and worship our Father and the Lord for such grace as this.

Fifth, Reconciliation is through the Bodily Death of Jesus On the Cross
"We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son" (Rom. 5:10). The Father, through His Son, is reconciling all things to Himself (Col. 1:20). Christ has already redeemed us and made peace with the Father for us, through His shed blood (Col. 1:20). Now in the body of His flesh through death, Christ has reconciled us to the Father. Through Christ we are now presented to the Father as "holy, and blameless, and irreproachable" (Col. 1:21-22). The Father is now fully satisfied with the finished work of Christ on the cross. Nothing remains on God’s part for our full fellowship with Him, once we are Spirit rebirthed.

Sixth, The Old Man B Adam was Put to Death in Jesus' Body on the Cross
"Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him" (Rom. 6:6). Christ took care of the original sin with His shed blood, and the old man – Adam with the death of His body. The old man of Adam that was put to death was every tie with Satan as Father. Knowing this, that our old man that had ties and tendencies to sin, was rendered "down from work" or "unemployed" to Satan (Rom 6:6). The old man could no longer be used and manipulated under the internal control of Satan’s spirit nature to lead us to sin and disobey God. First, we must be Spirit rebirthed by the Holy Spirit, with Christ placed in us as our new life. Second, we must have our soul/mind renewed to this truth by the Holy Spirit. Third, we must let Christ live and flow through us for effective expression of this truth.

Seventh, The Law was Put to Death in the Body of Jesus on the Cross
Jesus fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law. Being put to death, Christ abolished in his flesh the hatred and anger of the Father against sin of every law and ordinance. This allowed us to be reconciled to God, with no more separation or anger between us (Eph. 2:15,16). "Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Col. 2:14). This eliminated any future sin sacrifice requirement for any reason. There is no condemnation "in Christ" (Rom. 8:1). For "sin is not imputed when there is no law" (Rom. 5:13).

Eighth, We Have Sanctification through the Bodily Death of Jesus
"By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebr. 10:10). Christ consecrated for us, through the veil of His flesh a new and living way to enter into fellowship with our Father (Hebr. 10:20). Christ submitted His Spirit into the hands of the Father and gave up the ghost. The veil of the temple was rent immediately from top to bottom, confirming the opening up of this new and living way of fellowship (Matt. 27:51).

Jesus Disarmed Satan at the Cross – However We Must Be Birthed by God
Jesus disarmed Satan by His finished work on the cross (Col. 2:15). Jesus took care of the original sin of man, the old man, Satan’s hold, and the law. This has placed man again in the same position as Adam, to choose Satan or Christ to be his Father, nature, and Spirit life. However, we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be rebirthed by God, to receive and have these finished works go into effect in us. After the birthing, we must then be renewed in our soul/mind, and walk by His Spirit, for His finished works to be fully expressed through us.