In Romans 8:23, Paul tells believers that “we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies”. The Greek term “have” here is the present active participle of echo- to possess. Paul here is telling believers here that we have as our present and permanent possession the “first fruits of the Spirit”. The term first fruits here is a concept Paul takes from the Old Testament and applies here to the Holy Spirit. The first fruits were the first fruit of the harvest, which God commanded be offered to Him. When this was done in obedience to God, He then guaranteed that the rest of the harvest would come in. In using the term first fruits here, Paul is telling us that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer is God’s guarantee of the fullness of the harvest of redemption. The phrase “of the Spirit” here brings us to a difficulty inherent in the Greek language and found many times in the New Testament, because this phrase is in the genitive case. The inherent difficulty is that a genitive can be either subjective or objective, and it cannot be determined which it is by the grammar alone, context determines which it is, since both the objective and subjective are written exactly the same way. The difficulty here is as to whether the Spirit gives the first fruits (subjective) or whether the Spirit is the first fruits (objective). It is contended here that this is an objective genitive, that the Spirit Himself is the first fruits referred to here. We learn, in this verse and another to be examined shortly, that the Spirit is the first fruits of redemption, it is the presence of the Spirit in us that is God’s guarantee that the process of redemption, the process of gradually being set free from our bondage to sin will be carried out and brought to completion, because the Spirit Himself is in us to move this process along as we grow in grace. The Spirit is in us to help set us free from sin, ever becoming less a prisoner of sin and more and more a servant of God, freeing us from the power of sin as we walk according to His leading. This process then reaches its culmination when we receive the “redemption of our bodies”, when are with the Lord forever, forever free from the presence of sin and its effects. The interpretation of this as an objective genitive is also supported by a parallel passage in John 14:16-17. In this passage, the disciples are at the Last Supper, and Jesus is telling them He is about to go away, but tells them here that He will “ask the Father, and He will give you another counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth”. What we must note here is that the Father is the one who sends the Spirit, that the Father is the subject (the one sending) and the Spirit is the object (the one sent), the Spirit Himself is the first fruits of redemption, God’s guarantee that the process of redemption will be completed. We also learn here something about the Spirit Himself, for Jesus refers to Him here as “allon parakleton”, as another counselor, one “of the same kind “(allon) as He. Jesus tells us here that the Holy Spirit is not a “force” or a “ghost” but a person, the third person of the trinity, equal with Jesus, divine just as Jesus is, and that the person of the Spirit is with us “unto the ages”, or for all eternity. Jesus also tells us here that the Spirit is the “Spirit of truth”, in this case the genitive being both subjective and objective, the Spirit is truth and also determines and defines truth. In summary then, we find that the Spirit Himself is the first fruits of redemption, that the Spirit Himself is the third person of the trinity, equal with Jesus and the Father. He is given to us by the Father to be forever with us and to live with us and be in us. His presence in us is both God’s method and guarantee of the process of redemption, that we will be set free moment by moment and day by day from our bondage to sin, gradually freed from its power until one day we are freed from its presence once and for all. We will next examine more of Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Spirit to see how this process of redemption is carried out, just what the ministry of the Spirit is, both to believers and to the world.
The First-fruits of the Spirit, a Pledge Of the Full Redemption
"Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." Romans 8:23
From his natural and impressive digression, the Apostle again returns to the renewed creature of whom he had previously been speaking. Having adverted to the suffering of the whole animate creation, he proceeds to show that this condition was not peculiar or solitary—that not only in the heart of the irrational creature, but even in the heart of the renewed Christian there were the intense throbbings of a woe, and the deep groanings of a burden, from which it sighed and hoped to be delivered. Let us take each section in its order, of this remarkable passage.
"Ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit." It had been the earnest aim of the Apostle broadly and distinctly to draw the great line of demarcation between the state of nature and the state of grace. What distinctive feature more illustrative of the Christian character could he have selected than this. "Who have the first-fruits of the Spirit." The figurative allusion is to a familiar law of the Jewish economy. It will be recollected that, under the Levitical dispensation, the Lord commanded that the first-fruits, in the form of a single sheaf, should be sickled, and waved before him by the priest; and that this wave-offering was to be considered as constituting the herald or the pledge of a ripened and full harvest. And not only should it be an earnest and a pledge, but it should represent the nature and character of the fruit which, before long, in luxuriant abundance would crowd with its golden sheaves, and amid shouts of gladness, the swelling garner. When, therefore, it is said that believers in Jesus have the "first-fruits of the Spirit," the meaning clearly is, that they have such communications of the Spirit now, as are a pledge and foretaste of what they shall possess and enjoy in the great day of the coming glory. "In whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." We remark, in general terms, that if we are believers, then we are partakers of that grace which is the earnest of glory. Do we partake of the grace of life? It is the same life which beats in the souls of the glorified. In us its pulsations are faint and fluctuating; in them they are deep and unfluttering—yet the life is the same. And if we have the Spirit of life dwelling in us now, then have we the first-fruits of the life which is to come. Have we the Spirit of adoption? What is it but the earnest and the seal of our certain reception into our Father's house? The love to God which overflows our hearts, the yearnings of those hearts to be at home, are the first-fruits of our consummated and glorified sonship. Thus might we travel the entire circle of the Christian graces which go to form, sanctify, and adorn the Christian character, illustrating the truth, that each grace wrought by the Spirit in the heart on earth is the germ of glory in heaven, and that the perfection of glory will be the perfection of each grace. The present character and tutelage of the child of God are preparatory to a higher state of being—yes, it is an essential part of that being itself. Oh, it is a holy and inspiriting thought, that every development of grace, and every aspiration of holiness, and every victory of faith, and every achievement of prayer, and every gleam of joy in the soul here below, is the earnest-sheaf of the golden ears of happiness and glory garnered for the saints on high. "He that goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless return again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him."
"Even we ourselves groan within ourselves." In these words the expectant of glory is represented as sympathizing, in a certain degree, with the general condition of present misery, and expectation of future good. But we must distinguish the emotion here described, from the somewhat kindred depression beneath which the whole creation is bowed. It is the groaning of those who have the "first-fruits of the Spirit"—consequently it is the emotion of a living soul. In the one case, the groaning is the throb and the throe of death; in the other case it is the evidence and the breathing of life.
To what causes may it be traced? We groan within ourselves on account of sin—its innate principle, and its practical outbreakings. Over what do our tears flow the bitterest and the fastest? The winged riches? The heart's treasure wrenched from our grasp by ruthless death, and which the cruel grave has hid from our view? Ah, no! but the sin which lays us in penitence and grief at the Savior's feet, with David's confession and prayer breathing from our lips—"Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight." Oh, what a mercy to know that the "sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: that a broken and contrite heart he will not despise!"
There is also the groaning arising from external trial. Of this cup, which all alike drink, none quaff so deeply as those to whom are imparted the "first-fruits of the Spirit." The path of sorrow is the path to glory, and the "bread and the water of affliction" is the food of all the "prisoners of hope." But spring from what cause it may, this groaning of the servants of God confirms the affecting truth, that the believer possesses but the "first-fruits of the Spirit;" and that, consequently, his present condition, being one of but partial sanctification, must of necessity be one of but limited happiness. And yet we would not fail to remind the reader of the truth, that the deeper his sanctification the keener will be his sense of indwelling corruption, and the heavier his groaning because of it. So that, so long as he is still the tenant of a tabernacle of sin and death—an unwilling subject of vanity—and so long as he grows in grace, he will "groan being burdened," and will the more deeply sigh, and the more intensely long for the uncaging of his spirit, that frees him entirely forever from its oppressiveness and its thraldom.
But, oh, there is music in the groaning of those who have the "first-fruits of the Spirit!" The chain they wear is not the manacle of a slave of sin, shaking his galling fetters in deep and dark despair. The captivity that confines him, is not the subjection of a voluntary vassal of Satan, crouching beneath the burden, and trembling at the lash of a hard task master. Oh, no! it is the sensibility, the consciousness, the groaning of the Christian. It tells of the Spirit's indwelling. It betokens the hope of glory. Those inward heavings of the soul are the pantings of a life divine; those deep groanings of the heart are the muffled chimings of heaven. They are the indices of a nature which God will before long lift to its native home; they are the discordant notes of an anthem, which soon will fill heaven with its swelling and entrancing music.
"Waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body." The terms "adoption," "redemption," must here be taken in a restricted sense. Our present adoption into God's family is as perfect as God can make it. We shall not in reality be more the children of God in heaven than we are now. Dwell upon this truth, beloved. Press it in faith and gladness to your sighing, groaning heart. Is God's hand uplifted? Oh, tremble not! It is a Father's hand. Say not that it presses heavily upon you—it is the pressure of love. Oh, think not that there is one throb of affection less towards you in his heart. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God," and all the immunities and blessings of a present sonship are ours. Equally as complete is our redemption from all that can condemn. When Jesus exclaimed, "It is finished!" by one offering he perfected forever the salvation of his church. Then did he entirely roll away the curse from his people. Then did he hurl their sins into an infinite depth. Then did he complete the work the Father gave him to do. For the finishing of that work, thanks be to God, the saints do not "wait"!
And still, all believers are the expectants of an "adoption" to be confirmed, and of a "redemption" to be perfected. Their adoption now is concealed, their adoption then will be visible. Their present adoption is limited in its privileges—their future adoption will introduce them to all the riches of their inheritance and to all the splendors of their Father's house. For this unveiled, this manifest, this full adoption they are "waiting." And so, too, of "redemption." The ransom price is paid, but the body is not yet fully redeemed. It still is fettered, and cribbed, and cabined by a thousand clinging corruptions and infirmities. But the day of its complete redemption draws near. In virtue of its ransom it will spring from the dust, its last link of corruption entirely and forever dissolved. "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own." Philip. 3:20-21. Like unto Christ's glorious body! Oh, then, no deformity will mar its symmetry! no infirmity will impair its strength! no sickness, no faintings, no nervousness, no pangs of suffering or throes of death will ever assail and torment it more! For this "redemption of the body" the sons of God are waiting. Our heavenly Father has adopted it. Our divine Savior has redeemed it. The Holy Spirit, our Comforter, has sealed it. Oh, yes! The first-fruits of the "first resurrection" bloom on the grave of the holy
dead. Plant not above their heads the flowers that fade. There are flowers blooming there, plucked from the amaranthine bowers of immortality, and they will never die.
This page may arrest the eye of a sufferer, not soothed in his grief, or cheered in his loneliness by such prospects as these. There is coming a day when the irrational creation, of whom we have been speaking, will suffer no more. "The spirit of a beast goes downwards." But no such annihilation awaits suffering man. Oh, melancholy condition! Oh, dreary prospect! Suffering in this life, and suffering in the life to come! to pass from a fire that is temporary, to a fire that is eternal—from the agonies and throes of the first death, to the power and the pangs of the second! But there still is hope. Jesus died for sinners, and there is mercy even for the chief. Blessed suffering, hallowed sorrow, if now, in the agony of your grief, you are led to the Savior to learn, what in the sunny hour of prosperity and gladness you refused to learn—that God only can make you happy, and that God in Christ is prepared to make you happy. Oh, heaven-sent affliction! sweet messenger of love! beautiful in your somber robes, bearing to my soul a blessing so divine, so precious as this!
Have you the "first-fruits of the Spirit?" Guard them with tender, sleepless care. Nature in her richest domain yields no such fruits or flowers as these. Employ all the means and appliances within your reach to keep verdant and fruitful the sacred garden of your soul. Unveil it to the sun's light, to the gentle showers, and the soft gales of heaven. Let your incessant prayer be, "Awake, O north wind; and come, you south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits."
Oh, guard those precious "first-fruits!" Soon the glory they foreshadow will be revealed. The autumnal tints are deepening, the golden ears are ripening, the reaper's sickle is preparing, and before long we shall join in the song of the angels' harvest-home, "Grace, grace unto it!"
The apostle Paul clearly proclaims in his letters that in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the new world of God’s re-creation has broken through in our old world. In his resurrection Christ has brought to light immortality and eternal life. Whoever belongs to Christ may already here on earth taste the powers of the coming age (cf. Heb 6:5). He has eternal life (cf. Jn 3:16) and has been brought into the kingdom of the Son (cf. Col 1:13).
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul strikingly describes to what extent the new world of God’s re-creation has already penetrated our world: “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” The believer is not just a new creature. Paul uses a stronger term: he is a new creation. The believer shares in God’s new world that became manifest in Christ’s resurrection. It is in the life of the believers that it becomes visible that the old (the world lost in sin) has passed away and the new (the redeemed world) has come.
Paul does not forget that the last day has not arrived yet. He knows that the glory of God’s children has to be revealed yet (cf. Rom 8:18). But that does not prevent him from speaking positively about the great breakthrough for all who are in Christ. They no longer belong to the old world but are citizens of God’s new world. They are already in fact part of that new world.
That the new world has broken through into the life of the believers is evident to Paul in the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of glory (1 Pet 4:14), the Spirit who preserves God’s children for the day of redemption (Eph 4:30). Because the believers have received this Spirit, they can be sure that they are on the way to their ultimate glorification and may live in the hope of the glory of God.
In this context Paul uses two expressions for the Holy Spirit both of which underline the fact that in the gift of the Spirit, the believers have received that great future in principle already. The apostle calls the Spirit the “firstfruits” and the “deposit.” Both descriptions demand our attention.
Regarding the first expression in Romans 8:23 Paul speaks literally of the firstfruits of the Spirit. This can be rendered in two ways. We can translate: the Spirit as firstfruits or the first gift of the Spirit. No doubt we have to choose the first translation. We do not read anywhere in the New Testament that believers only possess a “part” of the Spirit. On the contrary, John 3:34 tells us that Christ gives the Spirit “without limit.”
When Paul points to the Holy Spirit as the firstfruits of the glorious future, he reaches back to the Old Testament. In the law of Moses, the people of Israel were commanded to bring the firstfruits of their fields to the sanctuary (cf. Dt 26:1-11). When offering these firstfruits Israel confessed that they were only stewards. The land and its yield belonged to the Lord. In the firstfruits the whole harvest was brought before the face of the Lord and Israel acknowledged that all things belonged to the Lord and to him alone! The firstfruits represented the entire harvest.
When Paul calls the Spirit the firstfruits, he refers back to this ceremony of offering the firstfruits of the field and vineyard. However, there is marked difference. In the apostle’s usage it is not man who gives God the firstfruits of the harvest, but it is God who on Pentecost gives his Spirit as the firstfruits.
What Paul says in Romans 8:23 about the firstfruits of the Spirit stands unmistakably in the eschatological context. God gives the Spirit as the first gift of all that he has in store for his children: the coming glory, the revelation of sonship, and the redemption of the body. God’s children may live in hope because a new world is coming!
The Spirit is the firstfruits, the first gift of this new world. This gift assures them that the full harvest is coming. We are on the way to our ultimate glorification (cf. Rom 8:30). Because the Spirit as firstfruits represents God’s new world in the children of God, they are eagerly longing for that glorious future. That they possess the Spirit is God’s guarantee to them that this future is sure.
Paul says the same thing when he calls the Holy Spirit the deposit God has given to his children. Commentators agree that this term is derived from the world of trade and commerce. In 2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 1:14 Paul uses the word deposit and seal in one breath. The word seal definitely speaks of guarantee and surety, so we will have to understand it as a down payment. When someone makes a down payment on a major purchase, he promises thereby that he will pay the total amount owing. The seller can rest assured that the balance will be paid.
That is how God gives the believers the Spirit as a down payment or deposit, the first payment. They can be sure that the Lord will pay in full what he “owes.” he will pay out to them the complete inheritance to which he had obligated him self in Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 5:5 the word “deposit” is also written in eschatological context. God’s children have a heavenly dwelling with which they will be “clothed” one day. Paul clearly refers to the new, glorified existence that will be theirs on the day when Christ appears. God has prepared his children to be clothed with their heavenly dwelling. Everything he does in and for them is subservient and directed to that.
There can be no doubt about this, for God has given us the Spirit as the deposit, the down payment of the full inheritance.
God’s children may really be filled with hope (cf. Rom 15:13). For the gift of the Spirit continually proclaims to them what the end will be: their total glorification, their receiving the full inheritance, the resurrection of the body. It is the Spirit, as the firstfruits and guarantee, Who assures us that the new world of God’s re-creation is on the way. In the Spirit we have this new world already with us!
Key Insights
The Firsts of Everything English translations of the bible capture the idea of first fruits with seven different terms: first fruits (38 times), firstborn (117 times), firstlings (8 times), first shearing (1 time), and the first dough (5 times). | First in Time and Quality The first fruits were, at least initially, the first in time (born or harvested). They were also understood to be the best (e.g. Numbers 18:12-13), so giving from first fruits was giving "from the top." First fruits also foretold the harvest to come. | God Claims Ownership In the Hebrew Scriptures, God insistently claims ownership of the firsts of everything (e.g. Exodus 13:2; Numbers 3:12-13). In recognition that all good things come from God, the first and the best was returned to God. |
Set Aside, Holy, and Bound First fruits are "set aside" or "separated" for God, which makes them holy. This setting aside makes them "first fruits" even if they are not the first in time. It also forms a relationship: the first fruits belong to God and God belongs to the first fruits. God takes care of what belongs to him. | First Fruits Could Be Redeemed The Israelites could redeem and keep first fruits by exchanging something else for them (Exodus 13:11-12). Money or a lesser animal was sacrificed in place of a human or animal firstborn. Unredeemed firstborns had to be sacrificed to God themselves. | The Levites Aaron and the Levites (priests) of Israel had a special first fruits role. God sets them aside as holy and claims ownership of them in exchange for Israel's firstborns... and requires the remainder in silver (see Numbers 3:39-51)! The Levites also received all of the first fruits offerings on behalf of God to support themselves. |
Israel Is God's Firstborn Nation God claims ownership of the people of Israel as his firstborn nation (e.g. Exodus 4:22-23): set aside and holy. They are redeemed at Passover by sacrificing a lamb and putting some of its blood outside their doors (Exodus 12:21-23). This sets Israel free from slavery in Egypt. | Jesus Was God's Firstborn Jesus was considered Mary and Joseph's firstborn, so his parents redeemed him with a pair of pigeons (Luke 2:22-24). But Jesus is also God's firstborn son, who is sacrificed for us. But Jesus is resurrected and becomes the first fruits of the dead (e.g. 1 Corinthians 15:20; Colossians 1:15-18), promising resurrection for us too! | Jesus Redeems Us God sacrifices his firstborn, redeeming and feeing us through Jesus' death (e.g. 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:8-9; Hebrews 9:11-12)). Just as Israel was redeemed by the blood of a sacrificed lamb, we are redeemed by the Lamb of God. This sets us free from sin and death. In this act, we become a first fruits offering from God to the rest of creation (James 1:18). |
First Fruits of the Spirit We have been promised eternal life, but as we wait expectantly, God offers us the "first fruits of the Spirit" as a down payment on that promise (Romans 8:22-23). The Holy Spirit is a foretaste of what is to come and God's promise of the coming kingdom (e.g. Ephesian 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). | Where Does God's Portion Go? The Hebrew scriptures specify multiple destinations for the returned first fruits. One is supporting the priestly ministries of the time, the Levites. Another is "the aliens, the orphans, and the widows, so that they may eat their fill within your towns" (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). A third is paying for a celebration of God's goodness (Deuteronomy 14:23-26). The returned portion is used to do God's will in different ways. | Giving Beyond First Fruits First fruits giving is a special kind of giving, and is not the only way to give. It is giving from the firsts and the top, motivated by gratitude and worship and not motivated by meeting another's needs. It is our first giving, not our maximum giving. As Paul teaches, after our first fruit offerings and meeting our needs, God can gift us so we can meet our own needs and then have abundance to share for "every good deed" (2 Corinthians 9:8). |
- Recognition and gratitude. First fruits has to start with recognizing what God has gifted us with. Our gratitude motivates us to return a portion to God. As outlined in All Is Gift, God gifts us in many different ways. Consider what first fruits you could return in these different areas, especially your time, talent, and treasure.
- From our first and best. First fruits challenges us to give intentionally from our first and best, rather than our leftovers. This means we set our first fruits giving intentions in advance or as we receive our gifts, rather than at the end of the year. It also means returning from our best. Returning our best time may mean setting aside your best time (e.g. not when you're tired).
- Setting aside God's portion. How do you track what belongs to God? Some Christian stewards set up a separate bank account for God's money, transferring first fruits to it from each paycheck. That gives them a place from which to make financial gifts and keeps them "honest" on not shortchanging God. You could set up a similar system for your time to make sure you follow through on your intentions. You'll have to determine on your own if God charges interest.
- Discerning recipients. Prayerfully discern where God's portion should go. For financial resources, your faith community is one good possibility but not necessarily the exclusive answer. For time, you may choose to dedicate it for prayer, volunteering, or quality time with your spouse or family. For talent, consider how God to put one of your best skills to work for the good of the Kingdom. Consider giving blood as a first fruits offering of your health. How does God want you to use the returned gift?
- Reverence. God's portion is set aside and holy. Return that portion with a sense of reverence. Say a quick prayer when sending money to charities or returning some of your time. Put any church donations in an envelope for the collection, rather than throwing in crumpled bills. Remember why you are giving and to whom you are giving.
- Redeeming first fruits. If you can't afford to offer a portion of your money (or some other gift), consider what you could exchange in its place as a gift to God.
- Giving beyond the first. First fruits is just our first giving, and not meant to be a maximum limit. After we have met our needs, we are invited to use our abundance to share with others.
- What is holy? What things in our lives do we consider holy? Our children, our food, our cars? How do we set them aside in holiness?
- Recognize the faith connection. First fruits is intertwined in how God loves and has sacrificed for us. As we share our gifts, remember the gift of your faith and how God's gifts have set us free from everything that holds us bound.
- 1. By "them which are in Christ Jesus," St. Paul evidently means, those who truly believe in him; those who, "being justified by faith, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." They who thus believe do no longer "walk after the flesh," no longer follow the motions of corrupt nature, but "after the Spirit"; both their thoughts, words, and works are under the direction of the blessed Spirit of God.
2. "There is therefore now no condemnation to" these. There is no condemnation to them from God; for he hath justified them "freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus." he hath forgiven all their iniquities, and blotted out all their sins. And there is no condemnation to them from within; for they "have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that they might know the things which are freely given to them of God" (1 Cor.2:12); which Spirit "beareth witness with their spirits, that they are the children of God." And to this is added the testimony of their conscience, "that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, they have had their conversation in the world" (2 Cor. 1:12).
3. But because this scripture has been so frequently misunderstood, and that in so dangerous a manner; because such multitudes of "unlearned and unstable men" (hoi amatheis kai asteriktoi, men untaught of God, and consequently unestablished in the truth which is after godliness) have wrested it to their own destruction; I propose to show, as clearly as I can, first who those are which are in Christ Jesus, and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit: and, secondly, how there is no condemnation to these. I shall conclude with some practical inferences.I
2. Now "whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not"; "walketh not after the flesh." The flesh, in the usual language of St. Paul, signifies corrupt nature. In this sense he uses the word, writing to the Galatians, "The works of the flesh are manifest" (Gal. 5:19); and a little before, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust" (or desire) "of the flesh" (v. 16). To prove which, namely, that those who "walk by the Spirit,"do not "fulfil the lusts of the flesh," he immediately adds, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh (for these are contrary to each other); that ye may not do the things which ye would." So the words are literally translated; hina me ha an thelete, tauta poiete, not, "So that ye cannot do the things that ye would"; as if the flesh overcame the Spirit: a translation which hath not only nothing to do with the original text of the Apostle, but likewise makes his whole argument nothing worth; yea, asserts just the reverse of what he is proving.
3. They who are of Christ, who abide in him, "have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts." They abstain from all those works of the flesh; from "adultery and fornication"; from "uncleanness and lasciviousness"; from "idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance" from "emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings"; from every design, and word, and work, to which the corruption of nature leads. Although they feel the root of bitterness in themselves, yet are they endued with power from on high to trample it continually under foot, so that it cannot "spring up to trouble them"; insomuch that every fresh assault which they undergo, only gives them fresh occasion of praise, of crying out, "Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord."
4. They now "walk after the Spirit," both in their hearts and lives. They are taught of him to love God and their neighbour, with a love which is as "a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." And by him they are led into every holy desire, into every divine and heavenly temper, till every thought which arises in their heart is holiness unto the Lord.
5. They who "walk after the Spirit," are also led by him into all holiness of conversation. Their "speech is always in grace, seasoned with salt"; with the love and fear of God. "No corrupt communication comes out of their mouth; but only that which is good," that which is "to the use of edifying," which is "meet to minister grace to the hearers." And herein likewise do they exercise themselves day and night, to do only the things which please God; in all their outward behaviour to follow him "who left us an example that we might tread in his steps"; in all their intercourse with their neighbour, to walk in justice, mercy, and truth; and "whatsoever they do," in every circumstances of life, to "do all to the glory of God.
6. These are they who indeed "walk after the Spirit." Being filled with faith and with the holy Ghost, they possess in their hearts, and show forth in their lives, in the whole course of their words and actions, the genuine fruits of the Spirit of God, namely, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, temperance," and whatsoever else is lovely or praiseworthy. "They adorn in all things the gospel of God our Saviour"; and give full proof to all mankind, that they are indeed actuated by the same Spirit "which raised up Jesus from the dead."II
2. And there is no condemnation in their own breast; no sense of guilt, or dread of the wrath of God. They "have the witness in themselves:" they are conscious of their interest in the blood of sprinkling. "They have not received again the spirit of bondage unto fear," unto doubt and racking uncertainty; but they "have received the Spirit of adoption," crying in their heart, "Abba, Father." Thus, being "justified by faith," they have the peace of God ruling in their hearts; flowing from a continual sense of his pardoning mercy, and "the answer of a good conscience toward God."
3. If it be said, "But sometimes a believer in Christ may lose his sight of the mercy of God; sometimes such darkness may fall upon him that he no longer sees him that is invisible, no longer feels that witness in himself of his part in the atoning blood; and then he is inwardly condemned, he hath again "the sentence of death in himself": I answer, supposing it so to be, supposing him not to see the mercy of God, then he is not a believer: For faith implies light, the light of God shining upon the soul. So far, therefore, as any one loses this light, he, for the time, loses his faith. And, no doubt, a true believer in Christ may lose the light of faith; and so far as this is lost, he may, for a time, fall again into condemnation. But this is not the case of them who now "are in Christ Jesus," who now believe in his name. For so long as they believe, and walk after the Spirit, neither God condemns them, nor their own heart.
4. They are not condemned, secondly, for any present sins, for now transgressing the commandments of God. For they do not transgress them: they do not "walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit." This is the continual proof of their "love of God, that they keep his commandments"; even as St. John bears witness. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. For his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God:" he cannot, so long as that seed of God, that loving, holy faith remaineth in him. So long as "he keepeth himself" herein, "that wicked one toucheth him not." Now it is evident, he is not condemned for the sins which he doth not commit at all. They, therefore, who are thus "led by the Spirit, are not under the law" (Gal. 5:18): not under the curse or condemnation of it; for it condemns none but those who break it. Thus, that law of God, "Thou shalt not steal," condemns none but those who do steal. Thus, "Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy," condemns those only who do not keep it holy. But against the fruits of the Spirit "there is no law" (5:23); as the Apostle more largely declares in those memorable words of his former epistle to Timothy: "We know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this," (if, while he uses the law of God, in order either to convince or direct, he know and remember this), hoti dikaio nomos ou keitai, (not, "that the law is not made for a righteous man," but) "that the law does not lie against a righteous man:" it has no force against him, no power to condemn him; "but against the lawless and disobedient, against the ungodly and sinners, against the unholy and profane; according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." (1 Tim. 1:8, 9, 11).
5. They are not condemned, thirdly, for inward sin, even though it does now remain. That the corruption of nature does still remain, even in those who are the children of God by faith; that they have in them the seeds of pride and vanity, of anger, lust, and evil desire, yea, sin of every kind; is too plain to be denied, being matter of daily experience. And on this account it is, that St. Paul, speaking to those whom he had just before witnessed to be "in Christ Jesus," (1 Cor. 1:2, 9), to have been "called of God into the fellowship" (or participation) "of his Son Jesus Christ"; yet declares, "Brethren, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ" (1 Cor. 3:1): "babes in Christ"; so we see they were "in Christ"; they were believers in a low degree. And yet how much of sin remained in them! of that "carnal mind, which is not subject to the law of God!"
6. And yet, for all this, they are not condemned. Although they feel the flesh, the evil nature, in them; although they are more sensible, day by day, that their "heart is deceitful and desperately wicked"; yet, so long as they do not yield thereto; so long as they give no place to the devil; so long as they maintain a continual war with all sin, with pride, anger, desire, so that the flesh hath not dominion over them, but they still "walk after the Spirit"; "there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." God is well pleased with their sincere, though imperfect. obedience; and they "have confidence toward God," knowing they are his, "by the Spirit which he hath given" them. (1 John 3:24).
7. Nay, fourthly, although they are continually convinced of sin cleaving to all they do; although they are conscious of not fulfilling the perfect law, either in their thoughts, or words, or works; although they know they do not love the Lord their God with all their heart, and mind, and soul, and strength; although they feel more or less of pride, or self-will, stealing in, and mixing with their best duties; although even in their more immediate intercourse with God, when they assemble themselves with the great congregation, and when they pour out their souls in secret to him who seeth all the thoughts and intents of the heart, they are continually ashamed of their wandering thoughts, or of the deadness and dulness of their affections; yet there is no condemnation to them still, either from God or from their own heart. The consideration of these manifold defects only gives them a deeper sense, that they have always need of that blood of sprinkling which speaks for them in the ears of God, and that Advocate with the Father "who ever liveth to make intercession for them." So far are these from driving them away from him in whom they have believed, that they rather drive them the closer to him whom they feel the want of every moment. And, at the same time, the deeper sense they have of this want, the more earnest desire do they feel, and the more diligent they are, as they "have received the Lord Jesus, so to walk in him."
8. They are not condemned, fifthly, for sins of infirmity, as they are usually called. Perhaps it were advisable rather to call them infirmities: that we may not seem to give any countenance to sin, or to extenuate it in any degree, by thus coupling it with infirmity. But (if we must retain so ambiguous and dangerous an expression), by sins of infirmity I would mean, such involuntary failings as the saying a thing we believe true, though, in fact, it prove to be false; or, the hurting our neighbour without knowing or designing it, perhaps when we designed to do him good. Though these are deviations from the holy, and acceptable, and perfect will of God, yet they are not properly sins, nor do they bring any guilt on the conscience of "them which are in Christ Jesus." They separate not between God and them, neither intercept the light of his countenance; as being no ways inconsistent with their general character of "walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
9. Lastly. "There is no condemnation "to them for anything whatever which it is not in their power to help; whether it be of an inward or outward nature, and whether it be doing something or leaving something undone. For instance, the Lord''s Supper is to be administered; but you do not partake thereof. Why do you not? You are confined by sickness; therefore, you cannot help omitting it; and for the same reason you are not condemned. There is no guilt, because there is no choice. As there "is a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, not according to that he hath not."
10. A believer, indeed, may sometimes be grieved: because he cannot do what his soul longs for. He may cry out, when he is detained from worshipping God in the great congregation, "Like as the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God: When shall I come to appear in the presence of God?" he may earnestly desire (only still saying in his heart, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt") to "go again with the multitude, and bring them forth into the house of God." But still, if he cannot go, he feels no condemnation, no guilt, no sense of God''s displeasure; but can cheerfully yield up those desires with, "O my soul, put thy trust in God! for I will yet give him thanks, who is the help of my countenance and my God."
11. It is more difficult to determine concerning those which are usually styled sins of surprise: as when one who commonly in patience possesses his soul, on a sudden and violent temptation, speaks or acts in a manner not consistent with the royal law, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Perhaps it is not easy to fix a general rule concerning transgressions of this nature. We cannot say, either that men are, or that they are not, condemned for sins of surprise in general: but it seems, whenever a believer is by surprise overtaken in a fault, there is more or less condemnation, as there is more or less concurrence of his will. In proportion as a sinful desire, or word, or action is more or less voluntary, so we may conceive God is more or less displeased, and there is more or less guilt upon the soul.
12. But if so, then there may be some sins of surprise which bring much guilt and condemnation. For, in some instances, our being surprised is owing to some wilful and culpable neglect; or, to a sleepiness of soul which might have been prevented, or shaken off before the temptation came. A man may be previously warned either of God or man, that trials and dangers are at hand; and yet may say in his heart, "A little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to rest." Now, if such an one afterwards fall, though unawares, into the snare which he might have avoided, --that he fell unawares, is no excuse; he might have foreseen and have shunned the danger. The falling, even by surprise, in such an instance as this, is, in effect, a wilful sin; and, as such, must expose the sinner to condemnation, both from God and his own conscience.
13. On the other hand, there may be sudden assaults, either from the world, or the god of this world, and frequently from our own evil hearts, which we did not, and hardly could, foresee. And by these even a believer, while weak in faith, may possibly be borne down, suppose into a degree of anger, or thinking evil of another, with scarce any concurrence of his will. Now in such a case, the jealous God would undoubtedly show him that he had done foolishly. He would be convinced of having swerved from the perfect law, from the mind which was in Christ, and consequently, grieved with a godly sorrow, and lovingly ashamed before God. Yet need he not come into condemnation. God layeth not folly to his charge, but hath compassion upon him, "even as a father pitieth his own children." And his heart condemneth him not: in the midst of that sorrow and shame he can still say, "I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."III
2. Wilt thou say, "But I have again committed sin, since I had redemption through his blood? And therefore it is, that "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." It is meet thou shouldest abhor thyself; and it is God who hath wrought thee to this self-same thing. But, dost thou now believe? hath he again enabled thee to say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth"; "and the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God?" Then that faith again cancels all that is past, and there is no condemnation to thee. At whatsoever time thou truly believest in the name of the Son of God, all thy sins, antecedent to that hour, vanish away as the morning dew. Now then, "stand thou fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made thee free." he hath once more made thee free from the power of sin, as well as from the guilt and punishment of it. O "be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage!" --neither the vile, devilish bondage of sin, of evil desires, evil tempers, or words, or works, the most grievous yoke on this side hell; nor the bondage of slavish, tormenting fear, of guilt and self-condemnation.
3. But secondly, do all they which abide "in Christ Jesus, walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit?" Then we cannot but infer, that whosoever now committeth sin, hath no part or lot in this matter. He is even now condemned by his own heart. But, "if our heart condemn us," if our own conscience beareth witness that we are guilty, undoubtedly God doth; for "He is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things" so that we cannot deceive him, if we can ourselves. And think not to say, "I was justified once; my sins were once forgiven me:" I know not that; neither will I dispute whether they were or no. Perhaps, at this distance of time, it is next to impossible to know, with any tolerable degree of certainty, whether that was a true, genuine work of God, or whether thou didst only deceive thy own soul. But this I know, with the utmost degree of certainty, "he that committeth sin is of the devil." Therefore, thou art of thy father the devil. It cannot be denied: for the works of thy father thou doest. O flatter not thyself with vain hopes! Say not to thy soul, "Peace peace!" For there is no peace. Cry aloud! Cry unto God out of the deep; if haply he may hear thy voice. Come unto him as at first, as wretched and poor, as sinful, miserable, blind and naked! And beware thou suffer thy soul to take no rest, till his pardoning love be again revealed; till he "heal thy backslidings," and fill thee again with the "faith that worketh by love."
4. Thirdly. Is there no condemnation to them which "walk after the Spirit," by reason of inward sin still remaining, so long as they do not give way thereto; nor by reason of sin cleaving to all they do? Then fret not thyself because of ungodliness, though it still remain in thy heart. Repine not, because thou still comest short of the glorious image of God; nor yet because pride, self-will, or unbelief, cleave to all thy words and works. And be not afraid to know all this evil of thy heart, to know thyself as also thou art known. Yea, desire of God, that thou mayest not think of thyself more highly than thou oughtest to think. Let thy continual prayer be, Show me, as my soul can bear, The depth of inbred sin; All the unbelief declare, The pride that lurks within. But when he heareth thy prayer, and unveils thy heart; when he shows thee throughly what spirit thou art of; then beware that thy faith fail thee not, that thou suffer not thy shield to be torn from thee. Be abased. Be humbled in the dust. See thyself nothing, less than nothing, and vanity. But still, "Let not thy heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Still hold fast, "I, even I, have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." "And as the heavens are higher than the earth, so is his love higher than even my sins." Therefore, God is merciful to thee a sinner! such a sinner as thou art! God is love; and Christ hath died! Therefore, the Father himself loveth thee! Thou art his child! Therefore he will withhold from thee no manner of thing that is good. Is it good, that the whole body of sin, which is now crucified in thee, should be destroyed? It shall be done! Thou shalt be "cleansed from all filthiness, both of flesh and spirit." Is it good, that nothing should remain in thy heart but the pure love of God alone? Be of good cheer! "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and mind, and soul, and strength." "Faithful is he that hath promised, who also will do it." It is thy part, patiently to continue in the work of faith, and in the labour of love; and in cheerful peace, in humble confidence, with calm and resigned and yet earnest expectation, to wait till the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.
5. Fourthly. If they that "are in Christ," and "walk after the Spirit," are not condemned for sins of infirmity: as neither for involuntary failings, nor for anything whatever which they are not able to help; then beware, O thou that hast faith in his blood, that Satan herein gain no advantage over thee. Thou art still foolish and weak, blind and ignorant; more weak than any words can express; more foolish than it call yet enter into thy heart to conceive; knowing nothing yet as thou oughtest to know. Yet let not all thy weakness and folly, or any fruit thereof, which thou art not yet able to avoid, shake thy faith, thy filial trust in God, or disturb thy peace or joy in the Lord. The rule which some give, as to wilful sins, and which, in that case, may perhaps be dangerous, is undoubtedly wise and safe if it be applied only to the case of weakness and infirmities. Art thou fallen, O man of God? yet, do not lie there, fretting thyself and bemoaning thy weakness; but meekly say, "Lord, I shall fall every moment, unless thou uphold me with thy hand." And then arise! Leap and walk! Go on thy way! "run with patience the race that is set before Thee."
6. Lastly. Since a believer need not come into condemnation, even though he be surprised into what his soul abhors; (suppose his being surprised is not owing to any carelessness or wilful neglect of his own); if thou who believest art thus overtaken in a fault, then grieve unto the Lord; it shall be a precious balm. Pour out thy heart before him, and show him of thy trouble, and pray with all thy might to him who is "touched with the feeling of thy infirmities,"that he would establish, and strengthen and settle thy soul, and suffer thee to fall no more. But still he condemneth thee not. Wherefore shouldest thou fear? Thou hast no need of any "fear that hath torment." Thou shalt love him that loveth thee, and it sufficeth: more love will bring more strength. And, as soon as thou lovest him with all thy heart, thou shalt be perfect and entire, lacking nothing." Wait in peace for that hour, when the God of peace shall sanctify thee wholly, so that thy whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!" This is part of Jesus' Olivet Prophecy, where He predicts conditions before His return—and our redemption is still future!
The conclusion is clear: Sanctification is a process; conversion is a process; and growing and overcoming are a process. We go—proceed—on to perfection, and now we see that redemption is also a process. We do not become completely free of our captivity to Satan and this world in one giant leap. Liberty is produced incrementally, one step at a time. We are indeed the firstfruits of God's great purpose, but we are most assuredly not a finished product—yet. We are under construction, being transformed and brought "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
We are going to be raised with Him as well in the resurrection. Paul repeats the statement in II Timothy 2:11.
The word translated guarantee ("earnest," KJV) in reference to the Holy Spirit means "a pledge," "a security that more will follow." In this sense, "firstfruits" and "guarantee/earnest" are virtually interchangeable (cf. Romans 8:23). What is more, they define matters more clearly: The receipt of the earnest of the Spirit creates what God calls "the firstfruits." Since Pentecost in AD 31 when God performed those marvelous works (Acts 2), the firstfruits are God's peculiar or special possession who have been purchased and are being transformed to glorify Him to the utmost. The firstfruits are the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16), the church of God.
When the word “love” is mentioned, people think of many things. There is family love, romantic love, or commitment given to the other spouse in marriage. These are some examples of love as “an intense feeling of deep affection” or “a great interest or pleasure in something” as defined by the Oxford Languages.
There are four primary types of love: Storge (empathy), Philia (friendship), Eros (romantic), and Agape (unconditional God-like). This article is going to focus on Agape love, about which the Bible has much to say in several passages.
First Corinthians 13:4-6 lists qualities of unconditional love, expecting nothing in return: “patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, and does not take into account a wrong suffered.”
Probably the most well known passage is in Luke 10:30-37. It’s the parable of a man who was robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Two religious people passed by and did nothing. A Samaritan had compassion, stopped to help the man, and tended to his needs. James 2:2-9 speaks of giving attention to a person who is well-off, but ignoring or giving lesser value to one who is poor. Real Christian love will not do that.It is stated in Romans 12:9-16 to “Let love be without hypocrisy…be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor…bless those who persecute you…rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.”
So, who are we to love, aside from our own family? Love needs to be expressed equally to the needy and poor, those who persecute us, or to someone who has a need of the moment. Jesus said in the two Great Commandments to “love our neighbor as yourself.” A “neighbor” is someone who has a need, and you have the wisdom or resources to help that individual. First John 3:17 says, “Whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
Loving others can also include local church congregations helping to revitalize communities and helping in recovery efforts in the wake of natural or human-caused disasters. I read a time ago that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. Author Randy Alcorn states that “love cares for the welfare, not the momentary preferences of the one loved.” The kind of love talked about in the Bible goes contrary to human nature. People often don’t want to express unconditional Agape love with nothing in return. This is why true Christian love must be a fruit of the Holy Spirit, lived out by His presence and power. In what specific ways can you love a hard-to-love person through the power of the Holy Spirit?
I would challenge you to recite the fruits of the Spirit every day, with an emphasis on love.
Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
PENTECOST AND FIRSTFRUITS?
Have you ever noticed that there are two firstfruits feasts in the Old Testament? There's the one just after Passover at the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:9-14), and then there's another 50 days later at Pentecost (Numbers 28:26). And the two Firstfruits festivals are tied together very closely in a number of ways. Not only are they the first day and last day of this fifty day period after Passover, but they also both involve offering wave offerings before the Lord. At the first Feast of Firstfruits, the priest was to wave a sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest before the Lord (Lev. 23:10-11), and at the Pentecost Firstfruits feast two loaves made from the firstfruits of the harvest were to be waved before the Lord (Lev. 23:20).
Logistically this was possible because the wheat harvest happened a bit later than the barley harvest, so there were firstfruits being gathered in at both these times. But the Bible doesn't emphasise which crop was being harvested at all. It simply emphasises the firstfruits, presented first as a sheaf and then as a loaf — first as the raw material, and then as its result.
The first Feast of Firstfruits very clearly points us to the resurrection of Christ as the Firstfruits from among the dead (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20). Jesus is the grain of wheat who fell down into the ground and died, only to rise up in newness of life to bring forth much fruit (cf. John 12:23-24). His resurrection is the firstfruits of an abundant harvest to come, as through His resurrection we are born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).
But what about the second Day of Firstfruits — the one we know better by the name of Pentecost? It can be tempting to forget about the 'firstfruits' aspect of Pentecost. We want to associate it with fullness: Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit in the fullness of power and as a result a full harvest is brought in as people from every tribe and tongue come to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Pentecost is glorious, and so we're tempted to think that this is now the completion of the harvest. But it's not. It's still the firstfruits (Numbers 28:26).
And we need to remember that in a few different ways.
First, the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 saw a wonderful harvest from all over the Roman world. But as glorious as that was, it was still only a foretaste of what was to come. Israelites from all over the world came to know Jesus that day and were baptised in water. But before long non-Israelites from all those countries and more would be coming to Jesus for salvation and be added to His Church as well. And the 3,000 people added to the church on that day pales in comparison to the billions of people who have been added to Christ's church since then. The Day of Pentecost was a glorious day. But it was only the firstfruits of the harvest to come.
Second, glorious as the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit is, it's only a foretaste of what's to come. Here and now we can 'taste the powers of the age to come' as we partake of the Spirit (Hebrews 6:4-5), but as wonderful as that is, it's only the beginning of what's to come. The fullness of the Spirit in heaven will be much more heavenly. When we are raised with our bodies so transformed that they can be called 'spiritual' bodies (1 Corinthians 15:44) we'll be able to know and enjoy much more of the fullness of the Holy Spirit than we could ever imagine here and now. For now, we have 'the firstfruits of the Spirit' (Rom. 8:23), but in the resurrection we will rejoice in the Spirit's fullness. The gift of Pentecost is glorious. But is is only the firstfruits of the fullness to come.
Third, the two firstfruits go together. Even though they were two different harvests in Israel, the timing of the Pentecost Day of Firstfruits depended entirely on the timing of the first Feast of Firstfruits (which depended on the Passover). You couldn't have the Day of Firstfruits without the Feast of Firstfruits. You couldn't have Pentecost without Passover. And the same is true of the New Testament reality to which these feasts point. The firstfruits of the Spirit and of the harvest depend on the Christ's resurrection as the firstfruits from among the dead. You can't have the Day of Pentecost, the evangelistic harvest of the church, or the present-day outpouring of the Holy Spirit without the resurrection of the crucified Saviour. Yes, Pentecost is only the beginning of things that will become much greater. But it's not a complete beginning. Because Pentecost relies on the cross and empty tomb. The power of Pentecost flows from the cross and the empty tomb. Because at Pentecost it's Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain for the sins of the world and yet now lives, who baptises His people in the Holy Spirit.
This is the third in the Bible study series examining the feasts of the Lord. We saw that the first two feasts, Passover and Unleavened bread, had their Messianic fulfillment in the death and burial of the Lord Jesus. Any ideas what event this feast, first fruits, would then speak of? Ok, so it's best I don't give away prizes for getting this one right because it is hopefully pretty straight forward! The feast of first fruits is all about the resurrection of Jesus. Like the first two feasts, we shall find that God is very specific again on the day that this should be celebrated and for good reason as we shall see. So like the previous studies we will examine the biblical account and commands concerning this festival as well as the personal and Messianic fulfillments. Let's start with the Bible account that is given in Leviticus.
The Biblical commands concerning the feast of firstfruits
Leviticus 23:9-14 The LORD said to Moses, (10) Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. (11) He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. (12) On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, (13) together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil--an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma--and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. (14) You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
The feast of Firstfruits has been called by a few different names. It's Hebrew name is 'Reshit Ketzivchem' which means 'the fruit of your harvest'. It is also known as the 'Feast of Omer' and the 'Feast of the Wave-sheath'.1 The feasts of God are based around different harvest times.
The barley harvest arrived first in the March/April period. So this feast of the firstfruits was to do with the barley harvest. Then came the wheat harvest normally around May and was associated with the feast of weeks (Pentecost). Finally the fruit harvest (grapes, figs, pomegranates etc) came later around September and were associated with the fall feasts. So God instructed the Israelites that before reaping the barley harvest they were to take a sheaf of the first grain to the priest who would wave it before the Lord. As they waved the firstfruits to the left and the right, it was symbolising that this sheaf that they had represented the entire crop. Until they did this the rest of their crop was not 'kosher' (acceptable). They did this to acknowledge and thank the Lord for the coming harvest and to ask His blessing upon it. It was to be a joyous occasion trusting that the One who gave them the firstfruits would also bless the full harvest. As well as waving the sheaf before the Lord, they were to offer a burnt offering and a drink offering. They were not to eat bread or continue the harvest until this offering of the firstfruits had been made to the Lord.Now there was a specific day on which they were to do this. No date is given (as is given in several of the other feasts) but following the feast of Unleavened Bread this feast was to occur 'on the day after the Sabbath'. So this feast was to occur on the first day of the week after Passover/Unleavened Bread.
The Messianic Fulfillment of firstfruits
We are not left in any doubt as to how this feast was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us clearly:
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. (22) For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Christ fulfilled the feast of firstfruits by being the firstfruits of the resurrection. Others in the Bible (such as Lazarus and Jairus' daughter) had been raised from the dead prior to Christ's resurrection but they were resurrected back into their old bodies which would eventually die again. Jesus was the first to be raised into a new resurrection body, never to die again! So He is the 'sheaf', the first of the harvest, that is waved before the Lord in celebration and with thanksgiving. In his book 'Thus shalt thou serve' C.W Slemming writes this little interesting point: 'When the sheaves were cut from the fields and carried to the city, small vacant spots were left behind. When the Lord rose from the dead, He left behind Him a small vaccant spot, which still remains as a reminder of His resurrection - it is an empty tomb!'
And just as the sheaf was waved to represent the entire harvest to the left and the right, so the resurrection of Jesus was not just for Himself. He represented the many that 'shall come from the east and the west' (Mat 8:11) to faith in Him and be raised from the dead as well! As the offerings that were made on the feast of firstfruits were a sweet savor to God2, how much greater was the sweetness on the day Jesus rose from the dead? Corresponding to the fact that the crop was not kosher until the firstfruits were waved before God, so it took the resurrection of the Jesus to make us acceptable to God - Romans 4:25 'He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.' Or, as Paul said: 1 Corinthians 15:17 'And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.'But thank God that death could not hold Him down! And what of the day that this was to happen? We read above that this wave offering before the Lord of the firstfruits was to occur 'the day after the Sabbath'. This is the first day of the week - Sunday - The day that Jesus rose from the dead!3
Mark 16:9 Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene...' 4
A closer look at the date of resurrection - The Mystery of the 17th
I have previously written a study on 'The mystery of the 17th' based on the interesting events that have occurred on this day in the Old Testament. I would like to give a quick summary of these events here for they are all linked and are types of this day that Jesus was raised. So to quickly recap, the Passover lambs were sacrificed on the 14th Nisan. This is the day Jesus died. The feast of unleavened bread started the next day, on the 15th Nisan. This was when Jesus was buried in the tomb. The day after the Sabbath was the feast of firstfruits - this was the 17th Nisan. Which brings us to our question...Apart from the feast of firstfruits, what other events occurred on this day and what do they have to do with 'resurrection'? Argh... now you are asking the right kind of questions!
The Mysterious 17th of NisanNoah's ark comes through the waters and rests on the earth for the first time bringing new life to Noah and his family on the 17th of Nisan. (Gen 8:4)5 Coming through the waters and resting on dry land was a picture of the resurrection. Noah and his family were the firstfruits of what would be a whole new life!
Israel came through the Red Sea on the 17th of Nisan having left at Passover on the 14th. (Chumney, 'The seven festivals of the Messiah', page 70). For them this was death to their old life (with the drowning of the Egyptians) and resurrection to a new life in God on the 17th!
The manna which had fed the nation of Israel for the 40 years in the wilderness stopped on the 16th of Nisan and from the 17th onwards Israel feasted on the new grain of the promised land (Josh 5:10-12). This again is a picture of the new life in the Promised Land that came on the 17th!
The death sentence hung over the entire Israelite nation as their sworn enemy, Haman, had convinced the king to sign a decree to destroy them (Esther 3:1-12). The decree went out on the 13th Nisan (Esther 3:12). Esther then proclaimed a three day fast (Esther 4:16) for the 14th, 15th and 16th. On the 3rd day (5:1) Esther approached the king saying to herself 'If I perish, I perish!' (an attitude of death or resurrection... it's in God's hands!) On the 17th Nisan, the tables were turned on the enemy Haman and instead of the Jews being destroyed, his own life was taken! Again, a picture of life out death on this amazing day!
The personal fulfillment of the feast of Firstfruits
The good thing about the word 'firstfruits' is the word 'first'. If there is a first, then there will be others that follow. Hopefully that includes you! This is what Paul was teaching in the Corinthian passage quoted above. Have a look at it again:
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. (22) For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Paul is reminding us that Jesus' resurrection is a guarantee of our resurrection (as long as we belong to Him!) He has been raised and has a new resurrection body but the same will happen to all that are His at the right time. And that right time is the return of Jesus Christ for His bride. This will be covered in a lot more detail in the 'Feast of Trumpets'. Using the imagery of a grain of wheat going down into the ground Jesus said:
John 12:24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Believers in Jesus Christ are the many 'seeds' that He spoke about. He fell into the ground and died but He didn't remain there! He rose up again and in like manner, the 'many seeds' - those that believe in Him, will do likewise. And they will have a new body like unto His new body.
1 Corinthians 15:41-44 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. (42) So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; (43) it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; (44) it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
But we shouldn't just think that we are to wait until His return to have new life. No. The personal aspect of firstfruits reminds us that we are new creations now. Yes, we still live in a fallen world in a fallen body so, just as you may have possibly experienced, that brings with it one, two or a few thousand issues with it... But praise God that believers in Him have been born again, are a new creation in Him, and have been given the Holy Spirit to be in us what we are not. And even this gift of the Spirit is mentioned in terms of being a 'firstfruits'. There is so much more still to come!
Romans 8:22-23 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (23) Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
We are new creations with the Spirit of God. In light of this, our personal response and fulfillment of this feast is be 'consecrated' unto Him and offer ourselves back to the Lord for His use.
Romans 6:13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.At the personal level, the feast of Unleavened Bread spoke of being separated FROM sin/leaven. The feast of firstfruits speaks of being separated UNTO the Lord (consecrated).
A further look at the harvests
As mentioned earlier, the three main harvest in Israel revolved around the barley, wheat and fruit harvests. Norton (Unlocking the secrets of the feasts, page 40,41) sees a parallel here with the three main spiritual harvests throughout the ages.
The barley harvest came first where they use a process called winnowing to toss the barley kernels into the wind to separate the kernel from the chaff. Norton writes: 'The head of the barley is very soft and easily crushed. This reminds me of the birth of the church at Pentecost where the Holy Spirit came like a wind and indwelt believers as reported in Acts 2:1-2... In the order of the resurrections, the church is first to be resurrected, just as the barley is the first to be harvested.'
The wheat harvest was next. Norton writes 'Since the head of the wheat is hard, it must be threshed or crushed to separate the wheat from the chat A man who is threshing the wheat stands on a large board, which has bits of glass underneath it, and is pulled by a horse over the wheat to do the crushing. I found it quite telling that the board is called by a Latin word: "tribulum". Many people. including Jews. will come to Christ in the tribulation6, as noted in Revelation 7:9 - 14. It is interesting that you can also tell the difference between a field of wheat and a field of barley. While the heads of the stock of barley bend down like they are bowing in humility (see picture above), the heads of the stocks of wheat stay straight up. I am reminded of Deuteronomy 31:27 where Moses sail to the children of Israel: 'For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord, then how much more after my death?' The church will he resurrected first (the barley). while those who become believers in the tribulation (the wheat) shall be resurrected during the tribulation if they die in that period. In a sense they were harvested under the crushing of the "tribulum".'
Finally we have the fruit harvest in the Autumn (Fall) season. This is the last of the harvests and in scripture applies to unbelievers. Revelation speaks in graphic detail of this harvest unto judgement. We read: Revelation 14:15-20 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." ...(18) Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe." (19) So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. (20) And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.Conclusion
Previously we have looked at how the feasts have portrayed the death and burial of Jesus. But this feast of Firstfruits celebrates, through the priest waving the sheaf before the Lord, the glorious resurrection of the Lord. Because He was accepted, so are all those in Him. Because He was resurrected, so will those who belong to Him. Don't you think it is amazing truth that God has hidden in each of these feasts? I certainly do. God has laid out the plan for the seven major events of human history! The next feast is equally as instructive for it outlines the exact day on which the Holy Spirit will come and indwell the bride of Christ.
Taken from Arnold Fructenbaum's study pamphlet on the Feasts of Israel. ↩
A.C Gaebelein in his commentary on Leviticus 23 writes the following concerning the offerings that were made along with the wave offering of the firstfruits: 'In connection with the waving of the sheaf of firstfruits there were offerings. But of what kind? 'A he lamb without blemish for a burnt offering unto the LORD,' a meal offering and a drink offering. No sin offering was demanded, for that was accomplished when He died. The offerings were a sweet savour, telling forth once more the blessedness and value of His own person and work. And in Him we are accepted; with Him the firstfruits we shall be forever.' ↩
I have met people, and have had people email in to the website, that believe Jesus rose on the Saturday. Those that believe this usually believe that He died on the previous Wednesday and can't really have him rising on the Sunday for that would then be four nights in the grave instead of three. As well as the scripture indicated in Mark that specifically says He was raised on the first day of the week (Sunday) it is useful to point out the prophetic type that is before us today. The feast of firstfruits, God said, was to be waved on the day after the Sabbath. If Jesus rose on Saturday, the Sabbath, then that would have been the day that God instructed the feast of firstfruits to be celebrated on. But it wasn't. It was Sunday, the first day of the week. The first day of the new week speaks of the start of something new. it speaks of the resurrection unto new life. It speaks of the new creation. Jesus' resurrection was not to be associated with the first first week of creation (which it would have been if He rose on the seventh day) but on what we could call 'the 8th day' - a new creation by God. ↩
Concerning Mary's post resurrection encounter with Jesus, Michael Norton writes in his book 'Unlocking the secrets of the feasts' about another parallel with Christ that is explained through knowledge of the firstfruits: 'We immediately observe another thing in John 20:17, which had always puzzled me. When Mary recognized the resurrected Lord, He tells her, 'Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.' I never fully understood why He said that to Mary. Why couldn't she touch Him? I discovered the reason when I read what Flavius Josephus wrote about the barley. He explained that the Jews could not touch the barley before the day of firstfruits. Once the barley sheaf was presented to God by the priest, the barley crop could be harvested for use. Since Jesus was the Firstfruits, He had to go to the Father before anyone could touch Him. We see that after He had been to the Father and back, Thomas could touch Him. As John 20:27 states, 'Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and he not unbelieving, but believing.' ↩
Please note that Genesis uses the civil calendar. The 'religious' calendar was not given until the time of the Exodus (Exodus 12:1). So Genesis speaks of the seventh month and the seventeenth day. This is the exact same day as what in the religious calendar God said should be their first month. In other words, this is Nisan 17th - the day Jesus was raised from the dead. ↩
It is interesting and worth noting that if the wheat harvest is to symbolise those who come to the Lord through the tribulation then the Bible tells us who are the first in this harvest. In Revelation chapter 14, speaking of the 144,000 Jews from the 12 tribes of Israel are called the 'firstfruits unto God' (Rev 14:4). In what sense could they possibly be firstfruits when Jesus and the early believers are called firstfruits (james 1;18) and these 144,000 believers come to the Lord over 2000 years later? Only in the sense that the tribulation period, also known as Daniel's 70th week, is a distinct period set apart from the current church age of grace. They are the firstfruits of the tribulation period. The firstfruits of the wheat harvest that requires the 'tribulum' to bring them in. ↩
The Feast of the First Fruits Leviticus 23:9-14 1 Corinthians 15:20
God claims the first fruits of everything. He has first claim on our lives.
The feast of the first fruits is closely associated with the Passover and the unleavened bread. They were held consecutively on the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth days of the first month of the Jewish calendar.
Although the Passover was established the night Israel left Egypt, it was not celebrated until forty years later in the Promised Land. The feast of first fruits was not observed until the nation entered the Promised Land. The feast of first fruits was a celebration of God's provision in the Land. For forty years they had eaten manna, the food of the wilderness journey. Now it was time to celebrate the promise of God's abundant harvest in the land of provision.
"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest'" (Leviticus 23:9–10). Barley would be the first grain to ripen in Israel. After the barley came the fruit, olives, grapes and finally wheat.
The Jewish people at the time of the sowing of seed would mark off certain barley in the field. When the time the harvest season arrived, men would carry a sickle and basket and on command reap the specially designated grain. The men would march to the Tabernacle bringing a sheaf of the first fruits of the harvest to the priest. The priest would wave the sheaf accompanied by burnt and meal offerings. "He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord" (vv. 11–12).
This first fruits offering represented the whole harvest yet in the field. Men gave thanks for the harvest while it still stood in the field. God still claims first fruits of everything. It belongs to Him, even before it is harvested.
Jesus Christ is the Passover lamb who shed His blood to redeem us. The apostle Paul saw the resurrection of Christ as the first fruits of a greater resurrection day in 1 Corinthians 15:20–25.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
Jesus described Himself as the grain of wheat that fell into ground and died, that it might spring to life and bring much fruit. Jesus said to His disciples, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:23–24). The hour of His glorification was His crucifixion and resurrection.
The feast of first fruits was the third day after Passover. Christ rose from the dead as the first fruits of the resurrection on the third day from His death.
Christ is the first representative of the whole resurrection harvest that will take place when He returns. On the day in which He rose from the dead Jesus said to Mary, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that He had said these things to her" (John 20:17–18). Our Great High Priest was waving the first fruits of the resurrection harvest!
Our Lord Jesus Christ is in the presence of the Father in heaven as the representative of the whole church that is still in the field waiting the harvest. The first fruits is a living testimony to God's sovereignty and says to a watching world, "Because I live, you shall live also."
The tomb is empty! Jesus rose from the dead! He is alive. He is the first to rise from the dead in expectation of a greater harvest.
Jesus is the first fruits designated by God the Father until the day when He shall come again to gather in His redeemed. One great resurrection day He will gather the harvest from the grave of those who have been laid to rest in the grave, and gather all who are alive and remain in one grand harvest of all the redeemed of all ages.
The apostle Paul declared the next great even with these words in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."
And if that great expectation weren't enough Paul tells us another great "first fruits" that we have already experienced. He wrote to the Roman Christians, "And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:23). We have received the down payment, the first fruits of the Holy Spirit. There is more to follow! Can you imagine what it is going to be like in heaven in the presence of the LORD God for all eternity? We have only tasted what it is going to be like when He comes for us. The presence of the Holy Spirit guarantees the promise.
The apostle John was permitted to see what is taking place in heaven, about the throne of God. He heard the new song they are singing about the throne. He saw the Lamb, and those who follow Him wherever He goes. "These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb" (Revelation 14:4). He goes forth with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.
But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other" (Matthew 24:29–31).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Even today.
The second major festival of the Israelite liturgical calendar was Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew). The “feast of Weeks” is more exactly the feast of seven weeks, for beginning on the day after Passover (the 16th of Nisan), the Israelites counted forty-nine days, then commenced the celebration of the feast of Weeks on the following day (Lev 23:15-16; Deut 16:9-10). Because it fell on the fiftieth day after Passover, Weeks was also called “Pentecost”, that is, “fiftieth” (e.g., Acts 2:1; 20:16; 1 Cor 16:8).
Pentecost is an agricultural festival. Believers presented to the Lord two loaves of bread, made from fine flour, and baked with leaven, as the first-fruits of the wheat harvest. In addition to the grain offering, they offered one bull, two rams, seven lambs, along with a sin offering of a male goat, and two male lambs for a peace offering (Lev 23:15-19; Num 28:26-31). Since the first sheaf of the barley harvest was presented to YHWH on the day after Passover (Lev 23:11), and the first sheaf of the wheat harvest was offered fifty days later (23:15), Passover and Pentecost marked the beginning and end of the grain harvest.
Pentecost and the Giving of the Law at Sinai
Over time, Pentecost came to be celebrated as the anniversary feast of the giving of the Law or the establishment of the covenant at Sinai. This is attested in Jewish writings such as Jubilees (1st century BC) and the Babylonian Talmud. There are hints in the OT itself, however, that Pentecost was linked to the giving of the law. In Exod 19:1, Moses writes that the Israelites arrived in the wilderness of Sinai “in the third month” after they had left Egypt. Since they left on the day after Passover, in the middle of the first month (Exod 12:2, 6), the fiftieth day after Passover would have fallen within this third month. Also, in 2 Chr 15:10-15, the Chronicler describes a gathering in Jerusalem, during the third month, where the covenant was celebrated and renewed. A later Aramaic paraphrase of Chronicles, called a Targum, says expressly that the Israelites gathered in Jerusalem during the festival of Weeks.
Pentecost and the Jubilee Year
The Israelites celebrated the Jubilee Year during the fiftieth year following every “seven sabbaths of years” or forty-nine years (Lev 25:8-55; 27:16-25; Num 36:4). During this year, any ancestral land that Israelites families had sold was given back to them. Also, any Israelite who, induced by poverty, had sold himself (or been sold) into slavery to a fellow Israelite regained his liberty. Not only the people, but the land itself was “freed” from being worked. No planting or sowing, harvesting or reaping took place during the fiftieth year. Like the sabbatical year (every seventh year), the jubilee year was a great sabbath or rest for the people of YHWH and the land that belonged to him. Therefore, because of the Jubilee Year, the number fifty is closely associated with the remission of debts, emancipation of slaves, and rest within God’s protective care. Like the festival held every fifty years, so the festival held every year on the fiftieth day proclaimed the following: (1) God had freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt; (2) he had fulfilled his promise to give them the Holy Land; (3) he provided rest for them from their labors.
The Christian Pentecost as the Fulfillment of the OT Feast of Weeks
1. Fifty Day Period of Anticipation: As the days between Passover and Pentecost were symbolic of the days of waiting between the Israelites’ departure from Egypt and entrance into Canaan, when they could finally offer the first-fruits from the soil of the holy land, so these days between the Passover resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the first-fruits of the Spirit on Pentecost were days of waiting (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4).
2. First-Fruits of the Spirit: As the Israelites celebrated Pentecost, they offered to God the first-fruits of the wheat harvest (Lev 23:17), but at the new Pentecost, God offered to His church the first-fruits of the Spirit (Rom 8:23; Eph 1:13-14). By offering to God the first-fruits of grain, the believer bore witness that whole field and crop belonged to God, whose continued blessing was requested through the sacrifice itself. Similarly, Christ places the Spirit within the believer as a pledge that the whole person, body and soul, belongs to him. He will continue to care for that person in whom the first-fruits of the Spirit are present until the “full harvest,” as it were, of the resurrection of the flesh.
3. Divine Speech from Divine Fire: When the law was given from Sinai, God appeared in a “thick cloud” (Exod 19:9); at the sound of a “ram’s horn” (19:13); with “thunder and lightning flashes” (19:16); and in “smoke...like the smoke of a furnace,” (19:18). And “the mountain was burning with fire unto the heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick darkness,” (Deut 4:11). Then the Lord spoke to the Israelites “from the midst of the fire," (4:12, 15, 33; cf. 5:22-26). He “showed [them] his great fire and [they] heard his words from the midst of the fire,” (4:36). At Jerusalem, on the other hand, there was the “rushing of a violent wind” from heaven (Acts 2:2); “divided tongues, as of fire, which rested upon each one of them,” (2:3); and the apostolic proclamation(s) of the Gospel in unlearned languages. In both cases, there was divine speech connected with divine fire, but the message could not have been more different.
4. The Preaching of a New Covenant: If the OT Pentecost was an annual celebration of the giving of the first covenant, then the NT Pentecost is an annual celebration of the giving of the new covenant. This new covenant was prophesied by Jeremiah (31:31-34); established by Jesus at the Last Supper (Luke 22:20); and preached by the apostles at the pouring out of the Spirit (Acts 2). Christ laid upon the listeners not the “ten words” for them to fulfill; rather, he proclaimed the fulfillment of the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms in himself (cf. Luke 24:44).
5. The Year of Jubilee: During the OT year of Jubilee, there was a focus on freedom from bondage, the gift of the holy land, and rest from labor. Jesus bestowed all three of these gifts in greater measure during his ministry (Luke 4:18-19). The Spirit who anointed Jesus to work these deeds is the same Spirit who came upon the apostles at Pentecost to preach freedom from sin, the gift of the kingdom of God, and rest in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
After all, are tithes (the firstfruits) and offerings biblical or unbiblical?
– When a person considers himself to be a servant of God, but is not faithful with the first 10% (firstfruits of God), will he be able to be faithful with 100% of his life on the Altar?
– When a servant does not have faith to serve the LORD with the firstfruits, will he have faith to serve Him with his life (100%)?
– And when he does not have faith to love and serve the LORD with all his might, with all his understanding and with all his soul, will he have faith to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit?
– Do you think robbers (not servants) have the right to be sealed with the Spirit of the LORD?
– Do you think it is possible for a servant of the lord of unrighteousness or sin to be blessed by the LORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS? Would this be fair in the eyes of God?
The firstfruits have to do with recognizing JESUS CHRIST as the FIRST LOVE, PRIORITY AND CONSIDERATION AS LORD of those who serve Him.
The simple fact of not considering the LORD as First already shows infidelity from the person that claims to be His servant.
Finally, when the Holy Spirit does not convince the “servant” of his sin, it is because there is nothing that can be done for him.
Firstfruits and Pentecost
Leviticus 23 is punctuated with the phrase “And the Lord spake unto Moses.” The first reference is in verse 1, with no repeat till verse 9 and the next at verse 23. These divisions link Passover with Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits with the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). So while Firstfruits featured during Unleavened Bread, it does connect with Pentecost. Pentecost anticipates the descent of the Spirit and the formation of the Church, so it is fitting that it relates to Firstfruits. The giving of the Spirit was dependent on the glorification of the Lord Jesus; “the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified” (Joh 7:39). A risen, glorified Man at God’s right hand sent the Comforter (16:7).
Firstfruits and Unleavened Bread
Having noted the link with Pentecost, it must also be significant that the sheaf of Firstfruits was waved during the week of Unleavened Bread. Remember, unleavened bread pictures the believer’s life, a life that should be free from the corrupting effects of sin. Is that possible in a decadent world? Only in the power of the risen Christ is it possible. The “exceeding greatness” of God’s power toward us is equated with “the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” (Eph 1:19-20). Our union with the resurrected Christ empowers us to “walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). “Christ liveth in me,” said the apostle (Gal 2:20), and therein lies the secret for holy living. Firstfruits and Unleavened Bread cannot be divorced!
A Feast for the Land
“Then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest.” When? “When ye be come into the land which I give unto you” (Lev 23:10). Firstfruits was a feast for the land. There could be no harvest in the wilderness, but there was the promise of the land, where the fertile soil that drank in the rain of heaven would yield a plentiful crop. Annually, the first sheaf of harvest was waved before the Lord; God’s interests must come first.
How kind of God to grant this further pledge of Israel’s inheritance! It is good of Him, too, to give present-day believers assurances of an inheritance that is “reserved in heaven for you” (1Pe 1:4). Israel’s inheritance was earthly, but ours is heavenly. He has given “the firstfruits of the Spirit” to us here and now (Rom 8:23), the guarantee of multiple blessings awaiting at “the redemption of our body.” Paul conveys a similar thought when he describes the Spirit as “the earnest of our inheritance” (Eph 1:14), the present assurance of future blessing.
The Waving of the Sheaf
When the sheaf was gathered, the priest would “wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you” (Lev 23:11). Remember, the sheaf foreshadows Christ in resurrection, so He is pictured as a resurrected man being presented in celestial courts. Divine power took Him from lying motionless in the garden tomb right to the very apex of glory, “set at his own right hand … far above all …” (Eph 1:19-23). He has entered “into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Heb 9:24). “The Sheaf” has been waved before the Lord in all the acceptability of His Person and work, and for our acceptance.
The Lord’s resurrection was a necessary sequel to His death, denoting divine satisfaction with what He accomplished on the cross. He was “delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom 4:25). At conversion, we did not just believe that He rose from the dead, but that God raised Him from the dead, an indication that He was totally content with what was transacted at Calvary (10:9). The sinner who believes that God raised Him from the dead is saying, in effect, “If His sacrifice at the cross satisfied God, it is sufficient for me as well; I rest there.” So, in picture, the sheaf of firstfruits was signifying that all that transpired was for our “acceptance.” His continued presence as a man in the glory ensures sympathetic interest in days of trial (Heb 4:15) and necessary help in restoring the joy of fellowship with the Father if we sin (1Jo 2:1).
The Offerings
Various offerings accompanied the waving of the sheaf. The burnt offering indicates that God’s pleasure at His death lingers permanently with the presence of the living Christ in glory. The meat offering demonstrates that His holy character was not impaired by death, His flesh saw no corruption, and holy manhood has been carried into heaven. The One who is there is holy, harmless and undefiled (Heb 7:26). The wine of the drink offering denotes the joy that the vindication of His resurrection has produced. As He moved to the cross, there was a “joy that was set before him” (12:2), and He has now been anointed “with the oil of gladness” (1:9).
Christ the Firstfruits
As mentioned, Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 15 is that, logically, anyone who believes in Christ’s resurrection must accept the general concept of resurrection. So the Lord Jesus is said to be the “firstfruits of them that slept”; His people will be raised “at his coming” (vv20-23). A small minority of the Church will survive till then, to be raptured without dying at all, but many millions have “fallen asleep” and will require resurrection. His resurrection guarantees ours. He “shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs” (Act 1:3), so our hope of resurrection is well founded on irrefutable evidence. Thank God for “Christ the firstfruits”!
This verse expresses the idea Christians are newly created, regenerated beings. It says that our new nature is the result of the action of the “word of truth” for the divine purpose of being a “kind of first-fruit” among all of creation. This statement implies what Paul says clearly in Eph 2:8-10, namely that regeneration is something accomplished by Christ (the word of truth) and not by ourselves and it is done for his purpose, not ours. It seems to me we have a divine purpose in our existence and to do anything other than fulfill that purpose with the gifts he’s given us seems like an insult to him.
1.18.1 What does James mean by “brought forth?”
Gen 1:24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. God initially brought forth everything in creation in the first chapter of Genesis.
The words of the Greek phrase have nearly identical meaning to the phrase in Gen 1:24. In each case the words used generally refer to birth, but in each of these cases they can and do also mean the act of creation. Birth, after all, is a step in the creative (or procreative) process. Just as God created the world and all the living things in it, He created each of us as individual human souls and recreates (2 Cor 5:17, Gal 5:16) us through the act and process of being born again (Jn 3:3).
1.18.2 What is “born again”?
Jn 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” From the beginning of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus took charge of the conversation. He began with this statement to Nicodemus. Jesus didn’t use this language with most others he encountered. Using this language with Nicodemus was appropriate because he was a student of the scriptures. He would have understood the many references to repentance and renewal of heart.
Question 1.15.5 asked if birth was the start of life, but the scriptures dealing with birth had more to do with entering a system of living rather than the actual start of existence. It seems logical, then, that to be born again really means that you start living live under a new system.
Ez 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. God cares about the condition of the heart above all else. Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he needed to experience a radical heart change.
Lk 13:5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. The word repent literally means to change. Jesus did not use the phrase “born again” here, but the meaning appears to be very much the same.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. Indeed, to be born again implies an end to a previous life. It is a change of heart, a change of mind, a completely regenerated being. There is no room for the old.
1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God of our Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Peter also writes about being born again. The important point in this verse is “…he has caused…”. Man cannot cause rebirth, but can only experience it. It is a gift (Ro 3:24), something we cannot earn (Eph 2:8-9). As Peter says, Blessed be God.
1.18.3 How do we go about becoming born again?
In the realm of pop-Christianity the “Roman Road” is frequently used in personal evangelism. The goal of this technique is to illicit a confession of sin, faith, and prayer for forgiveness. While the steps of realizing one’s sin, admitting our inability to overcome it on our own and acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice in faith are necessary steps, they are only the beginning. A new and changed life is required.
Salvation isn’t an equation with a fixed number of steps to be carried out to a logical end. That’s why there are so many books in the bible written by so many authors. Each book tells a story and most include examples how salvation is sought and discovered, or missed.
Entering into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ isn’t a light decision. The next few questions should perhaps be considered before advancing to a more proper answer of this one. We shall return to this question a bit later in the study…
1.18.4 Why would you want to be born again?
Rev 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” There will no longer be separation between man and God. God will live with man and there will be no more tears, no more death, no more pain. All the crap will be gone. Not only does life continue into eternity, but it will be the life described in this passage. This is prize Paul spoke of (1 Cor 9:24, Phil 3:14), the hope of the Glory of God (Ro 5:2).
1.18.5 Why wouldn’t you want to be born again?
Rev 20:13-15 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Anyone who wants to join Satan, the false prophet and the beast in the lake of fire (Rev 19:20), might not want to be born again. Anyone else who doesn’t want to be born again simply doesn’t understand or refuses to believe the implications of that decision.
1.18.6 Is it God’s will for all to be born again?
1 Tim 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Either he’s the savior of all people or he isn’t. Or, just maybe, this passage doesn’t really mean what we tend to think it means by only a casual reading. Let’s examine a few more references for clarification.
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him Regardless of what happens to those who don’t obey him, we have the promise of eternal salvation to those who do obey him.
Mt 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Jesus will save his people, but what about those who aren’t his?
1 Cor 5:1-5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. The man Paul is speaking of is a member of the Corinthian church. This member, supposedly a born again man, is living in heinous sin. Paul is advising the other members to throw him out. Paul goes on to say that Satan will destroy the man’s flesh, but Jesus would still save his soul. The grace of our Lord exceeds understanding and exists out of or in spite of linear time. Even so, this is not an argument for Jesus saving all.
Jn 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jn 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Apparently it is possible to miss out on eternal salvation after all. Clearly not all will be saved (Rev 20:15).
As to reconciling 1 Tim 4:10 with Jn 3:5, I have a theory. In context one has to realize Paul was writing to Timothy, a fellow preacher. More specifically, examine the balance of 1 Tim 4 and in particular verse 6 where Paul makes it clear he’s addressing issues within the church. It stands to reason, then, that Paul’s use of the word “all” in verse 10 can justifiably be restricted to mean all within the church body.
1.18.7 How do you know if you’re born again?
Gal 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. I believe the concept of being born again is profound in both its simplicity and its complexity. Fundamentally it means you are living a new life. That new life necessarily includes spiritual regeneration with a desire and active effort toward obedience to Jesus. The passage from Gal 5:22-24 illustrates such an example.
1.18.8 What are the responsibilities of being born again?
Mt 5:17-20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. God is holy (Rev 4:8). We are called to be holy (Lev 11:45) because we are to follow Christ (Lk 9:23).
1.18.9 What must we do to become born again?
Isa 55:1-3 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Just as a mother gives bodily birth to a new child, so the Spirit breathes life into our spirits, bringing them alive for the first time. Birth is only the start of a system of living. Follow Jesus. Listen to his words and hear him well so that you can do as he instructs and you will be living in the new system and thus born again.
I would like to mention a variable collection of passages commonly called the “Roman Road.” While I don’t have a problem with any of those verses – they are all part of scripture, after all – boiling the Gospel message down to a formula isn’t the technique Jesus used. He speaks to individual hearts with individual messages. The heart changes and the behavior with it. If either changes alone then both are empty, assuming either could change without the other. People often think Paul and James say opposing things on this and that’s just not true. They merely focus on different sides of the same coin. Jesus spoke to the heart and the positive results were seen in the form of action resulting from the changed heart.
1.18.10 What is the “Word of Truth?”
Jn 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus established himself as Truth.
Gen 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God spoke light into existence.
Jn 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Jesus is the Word John spoke of. If all was created by and through Jesus, then it was Jesus who did the “leg work” of speaking light into existence. Jesus is both the Word and the Truth. Since we have long since established Jesus does not lie, he is therefore the Word of Truth.
1.18.11 What is “Firstfruit?”
Lev 23:10-11 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. First fruit is literally the first of the harvest. Being first usually symbolizes best and always means specifically chosen.
Ro 8:23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. This passage speaks of spiritual firstfruits. Here it speaks of what we receive, which is the chosen best of God.
The Greek aparche is found six times in the New Testament. According to Strong’s concordance it literally means to be of the first productions of the earth offered to God. The first portion of dough used for the consecrated loaves. This term was therefore used to describe persons consecrated to God for all time. Another definition being a person superior to others of the same class.
As used in James, firstfruits appears to indicate that we, either as humans or more specifically as the elect of Christ, are above non-human life and/or unsaved people. Though less obvious, James could also be implying that as those people chosen to live in the infancy of church age these believers were literally among the first to receive the good news and become born again. Traditional interpretation holds that believers are to receive a good and special position in the Kingdom of Heaven. While possibly true, it seems somewhat pompous to me to judge ourselves better than others for our faith. That is the Lord’s decision, not ours. As for me, I am a poor excuse for a believer and unworthy to be of any of the Lord’s fruit. If I were to be granted any position in His kingdom it would be an act of the purest grace and mercy.
1.18.12 What is the Feast of Firstfruits about?
Lev 23:9-14 (Feast of Firstfruit) And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:15-21 (Feast of Weeks) “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. And you shall make proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. Moses was given this feast as one of the annual feasts for the Jews. In fact, this whole passage covers what are called the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks. Both involve firstfruits and so we shall look at them together. All of the feasts are generally viewed as symbolic of future events, ultimately to be fulfilled by Jesus.
Ac 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Those gathered were doing so in obedience to the Lord. They were among the very first dedicated believers. We don’t know for sure, but I suspect the days and hours leading up to this included prayer and fasting. Certainly Jesus’ ministry began with prayer and fasting. Either way, this would have been a period of mental, physical and spiritual purification. These believers were the firstfruits of believers. Jesus being first was used in pure form (unleavened). Notice that later, in the Feast of Weeks, a period of 50 days was to pass (seven weeks plus a day). Then came an offering of new grain, but this time baked with leaven. Leaven is symbolic of sin. These new offerings were to include sin. With the sin, however, once again comes the unblemished lamb. It seems the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to erase the sin of the believer. They are made holy.
1.18.13 Summary James 1:16-18
This passage begins with a firm yet loving warning to wake up, be alert, and not be fooled. We learned that deception is a kind of lie, that God does not lie, but people do. Satan is the original liar and Jesus calls him the father of lies. James reminds us of the unchanging perfection of God and the goodness of all that comes from God. We may not always perceive the good, but that doesn’t make it anything less. God is not only perfect, but unchanging. There is no hint of shadow, no room for wavering. We know it is the will of God, not our will, which brings us forward as firstfruits. Truly we are but invited guests in the Kingdom, yet we are welcomed as dear children, family of our holy and merciful Lord.
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