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The way people answer this question says volumes about what they think Christianity is. Some thing that one must labor long and hard toward becoming a Christian, that there is always the possibility that one might not make it. Others think in terms of signing a card, walking an aisle, or having a moment of bliss. It is none of these.
What does it take to become a Christian?
To become a Christian one must know first, how terribly sinful one is by nature and by action. After the fall, we are all, by nature, alienated from God and neighbor and under his just wrath. One must know that Christ is the only Savior of sinners. One must turn to Christ in confidence, embrace, lean upon, and rest in him alone for salvation. To look to Christ is to turn away from one’s own performance of the law. It is to know and trust that Christ is sufficient, that his obedience is enough, that one is accepted by God only for the sake of Christ.
You must be united to Christ alone, through faith alone, by the Spirit.
That is it. There are consequences of trusting Christ. Unite yourself to a church where this gospel of salvation by God’s free favor alone, through faith alone, is preached purely, where the two sacraments as Christ instituted them are administered purely, where the church seeks to practice discipline as Christ instituted it, and where the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, or the Westminster Standards are confessed. A church that does these things is a great place to find the communion of the saints. There you will be enabled to grow in this faith, to learn to die daily to your sins and to live to Christ, but all this comes after trusting Christ, not in order to be saved. First, you must be united to Christ alone, through faith alone, by the Spirit, and then comes the Christian life.
R. Scott Clark is professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary California (Escondido, California) and the author ofRecovering the Reformed Confession(P&R, 2008).
1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1Jn 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1Jn 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
from Daily Bible Benefits with Pastor Bob Daley https://ift.tt/N7i9Ofl
via IFTTT
1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1Jn 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1Jn 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
from Daily Bible Benefits with Pastor Bob Daley https://ift.tt/N7i9Ofl
via IFTTT
Is there someone in your life you’re struggling to love?
In other words, is there a person for whom—despite your good intentions, effort, and awareness of how you ought to act—it just seems impossible to muster any affection? Knowing that we should love doesn’t automatically make us adequate for the task. However, being a Christian opens the door for God to enable us by pouring His love into our hearts through His indwelling Spirit (Romans 5:5).
1 John 4:19 says,
“We love, because He first loved us.”
What a relief to know that love is a gift from God and not something we must manufacture within ourselves. What’s more, the love He produces in us is not just for others but also for God Himself. He is aware that we have no resources within ourselves to love Him unless He enables us through His Holy Spirit.
The Lord doesn’t give us a command without providing whatever obedience requires. When we trust Christ as Savior, we receive not only forgiveness of our sins and adoption into God’s family but also the ability to love as He does. In fact, His love in and through us is evidence that we are born of God and know Him (John. 4:7). As we submit, Christ’s life is displayed in us through selfless, sacrificial care for others.
Although the Lord has richly poured His love into our hearts, we have the responsibility to grow in it. Every unlovable person in our life is an opportunity to let God teach us to love (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10). And every time we learn to know Him more intimately through His Word, our adoration of God increases.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.
Editor’s note:S. M. Baugh is Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Westminster Seminary California.
Theologians today often talk about the kingdom of God being “already and not yet.” This is an attempt to express the New Testament’s teaching that the Son of God came to inaugurate the kingdom of God in this world at his incarnation “already” but that he will “not yet” consummate it until he returns at the end of this age. And by “kingdom of God” we mean the new creation, the new heavens and new earth pictured so clearly, for example, in Revelation 21-22. This kingdom being “already” is foundational for describing Christ’s work at his first advent, which has impacted cosmic history to its core.
When was the kingdom of God inaugurated?
To see that the kingdom of God has been inaugurated, take just one aspect of it as an example: the kingship of Jesus Christ over the new creation. By virtue of his work of redemption for his people, all authority in heaven and on earth is his (Matt. 28:18; Col. 2:10, 15) both in this age and in the world to come (Eph. 1:20-22; Phil. 2:9-11) such that he now “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3). At Christ’s triumphant ascent to his Father’s right hand in resurrection glory, he took his seat with his Father on his eternal throne (Rev. 3:21), from which life in abundance will flow eternally (John 10:10) as the center of the new creation (Rev. 22:1). This means that all who are united to Christ Jesus by faith in him are themselves caught up into new creation existence already: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17; cf. Eph. 2:10).
However, granted that the kingdom of God is “already” in some important ways, this raises the question of exactly when it was inaugurated. We read in the New Testament, for example, in places which summarize the proclamation of both John the Baptist and Jesus, that the kingdom of God had drawn near in their ministries (Matt. 3:1; 4:17; cf. Luke 10:9, 11). But when was it inaugurated? I had breakfast with the managing editor of Beautiful Christian Life recently, and she asked this excellent question. The following is a brief answer sketching out some key phases.
The King’s Birth
In his book on the Holy Spirit, the English puritan John Owen writes:
We have formerly declared the work of the Holy Spirit in preparing and forming the natural body of Christ. This was the beginning of the new creation.[1]
Owen is referring to the fact that both Matthew and Luke testify that the birth of Christ was effected by the Holy Spirit through the conception of the virgin Mary (Matt. 1:18, 20; Luke 1:35). And it is fair to say that where the Holy Spirit appears in the New Testament, we are dealing with some activity of new creation. And since the kingdom of God is the new creation, the Spirit was bringing in the kingdom of God at the conception and birth of Jesus.
The birth of Christ, then, was a kingdom event. The way to approach this is to observe that the kingdom of God at this point was focused upon the entrance of its messianic king:
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33; cf. Luke 8:28)
The Baptism of Jesus
Baptism for believers itself is a complex spiritual event, but only because it is rooted in Christ’s own baptism, which was his inauguration into his earthly ministry culminating in his death for his people. For example, Jesus spoke of his impending death on the cross as his baptism (Luke 12:50). And Paul speaks of our baptism as union with Christ’s death:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death. (Rom. 6:3-4)
At Christ’s baptism, the Spirit descended upon him (Mark 1:10), symbolizing his anointing for his Spirit-filled ministry. And his earthly ministry focused on his atoning death on the cross (e.g., Mark 10:45) culminating in his resurrection from the dead through the Spirit (Rom. 1:4). At his baptism, then, the kingdom of God was drawing nearer.
The Earthly Words and Works of Jesus
The nature of Christ’s kingdom work for his people was demonstrated both by his teaching and actions with royal power. For example, he grants to his people possession of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3, 10), constituting an eternal inheritance in an imperishable new creation (Heb. 9:15; 12:26-28; 1 Pet. 1:4). This teaching stunned Jesus’ hearers because it came to them through royal, divine authority (Matt. 7:28-29).
And as a sign of his authority to accomplish his word, Jesus worked through the power of the Holy Spirit, which demonstrated that he was bringing in life from death and its enslavement to the devil and his minions for children of wrath (Eph. 2:1-3; Heb. 2:14-15). As the Lord himself said: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt. 12:28; cf. Luke 11:20).
The Cross
When Christ Jesus died on the cross, he put death to death (Rom. 6:9) and entered into the glory of the new creation in consequence (Luke 23:43; John 17:1-5). What is more, his death made our Lord the mediator of the new, eternal covenant, which acts as the constitutional basis of our eternal inheritance of the kingdom of God (Heb. 9:14-15; Matt. 25:34).
The cross, then, is the pivotal event for the installation of the kingdom of God. The king has earned his new creational dominion at his Father’s right hand by suffering the wrath due for the sins of his people. This point is made in Hebrews 2 where, after quoting Psalm 8 about the dominion of the human race over God’s first creation, the author goes on to say that we don’t see our dominion at present but we do see the head of the new creation of God,
…namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Heb. 2:9)
This crowning “with glory and honor” becomes the main theme of the worship of the resurrected Lamb at the scene of his enthronement over all creation in Revelation (Rev. 5:9-14).
Pentecost
After his resurrection, Jesus told his eleven remaining disciples that he held authority over all creation (Matt. 28:16, 18). The kingdom of God had acquired its king, who then charged the apostles with gaining new citizens for him from throughout his earthly realm. Yet the Lord knew that this would overwhelm his shaky followers (Matt. 28:17), so he assured them that they would not go out alone but that he would be with them “even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). This stunning promise is not new, for Jesus had promised earlier that he would not leave his people as orphans but he would come to us through the person of the Holy Spirit (John 14:18-29).
Just before his departure to his heavenly throne, Jesus told the disciples to await the baptism of the Holy Spirit and power in Jerusalem (Acts 1:4-5, 8). They obeyed and were in the city with about 120 other followers (Acts 1:15) during the big harvest festival of Pentecost, which drew crowds of Jewish pilgrims “from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5-11). In other words, people from around the world witnessed the Spirit come upon this small band of Jesus’ people with “a sound like a mighty rushing wind” (Acts 2:2) and tongues of fire resting on each of these Galileans (Acts 2:3, 7), who then prophesied about God’s mighty works (Acts 2:3, 11).
The fire did not rest on the building but on Christ’s people, symbolizing that he was and is building his church from “living stones” into a mighty, worldwide temple for God’s own dwelling place in the Spirit in these last days (1 Cor. 3:16-17; Eph. 2:21-22; Heb. 1:2; 1 Pet. 2:5). Dennis Johnson rightly says from this: “Pentecost was a new creation.”[2] And as a new creation event, Pentecost marks the permanent establishment of the kingdom of God now until “the close of the age” when it will be consummated at Christ’s second coming: “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:39, 43).
Conclusion
To describe the kingdom of God as “already” and “not yet” can be confusing and makes it seem like a mere riddle. But this is a way by which we attempt to express the real presence of God’s eternal, new creational kingdom in our age due to the finished work of Christ. We have looked at a few ways in which this initial installment of the kingdom is taught in the New Testament with a particular focus upon Christ’s kingship and rule in this age.
The fact is, the different facets of the kingdom of God can rightly be viewed as the central theme of all of Scripture, so there is much more to say. For now, though, we should come away from the knowledge of the kingdom’s presence throughout this age with greater assurance of our Lord’s sovereign care for his people as those to whom he has graciously granted the thrilling truth: “[F]or theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3, 10). We are heirs of an imperishable inheritance kept in heaven for us and for which we ourselves are guarded in the power of God the Father in his Son through the Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 1:2-5).
Rahab and the Spies (Dalziels' Bible Gallery); image from Wikimedia Commons.
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Many people hold the belief that the ends justify the means. Yet, does God’s word in the Bible support this view? No, not at all. Nevertheless, some have pointed to the example of Rahab in Joshua 2 in order to assert that as long as the outcome is good, the means to those ends are okay even if they are a violation of the law of God.
The idea that good ends justify unlawful use of means finds its way into modern society in many ways, such as those who argue that “anything goes” as long as the goal or desired end is deemed good. Some argue that lying and deception are justified when they lead to a positive outcome. While Rahab is a biblical example of precisely this situation, Scripture does not condone sinful acts in order to achieve a good end. In fact, it teaches the opposite.
It is important to note at the outset of addressing this topic that a person might someday be in a difficult situation similar to what Rahab experienced. Is it allowable to violate God’s moral law by lying in order to save another person’s life? Does God approve of lying in this case, even though it is very rare for most people? Such a situation, an ethical dilemma, is a different problem than the one I hope to address here, which is a more general question—is lying okay if the ends are good?
Scripture honors the faith of Rahab in multiple places.
Joshua 2 relates the story of the prostitute Rahab who protected the spies of Israel as Joshua was preparing to lead all Israel against the walled city of Jericho. As the two spies were searching out Jericho and the surrounding land, they went to the prostitute Rahab’s house. When the king of Jericho heard about the spies, he sent messengers to find them. Rahab had hidden the spies on the roof of her house and then lied to the messengers sent by the king saying she didn’t know where they were from, nor where they went. Later, Rahab asked the spies for their protection when Israel would surely come and destroy Jericho. For hiding the spies from the king of Jericho, Rahab and her entire family were saved when Israel destroyed the city (Josh. 6:25).
Later in Scripture Rahab is commended for her faith. The writer of Hebrews says of Rahab,
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. (Heb. 11:31)
James also commends her as an example of saving faith demonstrated by good works in helping the spies (James 2:25). Scripture also testifies that Rahab is honored in the genealogy of David and Jesus by marrying the Israelite Salmon and giving birth to Boaz who then married Ruth (Matt. 1:5).
Scripture never commends Rahab’s lying.
It is quite notable how Scripture honors the faith of Rahab in multiple places. But does this mean her deceptive lying about the spies is honorable? Does the good end of her faith justify her sinful actions? Although a reader may be tempted to interpret commendations for her faith as approval of her lying, nowhere does Scripture do this. Her faith is approved as well as her helping the spies, but explicit approval of her lying is not found in any of the texts. Surely, we might want to find in Rahab’s commendations an approval for all of her actions related to the spies, but it is critical to avoid reading into the texts what simply is not there.
But this raises a question: Is there perhaps a general rule in the law of God that might permit sinful actions for good ends? No. In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul rhetorically asks, “And why not do evil that good may come?” (Rom. 3:8). Here Paul is anticipating an objection to the grace of God in Christ and how some might wrongly conclude that more sin brings about more grace. Paul goes on in Romans 6 regarding the pursuit of righteousness that should mark the Christian life:
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (Rom. 6:15-18)
The children of God are to be “obedient from the heart” to God’s word, always seeking to live holy lives to his glory. God’s ninth commandment teaches us that lying is sin (Exod. 20:16; Deut. 5:20). We are to tell the truth always (Eph. 4:25; 1 Cor. 13:6).
While never condoning sin, God can sovereignly and wisely use sin for good purposes as he did with Rahab.
Clearly God can and does use a person’s sinful actions for good ends, but he does so without approving of sin. Rahab is certainly such an example in God’s redemptive historical plan, but the archetypal example is the crucifixion of Christ Jesus. During Peter’s sermon at Pentecost he declares,
“…this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Acts 2:23)
Notice how the verse ends—“hands of lawless men.” God gave his only begotten Son that those who believe in him may have eternal life (John 3:16). This was God’s ordained plan, but note how it came about—by the hands of lawless men. God permitted the sinful acts of those who unjustly crucified Jesus in order to accomplish his good and perfect purpose.
A potential or realized good outcome is never a justification for sin.
Even though God never approves of sin, in his sovereignty he is able to take our sinful actions and use them for his good and gracious purposes, just like he did with Rahab. While God may use sinful means to good ends, this is decreed not by our flawed human rationale but rather by his perfect, sovereign will.
There is no doubt that the word of God condemns sin that transgresses the law of God. It should amaze us how, by his grace, God is able to use evil actions for perfectly good and wonderful outcomes. Rahab’s faith in trusting God for her family’s salvation and her actions to hide the spies were commended while her lies to the king of Jericho were not. Engaging in sinful deeds is never justified by a good outcome.
“O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. “Psalm 143:1
Thought
Some days are just plain tough! Those we care about are hurting. Our plans are falling through. Our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and fall at our feet. We cry out to God ? sometimes in anger, sometimes in desperation, but especially for mercy. We need relief! We need hope! We need the Father to respond.
Prayer
Faithful and righteous God, loving Father, please come to my aide and bring me relief from my struggles with sin, with disease, with discouragement, with friends who are untrue, and with enemies who work for my humiliation and destruction. I need your help. I need your mercy. O, dear Father, I need to know your presence and power in my life today. In Jesus sweet name I pray. Amen.
Romans 8:32 says: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else?”
Take your anxieties to the cross—literally. Next time you’re worried about your health or house or finances or flights, take a mental trip up the hill. Run your thumb over the tip of the spear. Balance a spike in the palm of your hand. Read the wooden sign written in your own language. And as you do, touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God. Blood he bled for you. The spear he took for you. The nails he felt for you. The sign he left for you. He did it all for you. All of this. Knowing this, knowing all he did for you there, don’t you think he will look out for you here?
I remember a difficult time when I was allowing a troubling circumstance in my life to heavily weigh me down.
The flow of negative thoughts and worries surrounding the details of this situation were flooding through my mind almost constantly. I could feel it on my shoulders when I walked through the rooms of my house. I could hear it in the sighs that repeatedly escaped my lips. And I could do nothing to change the situation, I was helpless to make a single bit of difference, it was just that kind of circumstance.
I thought about my response to what was going on and realized I was making it worse by letting it trouble me this much. Instead of worrying and fretting, I needed to let it go and give it to God and free myself from the weight anxiety was pressing on me.
I knew to keep praying over this situation. I knew to trust God. When I made a fresh commitment to both of these, and reminded myself of some verses in the Bible that talk about giving our cares to the Lord, I began to feel that weight lift from my shoulders.
My attitude changed and the gray clouds of worry in my mind cleared away and in their place I could see blue skies and sunshine again. All that worry had become a dark cloud following me around, hovering over me, even glued to me on some days! Worry makes everything look dark.
But when I let it go and committed to trusting God to take care of this trial, my heart grew lighter, and then my steps grew lighter. That heavy weight was not sitting on my shoulders any longer. What a difference I experienced when I stopped allowing the worry to consume me by choosing to let it go. I gave this burden to the Lord, and He lifted it from my shoulders. Oh how freeing was that!
Are you casting your cares on the Lord? Are you letting Him lift your burden?
Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.“
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But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. — 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
Resurrection is supposed to be happy news, a celebration of joyful victory and sweet reunion. Yet, you can’t reach the shores of the resurrection without passing through the bitter trenches of death. So it was when Jesus raised Lazarus. Before he could call his friend from the tomb, Jesus was brought to tears with Lazarus’s two distraught sisters. And so it is with Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. As he displays the glory of the resurrection before us, he does so mindful of our grief and with the aim to comfort.
Some saints in Corinth were skeptical of Christ’s own resurrection.
In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul is dealing with an issue that some of the saints of Corinth had—they were saying there is no resurrection. Some of them may have been skeptical of Christ’s own resurrection, but the chief sticking point seems to be our own resurrection. Surely, the average Christian is not raised from the dead. And it is definitely not a bodily resurrection.
Paul makes the point that if there is no resurrection, if those who died have perished forever, if we hope in Christ only in this life, then we are the most pitiful people ever. If there is no resurrection, then the whole Christian religion is pointless, a hoax, a waste. This is how important the resurrection is to our faith.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hopein this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor. 15:16-19)
Next, Paul transitions to make a positive point. He declares a factual assertion: “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Cor. 15:20a). Paul states as a fact of history that Christ was resurrected. Jesus was once dead; he was laid in the ground and covered with the stone door of death.
But he did not stay dead; he did not remain under the power of death like every human before him. Jesus was raised—it is a fact of history, an actual event of our physical world. The popular religions in Corinth within the Roman world believed all sorts of things and stories about the gods and goddesses.
The problem, though, was that these religious sagas were just that, stories. They were fiction, make-believe fantasy novels. They didn’t actually happen. Not so with Christ and his resurrection.
Christ is indeed risen from the dead.
Beloved saints, your faith is not based on a nice, emotional story that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling; it is not founded upon a myth, on fake news, on a conspiracy story, or upon wishful thinking. Rather, your faith is established on a true fact. Jesus Christ has been raised. God acted marvelously in history to raise Jesus Christ from the dead to be alive forevermore.
After stating this fact boldly, Paul adds a line of description:
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Cor. 15:20).
Christ was raised as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Paul labels and characterizes Jesus’ resurrection as the firstfruits. But how is Jesus’ resurrection a firstfruit? And what is meant by firstfruit?
What is meant by the word “firstfruit”?
This idea of firstfruit comes from the Old Testament. Now, the basic idea of firstfruit is just like it sounds: it referred to the first ripe/processed fruit of the harvest. Let’s say that you are living during the time of the old (Mosaic) covenant administration and have an acre of fig trees, and from your first picking you get a bushel (firstfruit). Or perhaps you have a plot of grapes, and the first jug of wine finished is your firstfruit.
Firstfruits were often considered some of the best of a harvest—they were to be given to God as an offering. That first bushel of figs had to be handed over to the Lord. Yet, aside from this general idea of firstfruits, there was actually a special day of firstfruits on Israel’s calendar.
Israel had a special day called “the day of firstfruits.”
Generally, firstfruits could be brought at any time, but one day on the sacred calendar of Israel received the label of “the day of firstfruits” (Num. 28:26). And because this is a calendar day, Paul’s first point is one of history. Jesus was raised not just as a firstfruit, but on the day of firstfruits. Yet, when did this day fall on Israel’s calendar?
The day of firstfruits came in the first month, during a festive season. First, there was Passover on the fourteenth day of the month. The next day, the fifteenth, was the first day of Unleavened Bread, which was a special day of convocation that could be called a sabbath. Then, on the next day of the sixteenth fell the Day of Firstfruits. So the order was Passover, Unleavened Bread, Day of Firstfruits—the 14th, 15th, 16th—1,2,3.
Jesus was raised on the third day.
You can see how Leviticus 23:9-14 is an Old Testament text that pointed to Jesus’s resurrection on the third day. In 1 Corinthians 15:4, Paul writes that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. Yet, what Old Testament text predicted a third day resurrection? Well, by calling Christ’s resurrection a firstfruit, Paul echoes Leviticus 23.
Indeed, think of your history. Jesus died on Passover, the fourteenth day, as the true Passover lamb. The next day, the fifteenth, was a high Sabbath, meaning the weekly Sabbath aligned with the festival convocation of the Unleavened Bread. This is when Jesus lay in the tomb and the disciples waited at home. Then, on the sixteenth, the day of firstfruits, the women ran to the tomb and found it empty.
This means that Sunday is both the Day of Resurrection and the Day of Firstfruits. Just as God linked Jesus’ death to the fulfillment of Passover, so he tied his resurrection to the fulfillment of the day of firstfruits. Our Lord’s resurrection is both an event of history and the fulfillment of one of the Old Testament’s ancient promises.
Our Lord’s resurrection is not a firstfruit just for its historical value, but also for its meaning.
Here you have further evidence for your faith that you should not doubt, but rest confidently and joyfully in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul labels our Lord’s resurrection as a firstfruit not just for its historical value, but also for its meaning. Firstfruit describes the nature and character of his resurrection.
So, what was the day of firstfruits all about? Again we see how the Lord worked out the truth of our redemption within the realities of the lives of his people. Passover fell right at the beginning of the barley harvest, and the offering brought on the day of firstfruits was a sheaf or bundle of barley.
And this barley offering did two things. First, it opened up the harvest season for food. Before this day, the Lord prohibited Israel from eating any of the new harvest; they could only eat last year’s crop. Yet, with the day of firstfruits and the barley sheaf, the harvest could officially begin; they could now taste the sweetness of fresh new grain.
This is as though, after months of eating frozen or canned fruit, you get to walk up and pick a fresh berry on the vine—delicious! The second part of firstfruits was that the barley sheaf was offered so that Israel may be accepted. The offering of barley firstfruit obtained favor and acceptance for Israel from the Lord.
The Lord’s acceptance of the firstfruits was a seal that he would protect his people to safely bring in the full harvest.
And this acceptance was a guarantee, representation, and seal that the Lord would protect his people to safely bring in the full harvest. Without a full harvest, the people would starve. And the spring harvest season for Israel was a scary time, coated in apprehension and uncertainty. For during the barley harvest, April to May, it is the season of the sirocco.
Like California’s Santa Ana winds, the sirocco is a scorching east wind that sweeps in off the high desert to burn up and destroy every blade of standing grain. A sirocco can blow in dust storms (80 mph) that jump the temperature thirty degrees in a matter of minutes and reduce visibility down to a few yards. The sirocco can sizzle your entire crop and livelihood in no time.
This danger and fear also align with Israel coming out of Egypt when Pharaoh’s army was chasing after them. Thus, the barley sheaf for Israel’s acceptance was God’s assurance that he would watch over them during this scary season and bring them to his full harvest. The barley sheaf represented the whole harvest, and it is this significance that Paul explains.
The first sheaf of barley represented and was the avenue for the entire harvest.
First, Paul underscores the representation: The first sheaf of barley stood for and was the avenue for the entire harvest. So, for this representation, he brings up the two federal heads. By a man came death for all. In Adam, all die. Human death is an inevitable reality of our existence. It is all we know—people are born and people die.
They say death and taxes are the two certainties of life, but with accounting gymnastics, you can evade taxes. Devious people can avoid taxes, but the most brilliant and nefarious person has never evaded death. Since the heritage of Adam and Eve belongs to you, then you will die. Adam is the captain for team death. In Adam, the grim reaper is our mascot.
Yet, there is an opposing team: another team captain arose in Christ. He stands as the representative for team resurrection. By the man Jesus Christ comes resurrection from the dead. All those in Christ will be made alive. Jesus is the firstfruit for all who have died. Jesus is the head and representative for all who will be raised through him.
Order is another important aspect of firstfruit.
By this two-Adam scheme, Paul explains what it means that Christ was raised as the firstfruits. Still, there is another aspect of firstfruit that Paul stresses, which is order. By definition, firstfruits come first. There is the Day of Firstfruits, then the full harvest, and finally, when the entire harvest is finished, there is a celebration.
For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. (1 Cor. 15:21-22)
Of course, Paul is not dealing with barley, wheat, and figs, but rather he is working with the realities of death and new life. He is focused on Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection. Hence, he says, “each in his own order.” As the firstfruits, Christ’s resurrection must be temporally prior to our resurrection.
Waiting for our resurrection challenges our faith.
Part of the issue with the Corinthians was this order, this waiting: “Okay, maybe Christ was raised, but why not us? Where is our resurrection? If we are not like Christ now, then it is not going to happen! Doesn’t the waiting negate our chances of resurrection?” We have to admit that the waiting also can trip up our faith.
History records Jesus’ resurrection, but no other humans have been eternally raised yet, so maybe it is not going to happen. Thus, Paul states that Jesus’ resurrection was a firstfruit, which includes the very order of delay and waiting. Each in its own order: firstfruits, then the harvest; Christ, then us. Indeed, Paul shows himself to only be concerned with the resurrection of believers.
For you who believe in Christ, Jesus is the firstfruit of your own personal resurrection.
Jesus is the firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep, which parallels those who will be made alive in Christ and further aligns with those who belong to him at this coming. For you who believe in Christ, who rest in him, Jesus is the firstfruit of your own personal resurrection.
The resurrection of the saints, Jesus’ second coming, and the subduing of all things under Christ and the Father, all add up to the end. In these complex series of events, the end will break into history. And Paul clearly underscores the end of this age in order to make clear we are not yet there.
Our resurrection, Christ’s coming, and the subjection of everything have not happened.
Right now we are in the time between the firstfruits and the harvest. We live between Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection. And what is the season like between the Day of Firstfruits and the final harvest? First, Paul tells us that Jesus is presently reigning:
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Cor. 15:24-28)
Before the end springs, Jesus reigns. Right now Christ Jesus is at the right hand ruling. The chaotic tragedies of our lives and histories may seem like no one is behind the wheel. Is anyone steering this ship called life? Yes, Jesus Christ the Resurrected Son of God, is ruling from heaven. And what is he doing?
Jesus is in the process of subduing authorities and hostile forces.
One by one, Jesus is knocking pieces off the chess board. When Jesus brings you or another saint to faith, what else is he doing? By saving you, Jesus subdues you from being a hostile to being a servant, a child, and a friend. In our redemption, Jesus turns enemies into devoted loved ones. Yet, not all of Christ’s subduing is so transformative.
Some enemies will not be transformed but destroyed. Some enemies will not be raised to Christ’s side, but will be subjected under his feet. And Paul mentions one adversary that will be kicking and striving until the end. One chess piece from the opposing team will stand until the end. And this final foe is death.
The combatant death yet wages war; it still takes victims. The sword of the grave still drinks blood and consumes flesh. The grim reaper works his business of turning wives into widows. Death steals babies from cribs and buries young people in the spring of life. Death robs dads from their teenagers and turns the warm touch of love to cold.
Yes, in stating that our final adversary is death, Paul is acknowledging and substantiating your grief. The sirocco danger was real in Old Testament times; it gusted upon their lives fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. A sirocco storm was something to lament. Indeed, by calling death the last enemy, Paul confirms the evilness of death, that it is not something we should merely make light of.
Death is still an evil for God’s saints.
Even for us saints, when in death we go to be with the Lord, death is still an evil. Death kills a life created good and valuable by the Lord. Death kidnaps those we love. Death traffics humans away from us. Death murders the beautiful into the ugly; it darkens light, turns off all audio, and putrefies the pleasant into the disgusting.
Life as we know it is touching, talking, listening, eating with, and enjoying other people. But death erases all of this. This is why Mary and Martha were stricken with anger and anguish at the death of Lazarus. And this is why in compassion Jesus wept with these two sisters. With the same compassion, Paul confirms Jesus’ resurrection as the firstfruits.
In Christ, you also will be raised up.
As a firstfruit resurrection, Jesus is your representative and paradigm. In Christ, you also will be raised up. And your resurrection body will be like the glorified flesh of Christ. Yet, most poignantly here, the firstfruit offering was for acceptance; it was a seal of guarantee for the full harvest.
As surely as Christ was raised as the firstfruits, so you also must be raised. The resurrection of Christ doesn’t make your resurrection just possible or probable or likely. It makes your resurrection necessary. Since Christ was raised as your firstfruit, you have to be raised. It is like a law of new creation—it cannot happen any other way.
Furthermore, to harvest grain is corporate activity; it is not about one single grain but rather all the grain being brought in together. Your resurrection isn’t just about a new body, but about reunion with all those in Christ that death stole from you. Where death kidnaps our beloved saints, the resurrection is Christ’s family reunion.
And this is your comfort and assurance every Lord’s Day, as each Lord’s Day is the day of resurrection, a fulfillment of that Day of Firstfruits. The anxiety of death is yet felt within us, but sure consolation of your Savior is that he was raised as firstfruits. And it is this consolation that solidifies and strengthens your faith in life, especially in death.
The burden of death is far outweighed by the sweet glory of Christ’s resurrection.
We will still feel the agony of death, but death is not the victory. The grief of death is still heavy upon us, but the sweet glory of Christ’s resurrection far outweighs the burden of death. Christ is our strength and song whose burden is light and whose joy is eternal. Indeed, the sweet reunion we await in the resurrection is especially about us being reunited with our Holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
As Paul says, at the end Christ will offer everything, even us, up to the Father so that God will be all in all. This is the greatest wonder and good of all—God being all in all. So, may we praise God as our all until this final day. May we sing Lord’s Day to Lord’s Day of Christ’s glories. And may we ever praise him as the Resurrected One, the firstfruits of our resurrection.
Jude 1:21-23 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Focus on the Love of God.
‘’keep yourselves in the Love of God’’
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:16-18 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Focus on the Mercy of God.
‘’looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ’’
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
2Jn 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Focus on the Judgement of God.
‘’pulling them out of the fire’’
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Luk 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
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Proverbs 13:8 The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke.
2 Corinthians 11:25-27 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Hebrews 11:33-38 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
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Jude 1:21-23 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Focus on the Love of God.
‘’keep yourselves in the Love of God’’
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:16-18 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Focus on the Mercy of God.
‘’looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ’’
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
2Jn 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Focus on the Judgement of God.
‘’pulling them out of the fire’’
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Luk 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
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“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26
It was time for my annual self-evaluation. The past year was busier than usual, but busyness does not always translate into more successes. First, I identified the achievements that pushed me closer toward my goals. The accomplishments certainly boosted my confidence.
The second phase involved looking at areas I needed to improve, which often included eating better, getting more exercise, and reducing stress. It also meant confronting the areas I’d failed. Sadly, I discovered a few mistakes that set me back.
But God does not want us so obsessed with health goals and crushed by failure that we overlook his grace and mercy. We need to listen more to the Spirit of God, seeking his guidance, strength, and comfort — especially when tempted to shove through life’s trials without the help of the Holy Spirit.
When we first accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit entered our hearts and made himself accessible. But for the Spirit to help us, we must activate him through faith and trust. If we are not alert or discount the Holy Spirit’s value, we quash his effectiveness to assist us.
Tapping into the power of the Spirit will help us cope with the struggles in our lives. Through the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, we experience the power of God’s love. It’s the glue that binds us to his truth, goodness, and righteousness — which are just the qualities we need to achieve a better outcome on our next self-evaluation.
Father, thank you for sending your Spirit, who guides me in all things and reminds me of your boundless love. I still forget to trust your Spirit at times, so please keep me from barging ahead without first seeking your Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2a)
The above is one of my all-time favorite passages in Scripture. Indeed, in numerous places in Scripture the Christian life is compared to the effort and exertion of a race (1 Cor. 9:24; 2 Tim. 4:7). These few words from Hebrews teach us four things about what it means to run the Christian's race well.
1. Run the race well by finding your motivator to run.
These verses begin with laying out some of the motivation we have to run our Christian race well. That motivation is the example of those who have run it before us. Remember, this verse follows immediately on the heels of the "Hall of Faith" in chapter 11. There the author describes a whole host of committed believers who have run their race well. They are to be our examples (for instance: “let us also lay aside...” that is, we should run the same way they have).
More than being our examples, they are also our cheerleaders! In chapter 12 they are now referred to as “a cloud of witnesses.” Picture running a race on a track and the stands on every side filled with people who are cheering for you. Though we can't see it, that's what's going on in the Christian life. We are surrounded by the saints who have gone on before, and that is meant to encourage us to run well.
If you have ever run a race or sat on the sidelines and watched one, you know the power of hearing people cheer one another on. Someone who is winded and barely able to lift their feet suddenly hears the voices of supporters rallying them on, and just like that they have renewed vigor and motivation to keep going! As we run our race, we must remember the example and encouragement set by all believers who have run before us, not just pillars of the faith, like Abraham and Moses (although certainly them). We should also remember others whom God has graciously placed in our lives: parents, siblings, pastors, teachers, friends, and mentors. Let their godly example motivate us to run well.
My wife recently completed a half marathon, and she explained to me the importance of finding another runner who can be your pacesetter—someone whose speed will challenge your own. You make it your goal to stick behind them during the race. This illustrates a biblical principle. The apostle Paul said,
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. (Phil. 3:17; emphasis added)
So, who in your life can be your “pacesetter”? Who will you join in imitating their Christian life? Who will be your example and encouragement? Who will motivate you to run that race that is before you? Answering that question is the first step in running well.
2. Run the race well by casting off your weights.
Second, we see that in order to run well we must cast off our weights.Lighter means faster. If runners want to perform their very best, they will make sure they are not weighed down by a cumbersome load. In this context, the word "weight" could refer to extra layers of clothes that slow us down or get in the way. Flowing robes aren't the attire for running. The analogy to the spiritual is explained in the next clause: “and sin which clings so closely.” Trying to run the Christian race with sin clinging to us is like trying to run a marathon in a ballroom gown while carrying a backpack filled with bricks.
Sin is a weight that ties us down and prevents us from serving Jesus to the best of our ability. Remember Levi the tax collector? His profession was rife with corruption, and it kept him from following after the Savior; but when he was called by Christ, we read that he "left everything" (Luke 5:28). We need to have that same sort of determination.
We cannot afford to be hindered in a race that has such important consequences, so we must cast sin off from us. In your life, what sins might be impeding your progress? There can be some very "sticky" sins—the kind that Hebrews says cling so closely. Part of the reason some sins are so stubborn is because we don't recognize them as being sins at all. Or at least we don't recognize them as being very serious sins. Thus, we excuse certain behaviors such as grumpiness, discontent, gossip, envy, judgmentalism, and swearing.
Yet these seemingly "less serious" sins are the ones that will easily trip us up. They are the ones that weigh us down and prevent us from reaching the heights that sanctification offers us. So, just as a hot air balloon operator will toss ballast overboard to soar higher, we must toss overboard any and all sin in order to attain "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13). What a foolish thing to take sin lightly when it's the heaviest thing there is.
3. Run the race well with endurance.
The writer of Hebrews says that once we find our motivation and cast off our weights, we need to “run with endurance the race set before us.” Endurance implies that the Christian life is better compared to a marathon than a sprint. It is something that takes work, commitment, and fortitude. It can't be completed without preparation or practice—otherwise we will burn out in no time at all. Think about it: you would not run a marathon without any preparation. You don’t just show up the day of the race and expect to do well. Rather, you sign up months ahead, sometimes a year ahead. You learn what kind of course it is, if it will be hilly or flat, hot or cold, and so on.
So too in the Christian life we must prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. This is what it means to "count the cost" of following Christ. There's a price to be paid. It won't be easy. Discipleship requires endurance. Following Jesus will mean trial and tribulations, but we can't allow those hindrances to cause us to give up. And indeed, if we are expecting them and are prepared for them, by the Spirit's power we won't give up. Thus, Peter and John both exhort us: “do not be surprised” or "do not be caught off guard" at the race we must run (1 Pet. 4:12, 1 John 3:13). When we see the course that is set before us, we will not be surprised. We will be ready to run, come what may.
In Luke 9 one eager would-be disciple approaches Jesus and proclaims, “I will follow you wherever you go” (Luke 9:57). But then Jesus explained to him the nature of the course before him: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Jesus was telling him this is the kind of life he would be signing up for if he wanted to follow the Son of Man. In other words, Jesus was explaining it wasn't an easy stroll, nor a quick sprint. It was a grueling marathon that would take endurance. The implication in the passage is that, upon hearing this, the man gives up on Christ. He wasn't ready to run with endurance.
Are you prepared for the race set before you? It will be a long one—indeed, a lifelong one. It will take endurance. But the good news is that the endurance comes from God himself. God strengthens us for whatever he calls us to do. Paul reminds us of this in Colossians. He says that we as Christians are "being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy" (Col. 1:11; emphasis added) Similarly, Paul says later on that this alone is what keeps him going in ministry. He can't do it on his own, but he can do it “with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (1:29).
4. Run the race well with your eyes on the prize.
Finally, we want to consider the most important aspect of running our Christian race well: keeping our eyes on the prize.Yes, we need proper motivation and encouragement to run, we need to rid ourselves of things that would encumber our progress, we need to prepare for the long haul. But none of this matters if we don’t keep our eyes on the prize. In this case, that doesn't mean a trophy or a finish line. It means “looking to Jesus.”
This implies we have already begun our race, and now that we have we must continually keep our gaze fixed forward (or upward) as opposed to backward. We are not to look back on the things that we have left behind, or the weight of sin that we have cast off. They are in the dirt and dust where they belong, whereas we are headed for glory. Colossians offers similar advice for the Christian life:
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (3:1–3)
The point that Paul is making here is quite plain: your final destination is in the heavenly places, where even now you are spiritually raised with Christ. And if that's your ultimate destination, keep your focus on the things that are above. You belong above in heaven, not below on earth. Jesus himself says the same thing in Luke 9: “‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God’” (v. 62).
Running a race well can never entail looking back. Looking back implies our heart and our desires and our loves are all still back at the starting line, and not in the kingdom of God. When we look back we reveal that we actually belong with the world and the things of the world, and not with the world to come. And if we belong to the world, what will eventually become of us? (Hint: read the story about Lot's wife—it's a scary thing to look back!)
Let us run toward heaven by keeping the eyes of our heart fixed on the one who is already there. The one who has already run the race and come in first. The one who stands victorious in the heavenly places and is waiting to share that victory with us. Let us keep our minds and hearts fixated on Christ, who holds the prize at the finish line—and he is the prize.
