Deep Things of God

Dear Brethren,

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the Deep Things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

Following the death of Herbert W. Armstrong the people of God were assaulted by a great apostasy. Among the myriad of heresies that divided us was one that said that our Church brethren were really no different than the good Christian folks down at the corner protestant church.

Is it true that in God’s eyes all men are viewed the same, or is God calling a special people who are accountable to Him out of this present evil world? “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (Galatians 1:3-4)

The answer according to the Word of God is that God is calling a people (John 6:44, 65). Those now being called belong to Christ and there is an order to the resurrections. “Every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:23) Paul calls this resurrection of the saints a “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35).

We are in the seven week period that began with the wave sheaf offering and concludes as we come up to the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost is a harvest of the firstfruits. It pictures the firstfruits who have God’s Holy Spirit and are ready to be harvested into the Kingdom of God. "And the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of thy labors, which thou hast sown in the field." (Exodus 23:16)

In the same way that Jesus Christ, represented by the wave sheaf offering, was accepted by God, the Church brethren represented by the two wave loaves will be offered and accepted on Pentecost (Leviticus 23:10-20). Now is the timeframe in which we Christians become acceptable to God. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

This fifty-day period of time represents a great transitional period wherein we are being transformed from our carnal humanity into spiritual children of God. You may ask, “Why fifty days?” The answer is that the fiftieth day concludes the time period of coming to spiritual perfection. The number "seven" is important in the plan of God. “Seven times seven” represents completion and spiritual perfection. The culmination of forty-nine days of spiritual growth and development are then marked by Pentecost – also known as the Feast of Weeks.

Remarkably, Jesus’ resurrection and our resurrection constitute one and the same resurrection. We are firstfruits in God’s great plan of salvation, following Jesus who is the firstborn of the firstfruits. "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." (1 Corinthians 15:20)

“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29)

Jesus Christ is the first of the firstfruits. We, the called-out saints, are also to be firstfruits – also represented by the smaller spring harvest. Those who will be in the second resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment are represented by the larger harvest of autumn – they are the latter-fruits. We, the elect of this time, are to be the firstfruits of the first spiritual harvest into the Kingdom of God.

"Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creation." (James 1:18)

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Sermon:

"Deep Things of God"