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The Two Aspects of Perfection
Love the Lord our God with all your heart, mind, soul, and being,
and attain the resurrection!
Fred R. Coulter—March 31, 2018
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What do we have in Lev. 23 but the Holy Days. After it talks about the Sabbath Day it says:
Leviticus 23:4: "These are the appointed Feasts of the LORD, Holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed seasons…. [this is the appointed season for it] … In the fourteenth day of the first month, between the two evenings, is the LORD'S Passover" (vs 4-5).
In my next letter I'm going to put on one sheet, so you can see the difference between evening, sunset, between the two evenings, and dark, with some diagrams. Plus I'm going to put the Hebrew words there so you can see they're spelled differently, and therefore, have different meanings.
Verse 6: "And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD…. [that's why we're here] …You must eat unleavened bread seven days. On the first day you shall have a Holy convocation. You shall not do any servile work therein, but you shall offer a fire offering to the LORD…" (vs 6-8).
Today we don't offer animal sacrifices; we give from our substance. We give from the increase of our work, our labor, business, or whatever it is. You all know that. I'm not going to preach to you and try and squeeze extra money out of you. You give from the heart. You give willingly and God will bless you.
(pause for the offering)
1-Corinthians 11:19: "For it is necessary that heresies be among you… [Why does that happen?] …so that the ones who are approved may become manifest among you."
Who is telling the truth? We can all sit around and talk a lot about a lot of things, which don't amount to nothing! But when we start bringing that in and making it something concerning God, then we're in trouble.
Verse 20: "Therefore, when you assemble together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's supper."
What do Sunday-keepers call it? The Lord's Supper! You think they're approved? You miss in the Greek the strength of this denial that it's to eat the Lord's Supper. Have you ever had a supper of grape juice and a piece of bread? Why is it "…not to eat the Lord's supper"?
- Jesus ate His own supper
- we are not to have a lamb or a supper with Passover
Here's what they were doing, v 21: "For in eating, everyone takes his own supper first; now on the one hand, someone goes hungry; but on the other hand, another becomes drunken. WHAT! Don't you have houses for eating and drinking? Or do you despise the Church of God, and put to shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you!" (vs 21-22).
Then Paul explains about the bread and the wine, and of course, the foot-washing that comes before that.
Verse 34: "But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home…" Obviously, they were assembling to keep the Passover. That's as strong as it can get.
"…so that there will be no cause for judgment when you assemble together. And the other matters I will set in order when I come" (v 34).
If you have the Passover at home, make sure you eat a considerable time before you take the Passover. One other thing to understand:
- Is God perfect?
- Is His Word perfect?
Except when you get the NIV and a few of the others that has been messed with by men, which illustrates the point. Show me a perfect human being; there aren't any. All men and women, being imperfect—and we all admit that, even the greatest, even the smartest. Can a man add anything to the perfect Word of God and God must accept it? NO!
- If there is anything to be changed, Who is the One to change it? God!
- Who instituted the Passover for the children of Israel? God!
- Who instituted the Passover for the New Testament Church? Jesus Christ, God manifested in the flesh!
Whoever says you're to have a lamb, you deny the Lamb of God: Jesus Christ. To have a dinner before, that's fine. Everybody eats before, because that's what Paul said, 'If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home.' Meaning before he comes to assemble for the Passover.
1-Corinthians 11:34: "…so that there will be no cause for judgment when you assemble together…."
If you do something contrary to the Word of God it is sin. If it's sin, what is that going to bring? First, judgment so that you have an opportunity to repent.
Different people, especially reading the King James Version—or some other translation—in very important parts concerning Truth and doctrine for Christian salvation, is wrongly translated. That's in more places than you would even like to consider.
It says in John 18 that the scribes and Pharisees who were taking Jesus to be judged by Pontius Pilate did not go into the Judgment Hall so they could eat the Passover.
Did Jesus eat the Passover before they did? Yes! That was their wrong Passover, and nowhere in the Bible do you find that you have a Passover sacrifice at the temple. There are Passover offerings for the redemption of the firstborn on the day portion of the Passover, after you've already had the Passover sacrifice with the lamb at home, under the Old Covenant. This is very important. That's why I wrote The Christian Passover book.
One evangelist said, 'Why do you need 500 pages to explained about the Passover'? and threw it in the waste can! So did Samuele Bacchiocchi, theologian scholar of the Seventh Day Adventist who has since died. You need that many pages because of the complications of sinful men trying to improve upon God, Who is perfect, and they don't think He's perfect.
Put on your thinking caps. The King James Version translates this wrongly, Matthew 26:17: "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread…" Wrong! Wrong! I've got a footnote in the Faithful Version explaining it right at the bottom of the page.
The literal translation, (FV): "Now on the first of the unleaveneds…"
That was before the Passover was observed! So, Passover Day is an unleavened bread day! You can't take the Passover with unleavened bread—which signifies the sinless body of Jesus Christ on the Passover night—and then get up in the morning and run on down to McDonald's and have your Egg McMuffin.
Mark 14:12 is the literal translation and the word day is there, but the word feast is not. Nor was it in Matt. 26, the translators added that, so you can read the footnote in the Faithful Version. That's why the Bible was done the way it's done and why what's in it is in it, because it all goes together.
Mark 14:12: "And on the first day of the unleaveneds when they were killing the Passover lambs…" When was the Passover lamb to be killed? Right after sunset, between the two evenings!
Where were Jesus and the disciples? They were up on the top of Mount of Olives and they could look down! All around there and behind them were the thousands of Jews who came to observe the Passover. The vast majority kept the domestic Passover. The disciples and Jesus saw them killing their Passover lambs, and then they would keep the Passover in their tents. Or if there were rooms in Jerusalem, they could keep it there if they were able to get a room. The disciples came to Jesus:
- Why did they come? Because they saw the Passover lambs being killed!
- What did Jesus deliberately not tell them? Where they were going to keep the Passover!
- Why do you suppose He would do that?
You read the first part of Mark 14 and who was it that went to the priests to betray Him? None other than Judas Iscariot!
Jesus didn't tell any of the disciples where the Passover was going to be deliberately, so that Judas could not betray them while they were keeping the Passover. Would have been simple, just come to the house, encircle it, get Him and take Him off.
So, the disciples were concerned. "…His disciples said to Him, 'Where do You desire that we go and prepare, so that You may eat the Passover?' And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, 'Go into the city, and you shall meet a man carrying a pitcher of water; follow him" (vs 12-13).
- How's that for explicit instructions?
- How are you going to find a man carrying a pitcher of water?
- What if there are two ahead and two behind, which one do you choose?
- Is it water?
- Is it wine?
- How are you going to know?
What we need to understand is that Passover Day was a great absolute conflict between Satan the devil and the demons and God the Father, the angels, Jesus Christ and the disciples. All of these things were directed by angels. They came into the city and they found a man carrying the water. What do you suppose the water was for? Foot-washing! They went into the house and the master of the house was there getting everything all ready. He probably had the Passover lamb already being roasted by time they got there. It only takes 20 minutes to kill them and get them ready.
We know, because when we did The Christian Passover book—and Dolores was there with us—Skip Emerson took two kid goats and cut their throats, and down the middle. Everything was done on both of those in 20 minutes. So, we have some highly misinformed minister in the Church of God, supposedly, from South Africa who says it's a lot of work to kill a lamb.
Verse 14: "And whatever house he shall enter, say to the master of the house that the Teacher says, 'Where is the guest chamber, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?'" Judas was with Jesus later when He came. Judas didn't even know.
Read Psa. 22 where it talks about Christ looking down and seeing His ribs. What does this tell you when you look at the Shroud of Turin? Couldn't be! The Roman Catholic Church is based on the greatest lies and abominations that could ever be. You need to understand that. All the Catholic charities are to cover all of their sins with good from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
After the foot-washing (John 13) Jesus gave the sop or the morsel. Some people say if it's a sop it has to be leavened bread. What does it say?
Mark 14:12: "And on the first day of the unleaveneds…"—which is the Passover Day. That being said, is the Passover Day an unleavened bread day? Yes, it is! So, all of these erstwhile people who think they have a new angle to do things, end up causing a lot of problems. If this was a little forceful on my part today, Paul was even more forceful.
In talking to Frank Belind before Passover, he says if you read it in Croatian and Serbian, it is absolutely not to eat the Lord's Supper.
But what's one of the first things? It probably happened with you. When God first started calling you, and something about the Bible and you got a Bible. You started reading the Bible. What were you looking for? Everyone is looking for something that would confirm a belief that they had separate from what God says! That's how we get Sunday; that's how we get Christmas.
So, they condemn us for doing what God says to do, when they do what God says not to do and don't have a clue. Why? Because they're blinded!
(go to the next track)
Why do we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread? There are many reasons, but did you know there is a direct command in the New Testament to keep it? It also gives us a good clue as to what the Feast means!
In 1-Cor. they had a terrible problem of incestuous relations between a man and his step-mother. He was removed from the congregation.
1-Corinthians 5:5, Paul said: "To deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
That's done so there will be repentance. Of course, later he repented and was re-established back in the Church. But they had to be brought up very short with that because I guess in licentious Corinth that must have been something of a discussion.
Verse 6: "Your glorying is not good. Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" Isn't that the way it is? Satan always works by incrementalism until a certain point and then you have the downward chute.
Verse 7: "Therefore, purge out the old leaven, so that you may become a new lump, even as you are unleavened…" They unleavened their houses, but they weren't unleavening their lives! During the Feast of Unleavened Bread leaven is a type of sin and a type of puffing up of human nature.
"…For Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us…. [each one of us individually] …For this reason, let us keep the Feast, not with old leaven…" (vs 7-8).
Don't drag your old sins into the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because you've already had the Passover for the forgiveness of your sin, and also to establish the New Covenant so we have that direct relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ as the firstfruits and the firstborn.
Remember on the Passover night, the firstborn of the Egyptians, all human beings firstborn of man and woman, all firstborn of the animals—that would be like sending a great angel to smash every 5th car on the road. That's the average of the firstborn.
"…nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and Truth" (v 8). Sincerity here means being very straightforward.
Psa. 57 is an excellent Psalm for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We'll tie this together with:
- how we overcome
- how we change
- how we grow
Psalm 57:1: "Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me…" What is the first blessing that Paul gives in the introduction of every epistle? Grace and peace to you from God the Father and Jesus Christ! Every single one! That establishes the whole epistle coming from God. If you want a very interesting read, read the first part of every epistle and you will see that's how it's established coming from God.
"…for my soul trusts in You; yea, in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge until these great troubles pass by" (v 1). That is symbolic of being under God's protection with His angels. That's all symbolic of having God's protection through His Spirit.
You can't see it, but you can see the effects of it, if there's a building or something. If you're standing next to a building and the sun is shining, you can see the shadow along the base of the building. If you look straight ahead you can't see it. This is the unseen power and blessing of God.
Verse 2: "I will cry to God Most High… [this is the Father] …to God who fulfills His purpose of me." We've all been called with a great purpose in mind!
Every once in a while you ask: Why me, Lord? Some do it because they have so many trials. Some do it out of humility. They don't understand why God would call them! In either case, God has a purpose and a great plan. There are trillions of things to it, because as you view the universe, just think of that. God made that for a purpose.
I wonder what it's going to be like when we're in the Family of God as spirit beings. We'll talk about that today, because we have to come from being sinful, deceitful, evil and wicked to becoming righteous, Holy, true and good! Only God can accomplish that.
Verse 3: "He shall send from heaven and save me; He rebukes him who would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and His Truth." He did, didn't He?
- in His Word
- in His commandments
- in His goodness
- in His mercy
Verse 5: "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps… [a prophecy of Christ being trapped] …my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me; into the midst of it they have fallen themselves. Selah" (vs 5-6).
In the book of James, he talks about being double-minded, which is the result of not having done this, v 7: "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed…" The ultimate of being faithful!
What is God's purpose? We're going to learn something entirely new today! There are two words for perfect and we'll cover the difference today.
- 'teleios'
- 'katantao'
Matthew 5:48: "Therefore, you shall be perfect… ['teleios'] …even as your Father Who is in heaven is perfect."
We're to become like God. That's God's plan and perfect, spoken right at the beginning of the Gospel. Perfect example of understanding this: God has everything scattered through the Bible, so we must rightly divide the Word of God and put it together to get the whole picture!
Let's see something maybe you've never even thought of before. 'Teleios' means perfect, completed, finished!
Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great throng of witnesses… [we've got the whole Bible today] …let us lay aside every weight…" That's why we have the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
- we stop
- we get rid of physical leaven
- we examine our lives for spiritual sin
- we repent
- we look to God
All of this is part of the perfection. We will see there are two aspects to it. One is the completed product, and we'll show you what the other one is in a little bit.
"…and the sin that so easily entraps us; and let us run the race set before us with endurance, having our minds fixed…" (vs 1-2)—not wavering, not doubting!
It doesn't mean not questioning. You can question to find the answer, but question to doubt is another whole different thing.
"…on Jesus, the Beginner and Finisher… [comes from 'teleios'] …of our faith; Who for the joy that lay ahead of Him endured the cross, although He despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (vs 1-2).
During the Feast of Unleavened Bread we are to do this, v 3: "Now meditate deeply on Him Who endured such great hostility of sinners against Himself so that you do not become weary and faint in your minds"—and hence, give up! Some people may tend to do that.
Let's see how this is going to be done. There are seven days of Unleavened Bread and that shows it's a process, so let's read it here:
Romans 12:1: "I exhort you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, Holy and well pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service." How is that accomplished?
- by loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and being
- by doing the things that God wants you to do
- by loving the brethren
- by serving the brethren
- by anticipating being in the Kingdom of God through growing and overcoming
Verse 2: "Do not conform yourselves to this world…" Jesus said we are not of this world, just as He was not of the world. We've been called out of the world.
"…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…" (v 2). This is a process, a renewing!
Let's look at the Apostle Paul. Before he was called, he was a high mucky-muck with the high priest and could get direct orders to go out, even to Damascus, and arrest brethren, put them in chains, bring them back and throw them in jail. He even had the license to exterminate those who were Christians.
God knocked Paul down on his way to Damascus. He was converted instantly. Saw this great light and said, 'Who is it?' This is the Lord; why are you persecuting Me? So, if you persecute the brethren, you're persecuting Christ! Then you know the rest.
Paul was baptized and converted. He was told how much he was going to suffer. He had his mind completely changed. Later, when Paul was an apostle he wrote, 'I'm the least of the apostles.' Later he said, 'I'm not fit to be an apostle.' Then again later he said, 'I'm less than the least of all the saints.'
- What do you see there? You see a progression of conversion!
- What is that called here? Transformation of the mind!
This is why we are to eat the unleavened bread of sincerity and Truth, which is the Word of God. It's the Word of God, which is Spirit and life, Who then does the changing and re-conforming of our mind.
How important are our minds? So important that God gives His Spirit from the Father and also from Christ, so we develop the mind of Christ! Christ is formed in us and we are the begotten son and daughter of God the Father. That is a tremendous thing that we have in the transformation.
Here's what we do: "…be transformed by the renewing of your mind in order that you may prove what is well-pleasing and good, and the perfect will of God" (v 2).
Let's stop and think here. Before you were called, repented and were baptized, what did you have your mind on? Everything in the world: yourself, whatever!
- now that you are converted
- now that you know God's Word
- now that you've been in the Church for a while
- What is your mind on? The things of God!
- Is that a sign of the transformation of your mind? Yes!
That's called in the book of Philippians, 'Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.' So, you view things according to the way that God views things. That's quite an amazing change!
In Eph. 4 we're going to learn the other word for perfect, which is 'katantao.'
Ephesians 4:11: "And He gave some asapostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints…" (vs 11-12). Not the 'teleios,' but the 'katantao.' This is, in the Greek, a participle, meaning a process, which is the second aspect of perfection.
Verse 12: "For the perfecting of the saints…" This means perfecting in character. That's quite interesting, because we must develop the character of Christ, the mind of Christ.
The whole job of the ministry to teach the brethren to know the Word of God, to be transformed with the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the Truth of God—all of this together.
Paul explains this another way right here in Romans 5:1: "Therefore, having been justified by faith…"—through repentance, the shed blood of Jesus Christ, baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
"…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Whom we also have access by faith into this grace… [notice how all of this ties in together here] …in which we stand…" (vs 1-2). Who stands in grace? Those who have the Spirit of God!
There are many people in the world who try and take advantage of the grace of God, but that's a false grace.
"…and we ourselves boasts in the hope of the glory of God" (v 2).
- we have a purpose
- we have a greater calling
- we have many things to our lives that God is now directing
Think about this. I've asked you to do this many times. Take a pen, put a point right on your notebook. How big is that? You can see it. That's more than what you were when you were first conceived. Everything after that is a matter of growth, development and renewing. Now here we are as adults with trillions of cells and many trillions that have already gone the way of waste. God is doing a tremendous purpose in us.
Verse 3: "And not only this, but we also boast in tribulations… [haven't quite arrived at that one, yet, but Paul did] …realizing that tribulation brings forth endurance, and endurance brings forth character… [the perfection of character] …and character brings forth hope. And the hope of God never makes us ashamed because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us" (vs 3-5).
We will see that Eph. 4 talks about the character. The development of character will lead to the spiritual perfection to be perfect like God!
Ephesians 4:12: "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ; until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man… [character] …unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we no longer be children, tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men in cunning craftiness… [they are 'religious'] …with a view to the systematizing of the error" (vs 12-14). That's already been done, but here's what we are to do.
Verse 15: "But holding the Truth in love, may in all things grow up…"
- renew
- grow up
- develop
- have Christ formed in us
All of those things take place with the Spirit of God in our mind.
Then we come to the point and there are a lot of us; look around. I know Dolores said this when we look at the pictures coming back from the Feast of Tabernacles. She said, 'Look at all those gray hairs.' That's true!
There is a generational shift in the Church. Lawrence Burchfield said that this year he had three in his small congregation already pass on, waiting for the resurrection. They will be many more. God has always called, so He will call more. That's all in God's hands, and so are we.
Verse 15: "But holding the Truth in love, may in all things grow up into Him Who is the Head, even Christ from Whom all the body, fitly framed and compacted together by that which every joint supplies…" (vs 15-16). We all have a part to do: prayer, study, serving, helping!
That's why whenever there is such Church authority that it becomes overbearing, God has to send the correction to correct it. The whole purpose of the ministry is to help us all develop the character that comes from God. That character, then, which leads to the spiritual perfection.
Here's what we are to do, and this is all a part of Unleavened Bread. You put out the leaven; you put in the unleavened.
Verse 22: "That concerning your former conduct, you put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts." Everything about the human mind is deceit.
- only God can convert
- only God can change
- only His Word, and our use of the Word, and God's Spirit within us is the thing that brings about that renewing
Verse 23: "And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man… [inwardly, the new person] …which according to God is created in righteousness and Holiness of the Truth" (vs 23-24). That's quite a standard.
The works that we are to have are the works of God, the works of Christ. If you do what God says, that's not a work of your own. Sabbath-keeping is not a work of your own, seeking to be justified. Sunday-keeping is a work of your own, seeking to be justified your way rather than God's way. If you keep the Sabbath, that's keeping a work of God, physically and spiritually.
Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, beingcreated…" That's what God is doing. Quite a thing!
Have you ever gone along and there was a prayer that you gave sometime, way back when and you forgot all about it? Then you go along and one day BING! You realize God answered that prayer. Not all prayers are answered instantly, but all prayers are answered. Yes, no, maybe, sooner, later, but they're all answered.
We are "…being created in Christ Jesus unto the good works that God ordained beforehand in order that we might walk in them" (v 10).
Let's see how that is to be. Col. 3 is the perfect chapter showing the two perfections:
- the one to character
- the one to the finished product
It starts out here that we have died to sin. Colossians 3:2: "Set your affection on the things that are above, and not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life has been hid together with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, is manifested…" (vs 2-4).
I don't know if we're going to see that or not. The world's got to go through a whole lot more things before the end really comes.
"…then you also shall be manifested with Him in glory." Think about that! Especially the older we get and the more failing we become.
- our legs
- our back
- our arms
- our fingers
- our eyes
- our teeth
Quite a thing that can happen today, but you're still going to die. To die in faith is the goal! In the meantime, here is what we are to do with sin that comes into our lives. The people of God still sin. Why? Because they are not perfected to the spiritual perfection of God, which will not happen until the resurrection!
What are we told in 1-John 1? If we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, and confess our sins, then the shed blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness! John included himself there. If we say we have no sin, we're lying.
Here's what we are to do, v 5: "Therefore, put to death your members, which are on earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, among whom you also once walked, when you were living in these things" (vs 5-7).
All of these things he's telling brethren they have to overcome. So, we're a pretty motley crew when you get down to it.
Verse 8: "But now, you should also put off all these things: wrath, indignation, malice, blasphemy, and foul language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man together with his deeds, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him Who created him; where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor free… [Paul says also male or female (Gal. 3)] …but Christ is all things, and in all. Put on then, as the elect of God, Holy and beloved, deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering" (vs 8-12). All of the character qualities we need toward perfection!
Verse 13: "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive. And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection…. ['teleios'] …And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…" (vs 13-15). What kind of government is there in the Church? Christ ruling in your heart!
Verse 16: "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another…" (v 16).
Ephesians 5:1: "Therefore, be imitators of God…" How do we do that?
- through His Word
- through His Spirit
- through constant prayer
- through constant study
- by growing and overcoming
- by putting to death the sins that come up
Kind of look at it this way: Have you ever been where there is a target practice? A duck comes up and you have a little BB gun and you shoot it! Think of it that way with your sin. If a sin comes up, BOOM! Another one comes up, BOOM! Then follow that with repentance.
"…be imitators of God, as beloved children; And walk in love, even as Christ also loved us, and gave Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor" (vs 1-2). Then Paul lists all the things we are to avoid, all the sins.
Let's see the operation of God with His Spirit, with His Word, and our part in it, which will give us the full meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread in its spiritual significance for us.
Verse 26: "So that He might sanctify it… [Christ might sanctify or make holy the Church] …having cleansed it… [we need cleaning, that's what repentance is all about] …with the washing of water by the Word."
The water is the Holy Spirit! The Word and the Holy Spirit together does the inner cleaning of the mind!
- you have repentance
- you have God's Spirit
- you have the Word of God
all working together! Sometimes you may have a sin that keeps popping up all the time. Keep praying about it. God will help you out of it.
Here's what we are to do—2-Cor.—and this best describes our overcoming, the difficulties and things we are confronted with.
2-Corinthians 10:3: "For although we walk in the flesh… [yes, we're still flesh] …we do not war according to the flesh." This is not a psychological exercise. This is a spiritual exercise with the washing of the water by the Word.
Verse 4: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the overthrowing of strongholds." What are those strongholds? The mind, the memory that is there!
Verse 5: "Casting down vain imaginations… [that is carnal imaginations, satanically-inspired imaginations, whatever it may be] …and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…"—how great we are, how good we are, whatever it may be.
"…and bringing into captivity…" (v 5). What is conversion and the renewing of the mind? Controlling your mind and your thoughts with the Word and the Spirit of God! That's how you are renewed in your mind.
"…into the obedience of Christ" (v 5). That's a full-time occupation. That's a full-time thing day and night!
Verse 6: "And having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience has been fulfilled." That's the whole story of it there. This gives us the summary of what it means to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread:
- put out the leaven
- bring in the unleavened
- get rid of the deceit
- bring in the Truth
- get rid of unrighteousness
- bring in righteousness
All of this is summed up this way: We're to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our mind, soul, and being. and we will attain to the perfection of God the Father at the resurrection!
All Scriptures from The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version (except where noted)
Scriptural References:
- Leviticus 23:4-8
- 1-Corinthhians 11:19-22, 34
- Matthew 26:17
- 1-Cointhians 11:34
- Mark 14:12-14
- 1-Corinthians 5:5-8
- Psalm 57:1-3, 5-7
- Matthew 5:48
- Hebrews 12:1-3
- Romans 12:1-2
- Ephesians 4:11-12
- Romans 5:1-5
- Ephesians 4:12-16, 22-24
- Ephesians 2:10
- Colossians 3:2-16
- Ephesians 5:1-2, 26
- 2-Corinthians 10:3-6
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- John 18
- Psalm 22
- John 13
- 1-John 1
- Galatians 3
Also referenced: Book: The Christian Passover by Fred R. Coulter
FRC:lp
Transcribed: 4-5-18
Formatted: bo—4/8/18
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