How Do You Stand Before God

Greetings brethren! This is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and you know as we have learned, and have seen and understand, there is no justification at all for the religious holidays of this world to have any claim that they come from the Bible.

The will of man cannot be the will of God! Remember the model prayer that Jesus gave to the Father, that we are to ask that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

When God spoke to the children of Israel He gave them His will! That's what we find concerning the Holy Days, and the basic outline of them back in the book of Leviticus.

I want to read several verses at the end of Lev. 22 before we get to Lev. 23 so that we can emphasize and understand something very important concerning the Holy Days of God. They are just as important as the weekly Sabbath, and as a matter of fact, they give the rest of the story in laying out the plan of God, because without the Holy Days you cannot understand the plan of God.

Leviticus 22:31: "And you shall keep My commandments, and do them. I am the LORD."

Whenever you see 'I am the LORD' or 'the LORD says,' These are the words of God, the recorded voice of the Word of God! Of course as we have seen, know and understand we are to obey the voice of the LORD our God!

Verse 32: "And you shall not profane My Holy name. But I will be Holy among the children of Israel. I am the LORD Who is sanctifying you,"

That ties right in with the New Testament, that we are sanctified by God the Father through Jesus Christ!

Verse 33: "Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the LORD."

Not only that, when God calls us He brings us out of the world! Egypt symbolizes and typifies the world, so this becomes very important. As we have seen, IF you keep the holidays of this world you're going right back into Egypt. Another name that this is called of the world is Babylon! So Babylon and Egypt/Sodom and Gomorrah give a great definition of the end-time age that we live in.

Leviticus 23:1: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, "Concerning the appointed Feasts of the LORD…" (vs 1-2).—which we have seen, know and understand that they are His!

You cannot take something that comes from a pagan god, as we have seen, and put the name of God on it and have some high religious figure 'Christianize' it and sanctify it, and say that this is the will of God. No!

It's very clear these are the Feasts of the LORD, so IF you want to keep any days to God you have to keep the ones that He says! Everything else doesn't count!

"…which you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations, even these are My appointed Feasts" (v 2).

It starts out with the weekly Sabbath because as we know and have seen, the fourth commandment—concerning the weekly Sabbath—is the overarching commandment from which the Holy Days, which are Sabbaths, hang.

Verse 3: "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a Holy convocation. You shall not do any work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings."

We know we keep the seventh day Sabbath every week, week in and week out as we go down through the year. When we come to the spring of the year, which this is, we have the Passover, which we have kept, and I hope that everyone had a profitable and inspiring Passover.

Then we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In these things God teaches us not only His plan. but His way, and how He is doing things. That's why we have the Feasts. Remember that the weekly Sabbath is called a Feast. So, if the weekly Sabbath is called a Feast, and the annual Sabbaths are called Feasts, they are one in the same and belong together! The truth is, as we already know that you can't have one without the other.

Verse 4: "These are the appointed Feasts of the LORD, Holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month, between the two evenings, is the LORD'S Passover, and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. You must eat unleavened bread seven days" (vs 4-6).

God says what He means and means what He says, so we eat unleavened bread! There's a lesson in it for us, as we will see.

Verse 7: "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 seven days.…" (vs 7-8).

That includes that there's an offering on the seventh day, because if you start on the first day and you have an offering that you have, and of course, these were also the ritual sacrifices and they did them every day. You can see them all listed out in Num. 28.

Verse 8: "But you shall offer a fire offering to the LORD…. You shall do no servile work therein."

So, on every one of the Holy Days we do take up an offering. Today we don't offer sacrifices, but we give monetary offerings, and in a way that's likened unto a sacrifice.

Now let's see the command and what God says, and let's see how that with the offerings that we take up, we are to prepare for them. We are to do the things that God wants us to do in faith and trust, and understanding that God will bless us.

Deuteronomy 16:16: "Three times in a year shall all your males appear before the LORD your God in the place which He shall choose: in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles. And they shall not appear before the LORD empty, every man shall give as he is able…" (vs 16-17). There's a gauge!

Every time we come before God to bring an offering we have to measure it by the blessings that God has given. So, if you have given and you are living by God's Word, and you are trusting in God, you probably have many blessings that you can count.

"…according to the blessing of the LORD your God, which He has given you" (v 17). That's the gauge on how we are to give our offerings!

2-Cor. 9 is talking about the Feast of Unleavened Bread and sowing and planting, and of course, it has reference then to us being the firstfruits, as we will see as we come down toward Pentecost time. We have an overall command with the very principles of God, and of course, this is based on faith. Everything that we do then must be based on faith:

• to love God
• to serve Him
• to keep His commandments
• to do the things that are right in His sight

2-Corinthians 9:6: "But this I say: the one who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly…"

As we covered previously, long before the Feast of Unleavened Bread, that the one servant who received the one talent and didn't do anything with it, he didn't even sow it into the bank, as it were, to receive interest when Christ returns. So, he didn't even do the minimum. This is what he's talking about here. If you give sparingly then God will bless you sparingly, because the results will go hand-in-hand.

"…and the one who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully" (v 6).

There are many, many blessings that come, which are more than just monetary or physical, blessings that you can look at and see. There are the blessings of love, joy, peace and longsuffering; the fruits of the Holy Spirit. There are the blessings where you have God's Spirit, and God is giving you the strength and help to overcome! Those are all part of the blessings that God will give.

Verse 7: "Each one as he purposes in his heart… [it's something that we have to do with deliberation and thought when we come before the LORD] …so let him give, but not grudgingly…"

God wants us to keep His commandments with joy, not with grudging. Not saying, 'There goes that preacher again.' You know, as we're going to see, we have to preach the Word in season!

"…or by compulsion… [because God requires it] …for God loves a cheerful giver" (v 7).

Here is the blessing; here is the promise. This is what we claim when we give to God our tithes and our offerings:

Verse 8. "For God is able to make all grace abound toward you so that in every way you may always have sufficiency in all things, and may abound unto every good work."

God gives a promise that you will have sufficiency in all things.

(pause for offering)

Let's look at the connection between Passover and Unleavened Bread, and a relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. Remember, as we have covered, John 14-17 are the words of the New Covenant, as we covered during the Passover night. These words also tell us exactly the way to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father. It shows that since these words were given on the Passover night, that it is absolutely true you cannot have a connection with, or a relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father unless you keep the Passover! You know we need to be as strong as the Bible is strong and say it exactly as it is.

John 14:6: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

Jesus Christ is our Passover! So, unless you keep the Passover and the Feasts of God you cannot get to God the Father. It is an absolute impossibility! Of course, everything needs to be done exactly as Jesus said it should be done.

John 6:53 shows that it has to be the way that Jesus Christ has said. It is an impossibility for anyone to partake of communion anytime they want to and have a relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. They may think they do, but they're deceived, because no one is going to do anything contrary to the will of God and God accept it! No one can take the Eucharist and stand before a priest, or sit before a priest who has the unmitigated gall to claim that he can command God to come and put the presence of Jesus Christ—His body and His blood—in the bread and in the wine. NO!

Jesus clearly showed that to eat His flesh and drink His blood is symbolized by the unleavened bread and the wine. There is nothing literal in it. It is symbolic! It also has a meaning of what we are to do.

John 6:53: "Therefore, Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves…. [because all die; the wages of sin is death and there is no way out except through Christ] …The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life…" (vs 53-54).

He's talking about the Passover. So, if you don't take the Passover you cannothave eternal life! You may take a false version of it through communion or the Eucharist, but that has no connection with God!

It may appear to have connection with God because those who perform the service use the Scriptures, but they misuse them because they are unwilling to obey! Remember where we started—God said, 'Therefore, My commandments you shall keep!' Those are part of the commandments of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

"…and I will raise him up in the last day; for My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood is dwelling in Me, and I in him" (vs 54-56). Without the Passover, Christ cannot dwell in you! That's what He says.

Here is what we are to do. This tells us exactly the meaning of it. We don't do this for some religious ritual so that somehow what we do puts us in right standing with God. We do it because God says IF we do, He puts us in right standing with Him! What are we to do after that?

Verse 57: "As the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the Father; so also the one who eats Me shall live by Me."

• it is a way of life
• it is something that we do
• it is something that we live by
• it is something we think by
• it is something we have our life wrapped up in
• Christ is in us
• God the Father is in us
• it is a way to live

Christ didn't die in vain to just please men! He died to save the world His way!

Verse 63: "'It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing…." That is our own physical flesh!

Even symbolizing eating His flesh and drinking His blood, it is the spiritual meaning of it! The spiritual application of renewing the New Covenant, as we have seen on the Passover, which is kept the 14th day of the 1st month.

"…The words that I speak to you, they are Spirit and they are Life. But there are some of you who do not believe.'…." (vs 63-64).

And they didn't like the saying that Jesus said, 'You have to eat My flesh and drink My blood'; so what did they do? They said, 'It's a hard saying. I quit' because it went against their will! They weren't willing to follow the will of God the Father and Jesus Christ. That's the whole meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

"…For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones that did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, 'For this reason, I have said to you, no one can come to Me unless it has been given to him from My Father'" (vs 64-65). No one! It's an impossibility!

Just like you cannot please God by eating leavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It's an impossibility! Unless you come:

• through Christ
• through His Word
• through His Gospel
• through His way

you can't get to the Father! They couldn't take that!

Verse 66: "From that time, many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him. Therefore, Jesus said to the twelve, 'Are you also desiring to go away?' Then Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed and have known that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" (vs 66-69).

Jesus wanted to set the record straight, because in Matt. 16 when Peter said, 'You are the Christ,' Jesus said, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for My Father has revealed this to you.' No one knows the true Christ unless He is revealed by God the Father!

Verse 70: "Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you twelve, and one of you is a devil?'"

To believe in your own belief of what you think concerning what the Bible says, and the Word of God, will get you nowhere with God!

Now let's see something very profound and important. To show that the only way that we are going to come to God, come to Jesus Christ and God the Father, is:

• through repentance
• a broken heart
• accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
• living by the Words of God

Those who are teachers will see the command of what they are to do, and it does include the annual Sabbaths, and it does include all the commandments of God.

2-Timothy 3:14: "But as for you… [Paul is writing to Timothy] …continue in the things that you did learn and were assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. and that from a child you have known the Holy Writings…" (vs 14-15).

They had not only the scrolls of the Old Testament in the synagogues before the time of Christ, but they also had personal scrolls. They also had the Septuagint translated from the Hebrew into Greek.

"…and that from a child you have known the Holy Writings…" means that he was taught in his home, (first part of 2-Tim.) His grandmother and mother taught him. They had the Word of God just like we have the Word of God.

"…Holy Writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus" (v 15).

This is affirming the need to follow and obey the commandments in what is called the Old Testament!

Verse 16: "All Scripture is God-breathed…"—the very Word of God! It's like when I'm speaking, breath is coming out of my mouth. God breathed means that God's Spirit moved these men to write the very Words of God! It's just not the sayings or the thoughts of men. Because of that:

Verse 16: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine… [from which all teaching comes] …for conviction…"—that you have to be!

Not only know the Truth but be convicted of the Truth so you can:

• stand for the Truth
• love the Truth
• live by the Truth

Unless you have conviction you do not have spiritual backbone!

"…for correction…" (v 16)—because we all need correction, every one of us!

We need to let the Word of God correct us; that's the easiest way. You read the Word of God and you change and repent when you see there's correction for you.

The next easiest way is for a minister to teach you and read the Scriptures; you are corrected by that. Then it becomes a little more difficult if you're not willing to listen. Many times it's not a matter of being willing to listen, but because some things are hard to learn that we need the experience of trials and difficulties so that we can learn the profound importance of what God wants us to do, and how we are to live!

Remember, don't complain about any trial or difficulty that you've come through. Always think on and remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ—His beating, His scourging, His crucifixion—that He went through for every one of us, because He loved us. That's why Paul says all these heavy trials are just but for a light moment. Remember that there is no trial, no difficulty, no situation that is too great for God! But in those He wants you to turn to Him.

"…for instruction in righteousness… [so that we may learn how to be in right standing with God through the power of His Holy Spirit] …so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work" (vs 16-17).

That's not only just those who are teaching, but that's for everyone!

• that's why the Word of God is here
• that's why we are to prove all things.
• that's why we are to hold fast

which is good!

2-Timothy 4:1: "I charge you, therefore, in the sight of God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is ready to judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom: Preach the Word!.…" (vs 1-2).

• What does this tell us?
• How can he preach the Word if he didn't have it written down?

This tells us at the time that Paul was writing to Timothy, that they had the Words of God! They had all the Epistles of the Apostle Paul.

1-Timothy 6:3: "If anyone teaches any different doctrine, and does not adhere to sound words, even those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine that is according to Godliness, he is proud and knows nothing. Rather, he has a morbid attraction to questions and disputes over words, from which come envy, arguments, blasphemy, wicked suspicions, vain reasonings of men who have been corrupted in their minds and are destitute of the Truth… [sounds like 'Biblical scholars' today] …men who believe that gain is Godliness. From such withdraw yourself" (vs 3-5).

The point is this: Timothy had to have all the Gospels to know the sound words of Jesus Christ! So, this whole thing that the Bible wasn't written until hundreds of years after the apostles, is nothing more than a satanic lie given by atheistic scholars who don't believe the Word of God and have a secret hidden agenda that they want to destroy the Word of God and corrupt it.

In The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version, you can read the commentary, which absolutely proves that that's so, and that's their motive. There are very few honest scholars out there in the world, but just enough so that the Word of God and the history and preservation of the text will not be lost.

2-Timothy 4:2: "Preach the Word!"

What is a minister supposed to do? Preach the Word!

• not stories
• not his ideas
• not what he thinks

but the Word of God, which means in order to preach the Word of God you have to have it! We have the evidence right here that Timothy had:

• the Old Testament from a child
• the writings of the Apostle Paul
• the Gospels

So, by the time this second epistle is written, every book of the New Testament was available to the New Testament Church except the book of Revelation. That's amazing to understand.

"…Be urgent… [not slovenly, not ho-hum] …in season and out of season…" (v 2).

What did we in Lev. 23? That these are the Feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim in their seasons! Therefore, all Scripture is God-breathed! This is absolute proof that they were keeping the Passover and the Holy Days in the early New Testament Church and that all of these pagan intrusions came later when the state religion was instituted by Emperor Constantine.

"…convict, rebuke, encourage, with all patience and doctrine. For there shall come a time when they will not tolerate sound doctrine…" (vs 2-3).

People don't like that: 'that's harsh, that's too rigid!' You tell it to God! See if He will accept those excuses!

"…but according to their own lusts…" (v 3). That's where these things come from, people have lusts! They want to have it their way! They don't want to do God's way! They want their own way! They want to be satisfied in their lusts!

"…they shall accumulate to themselves a great number of teachers, having ears itching to hear what satisfies their cravings; and they shall turn away their own ears from the Truth; and they shall be turned aside unto myths" (vs 3-4). That's exactly what has happened!

I got a letter where a man wrote and said:

Well, you know that in the New Testament there's no place that shows that we should keep the Feasts of the Old Testament.

As we have already seen in the messages leading up to the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread that, yes, right in 1-Cor. 5 you find a direct command by the Apostle Paul, the apostles to the Gentiles, writing and speaking to the Gentiles commanding them to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread because they kept the Passover!

1-Corinthians 5:6: "Your glorying is not good…."

They were glorying about the situation with the man who had his stepmother in immoral sexual relations. But any kind of glorying is not good over things that are sin. It's a sin to say that God has delivered us to do all these abominations, meaning the pagan holidays as we already have seen and know.

"…Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" (v 6). A little bit of sin starts it!

That's why God uses leaven as a type of sin during the days of Unleavened Bread. He wants us to understand just like leaven is everywhere, leaven is in the air! Who's the 'prince of the power of the air' that brings people to sin? Satan the devil! Leaven is so common, it's in the basic food staples that we eat. It's in bread crackers, cakes, it's in all of the things that we just normally take for granted.

So, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread He wants us to put out the leaven and to eat unleavened bread for seven days as He has said so we learn the lesson that as God has called us out of Egypt, we have our part to do. If we don't put the leaven out of our homes, and I've seen this time and time again down through the years, that when people don't put leaven out of their homes—a simple little thing—within a short period of time they no longer understand what sin is! They redefine sin according to their own ideas, sin according to their interpretation of the Scriptures.

Verse 7. "Therefore, purge out the old leaven…"

We're to go get it out of our homes, and also there's a spiritual lesson here. Purge out the old human nature!

"…so that you may become a new lump…" [that you may be molded into that new person in Christ] …even as you are unleavened" (v 7)—showing that they had their houses unleavened! It couldn't mean anything other than that.

Here's the reason: Some people ask, 'Why do you keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread?' Turn right here, here's the answer:

"…For Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us" (v 7). Because of Christ we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

Most people think 'because of Christ 'we keep Easter.' God never said so! 'Because of Christ we keep Lent. Because of Christ we keep Ash Wednesday.' Where do you find that in the Bible? It's not there! Those are things of men who did not want to hear the Truth!

We read in 2-Tim. 4 that they wanted to turn to myths and lies and have new teachings that please men, that accept all the sins of the world! That's what those are.

We keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, put the leaven out of our homes, and eat unleavened bread seven days because God said so; because Christ was our Passover Who was sacrificed for us. So, IF you want to claim the sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you do not keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and you do not keep the Passover, you have no part with Him! That's very clear! Here's the direct command:

Verse 8: "For this reason…"—because of the fact of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Passover Day! That's why He's called our Passover.

"…let us keep the Feast…" (v 8). There can be no doubt it's the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

• it's not Easter
• it's not Lent
• it's not Sunday-keeping

It is the Feast!

"…not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of Sincerity and Truth" (v 8).

That's what God wants us to have. He wants us to have a nature that is filled with Truth from the Spirit of Truth by the God of Truth and Jesus Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

The only way that that can be is if we understand that we must have our natures unleavened spiritually that we become the new creature in Christ!Eating the unleavened bread shows us that we are to live by every Word of God and to understand that God's way is the way that it is.

Now let's come to Psa. 34. Let's see something that's very important which ties in with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and ties in with the meaning of living by every Word of God. This is New Testament doctrine here that we're going to read in Psa. 34. Very profound. Very important for us to understand. And this is the whole meaning of it. You see, Christ is the sinless One. Christ, Who knew no sin, became the sacrifice for us, and He is the One Whom we are able to continuously come to:

• to come to God the Father
• to have our sins forgiven
• to grow in grace and knowledge
• to understand the Word of God

Psalm 34:4: "I sought the LORD, and He answered me… [you've got to come to God] …and delivered me from all my fears." We've got to trust God! That's what the whole Feast of Unleavened Bread is picturing: you trust God.

Verse 5: "They looked to Him and were radiant; and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them" (vs 5-7).

Part of the blessings of God, the blessings that you hardly ever see or know or recognize. Maybe you can look back and see how angels may have delivered you from some things, but you don't know that they are there.

Verse 8: "O taste and see that the LORD is good…" That's why we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

• we taste the Word of God
• we digest it spiritually speaking
• it becomes a part of us
• we think with the Word of God
• we have it written in our heart and mind

"…blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him" (v 8). That's what we need to do!

Verse 14 shows part of how to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread: "Depart from evil… [put the leaven out] …and do good… [put righteousness in] …seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry" (vs 14-15).

Verse 18: "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all" (vs. 18-19). Those are the promises that God gives for keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

We will follow the theme that leaven equals sin, and that we ourselves only change or become unleavened through Christ. Now here's where we begin. Let's understand what we are as human beings, and where God wants us to go. The truth is that God is going to take something that is imperfect and He's going to perfect it! He's going to take us who are sinful—and upon repentance and baptism, yielding to God and growing and overcoming—perfect us and make us righteous! It's quite a process that God is doing. Here's where it begins:

Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God… [all are sinners, none are exempt, and Christ is the only way out] …but are being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; Whom God has openly manifested to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, in respect to the remission of sins that are past…" (vs 23-25).

God is showing His righteousness, and that righteousness could also be called justification because He is taking those who are sinners and making them in right standing with Him by justification through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and by His blood!

Verse 26: "Through the forbearance of God; yes, to publicly declare His righteousness in the present time, that He might be just, and the One Who justifies the one who is of the faith of Jesus. Therefore, where is boasting? It is excluded. Through what law? The law of works? By no means! Rather, it is through a law of faith" (vs 26-27).

Then he also asks the question because of faith and because of grace:

Verse 31: "Are we, then, abolishing the Law through faith? MAY IT NEVER BE!…. [Greek: 'me genoito'] …Rather, we are establishing the Law"—because they're written in our heart and mind, because we live by them!

However, we still have a sinful nature. Even though we are justified, even though Christ died while we were yet sinners, even though we have the Holy Spirit shed abroad in our heart so we can develop:

• the patience
• the love
• the overcoming

We still have sin to fight!

Let's come to Rom. 7 and see the predicament that all human beings are in. One mistake that a lot of people make is that they focus on their sins because they have a sinful nature. We're going to see you have to get sin out, but not focus on sin, but focus on Christ. Then we're also going to see: How does God look at us? How can God put up with us with this sinful nature, which causes us to do things that we don't want to do? And we slip and fall in sin, yet we repent and we change, we come to God. Let's see how all of this works. Let's put it all together here.

Romans 7:7: "What then shall we say? Is the Law sin? MAY IT NEVER BE! But I had not known sin except through the Law…. [because law defines the sin]. …Furthermore, I would not have been conscious of lust, except that the Law said, 'You shall not covet.'"

But something happens when God begins to call an individual. Something happens in the minds of individuals once they have the Holy Spirit. That is they see how sinful sin is.

Verse 8: But sin, having grasped an opportunity by the commandment, worked out within me every kind of lust because apart from Law, sin was dead. For I was once alive without law; but after the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (vs 8-9). That is obviously through the operation of baptism!

He didn't die a literal death and then was resurrected. That's what he's talking about. Of course, baptism is a death, a covenant death into the death of Jesus Christ! That's why we take the Passover.

Verse 11: "Because sin, having taken opportunity by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore, the Law is indeed Holy, and the commandment Holy and righteous and good. Now then, did that which is good become death to me? MAY IT NEVER BE! But sin, in order that it might truly be exposed as sin in me by that which is good, was working out death; so that by means of the commandment, sin might become exceedingly sinful" (vs 11-13).

How is that possible? How is it possible that we're going along and we're living our lives in the world, we have no consciousness of sin. We know some things are right, and some things are wrong, but:

• we don't have a consciousness of sin
• we don't have a conviction of sin
• we don't have a need to repent of sin

Oh, when we do something wrong and we're caught doing something wrong, yeah we're sorry, but that's not repentance of sin toward God!

What changes? It is the Holy Spirit of God! Because when God begins to call someone He sends the Spirit to be with them. When they repent and are baptized the Spirit is within them. Here is what the Spirit does.

John 16 is talking about the activity and work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was telling His disciples.

John 16:7: "But I am telling you the truth. It is profitable for you that I go away because if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. However, if I go, I will send it to you. And when that one has come, it will convict the world concerning sin…" (vs 7-8).

• What gives us the conviction of sin in our lives?
• What brought the Apostle Paul to the point that he had this conviction of seeing how evil that human nature really was?
• It was by the Holy Spirit of God!

So, the truth is this: if you find that you're a sinner, and if you're convicted that you are a sinner, and if you find yourself doing like the Apostle Paul did here, doing things he didn't want to do but still did them:

• What is convicting you of that?
• Your thoughts? No!

The Holy Spirit that is with you, or in you!

Romans 7:14. "For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am carnal, having been sold as a slave under sin; because what I am working out myself… [just what I do by myself] …I do not know…." (vs 14-15).

• Isn't that true?
• Don't we do a lot of things that we don't know why or what we do them for?

And a lot of them end up being sin!

"…For what I do not desire to do, this I do; moreover, what I hate, this is what I do. But if I am doing what I do not desire to do, I agree with the Law that it is good" (vs 15-16)—because you can now see that your behavior needs to be changed!

That's why we need to put out the sin. When we put the sin out, as we're going to see, we need to put righteousness in. The same Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin so we can repent and get rid of sin, it is the same Holy Spirit that gives us the power and strength to put righteousness in through Jesus Christ. That's what we're going to see is the way that it works.

Verse 17: "So then, I am no longer working it out myself; rather, it is sin that is dwelling within me."

All of us have sin. We'll see it's called the law of sin and death, and we have to overcome it. We can only overcome it through Christ.

Verse 18: "Because I fully understand that there is not dwelling within me—that is, within my fleshly being—any good. For the desire to do good is present within me; but how to work out that which is good, I do not find…. [within me] …For the good that I desire to do, I am not doing; but the evil that I do not desire to do, this I am doing. But if I do what I do not desire to do, I am no longer working it out myself, but sin that is dwelling within me" (vs. 18-20).

There is a solution, and the solution is Christ, and the solution is the Feast of Unleavened Bread after the Passover. Because once you have your sins forgiven, you've got to do something else. That is you've got to do it God's way!

Verse 21: "Consequently, I find this law in my members, that when I desire to do good, evil is present with me."

You can still find that today. You go along, you're doing something good and then all of a sudden here comes an evil thought out of the middle of nowhere. That's the law of sin and death working in you.

We're going to see through Christ there is a way out! What we need to focus on You see sometimes we get so 'beat sin out, get sin out of your life' that all people do is just look and see: where is the sin? Well you need to find out where the sin is. What do you do after that? That's the rest of the story of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! So, he says concerning this:

Verse 24: "O what a wretched man I am! Who shall save me from the body of this death?…. [we need to be saved from this, and only Christ can] …I thank God for His salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this, on the one hand, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind; but on the other hand, with the flesh, I serve the law of sin" (vs 24-25). In other words it is the sin within your members that causes you to do this!

Where do we stand before God?

This is what I want you to understand. This is what is so important that we need to realize what Christ does and how we stand before God and that's the whole meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Romans 8:1: "Consequently there is now no condemnation…" I want you to repeat that.

You love God the Father, you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and we're going to see how there is no condemnation. There's no condemnation! You don't need to focus on the sin that has brought you down, but you focus on the solution, which is Christ in you!

When you see the sin, you put it out getting rid of the leaven. In order to replace that you have to eat unleavened bread. That's putting Christ in! That's why He has us eat unleavened bread for seven days, so that we have to understand and realize that God puts us in a very special category. There is no condemnation. The very fact that you have the law of sin and death in you and you are overcoming it, and you are looking to God to change you, there is no condemnation, because there is the forgiveness available. That's why we are in the grace of God.

Verse 1: "Consequently, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." You're not just following the dictates of the flesh!

Before you were converted that's what you were doing. You had no consciousness of good. You had no consciousness of God. You are not convicted because of sin. You just knew somewhat of right and wrong. But now with the Holy Spirit convicting you of sin, you see sin within you. That's the Holy Spirit revealing it to you so you can change and repent and let Christ blot that out and forgive you and give you His Spirit! Now, because you are doing that, you are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Verse 2: "Because the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has delivered me from the law of sin and death. For what was impossible for the Law to do… [because the Law has no power] …in that it was weak through the flesh, God having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh" (vs 2-3). So that:

• God could give you His righteousness
• God could give you His Spirit
• God could give you His mind

Verse 4: "In order that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Now that's something!

Let's see how this whole operation is done. Here's how it is accomplished. Here is the way:

1 John 1:6: "If we proclaim that we have fellowship with Him… [a lot of people do] …but we are walking in the darkness…" And many are!

They're not walking according to the commandments, because the commandment is Light, and the Spirit is Light, and Christ is Light. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That's the way we are to live.

IF we're walking in darkness, IF we're keeping Sunday, Christmas and Easter, and all the things of the world, you're walking in darkness! You're not walking in the Light.

"…We are lying to ourselves…" (v 6). With the Holy Spirit within you, you cannot lie to yourself very long because the Holy Spirit will convict you, and through the graciousness of God lead you to repentance.

"…we are lying to ourselves, and we are not practicing the Truth. However, if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His own Son, cleanses us from all sin" (vs 6-7).

Jesus said on the Passover night, telling His disciples, 'Now you are clean through the words that I have spoken.' And that was after they had partaken of the very first New Covenant Christian Passover.

• that's why we keep the Passover every year
• that's why we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread every year

It cleanses us from all sin! That's why there's no condemnation through Jesus Christ.

We're going to see in just a minute, how we stand before God. How does God look at you? You're going to be surprised!

Verse 8: "If we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the Truth is not in us. If we confess our own sins…" (vs 8-9).

We have to go to God and confess our sins, not to a priest! It doesn't say to go to a priest and confess your sins, and then you are forgiven by him. And you run out and do 'hail Marys and our fathers' or whatever other kind of religious work that has been given to do. That's not of God! You confess your sins directly to God the Father through Jesus Christ.

"…He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (v 9).

There's no condemnation if you are cleansed from all your sins, and cleansed from all unrighteousness. How can there be condemnation? There isn't!

Verse 10: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us." 

Then he gives us encouragement; 1-John 2:1: "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And yet, if anyone does sin… [because as we've covered with the law of sin and death we do sin] …we have an Advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ the Righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins… [tie in Rom. 3] …and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (vs 1-2).

In order to understand how God is going to apply it to the whole world, and when he's going to apply it to the whole world, you need to keep the Feasts of God. Here's a truth:

• Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost tell you what God is doing with the Church.
• Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and the Last Great Day tells you how God is going to solve the problem of the sins of the world, and when.

Keep that in mind! Very important!

How do you stand before God? I want you to grasp this. I want you to understand this. I want you to fully realize how God views you through Christ.

Ephesians 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly things with Christ."

• the Holy Spirit
• forgiveness of sin
• understanding the Word of God
• growing in the character of God
• how we grow and develop and build the very character and love of God within us

Verse 4 is a very important verse. It is translated correctly here in this new translation because there is what is called, as I have mentioned before, the middle voice verb, showing that God has done something very special and very personal in our lives!

Verse 4: "According as He has personally chosen us for Himself…" That's a tremendous thing. God did not call you to condemn you!

• God called you to forgive you
• God called you to change you
• God called you to convert you
• God called you to overcome sin
• God has called you to be in His Kingdom
• God has called you to be His very sons and daughters
• God has called you to share in His glory through Christ

There's no condemnation in that! That's the greatest thing that could ever be!

"…before the foundation of the world… [He had the plan already to go before He created the world] …in order that we might be Holy and blameless before Him in love" (v 4).

That's how you stand before God, Holy and blameless because of Christ! He's got a plan for us.

Verse 5: "Having predestinated us for sonship to Himself through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His own will."

God is dealing in your life according to the very good pleasure of what He has determined.

Verse 6: "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us objects of His grace in the Beloved Son; in Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins…" (vs 6-7).

It all goes back to the blood of Jesus Christ, and it all goes back to our right standing with God through the sacrifice of Christ. This is tremendous, brethren! That's why there's no condemnation. That's why

• yes, we're to put sin out
• yes, we're to overcome sin.
• yes, we're to confess our sins and have forgiveness

but

• we need to grow
• we need to change
• we need to understand there is no condemnation

There's not one word of condemnation here!

"…according to the riches of His grace, which He has made to abound toward us in all wisdom and intelligence" (vs 7-8).

God wants you to know, God wants you to understand. He's given His Spirit, He's given His Word. That's fantastic. God wants you to have the joy of the Lord. He wants you to understand how He views you, and He does not condemn you. Now we're going to look at this just a little bit more here in just a minute.

Verse 9: "Having made known to us the mystery of His own will…"

• Do you understand the will of God?
• Do you understand the greatest secret that men can never grasp through everything that they do, try, work, and so forth

We've got the two robots up on Mars: Opportunity and Spirit. They're looking for water. They're looking for signs of life. Who knows what they'll find up there, but always remember this: even if they find water that does not mean there has been life, because there was not life in the water until God said, 'Let the water bring forth the fish and all the things that are in the water. So even if they find evidence of water that doesn't mean that there was life. He's got His plan; He's got His purpose.

Verse 9: "Having made known to us the mystery of His own will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself." God is working that plan!

Let's understand something very important also how God looks at us and what He does for us. This is profound. This is something that is really absolutely marvelous. Here's what God has done for us.

Romans 5:17: "For if by the offence of one man [Adam] death reigned by the one [Adam], how much more shall those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness…" It's a fantastic gift to be put in right standing with God!

• Have you ever in your own mind thought that you can be in right standing with God through Jesus Christ?
• That you can have imparted to you, imputed to you the very righteousness of Christ?

That's the only way that you can be Holy and without blame, because that is imputing to you the very qualities of Jesus Christ! That's why we are to have the joy and the understanding, and realize how great this salvation of God is and might receive

"…the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life by the One Jesus Christ.) So then, even as by the one transgression condemnation came unto all men, in the same way also, by the one act of righteousness… [sacrifice and crucifixion of Christ, and His resurrection] …shall justification of life come unto all men" (vs 17-18). Of course, that's in God's good time!

Verse 21: "So that even as sin has reigned unto death, so also might the grace of God reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

God imputes the righteousness of Christ to you! That's what to understand. That's why the lawless grace of this world and what they do with it is absolutely wrong. Let's see what it shows we are to do.

• What are we to do with this?
• Wrap it up in a napkin and be all smug and say, 'Oh that's good, we stand before God blameless'?
• What are you to do?
• What is the obligation?

• you put the sin out
• you put the leaven out

but

• you've got to put the unleaven in

Rom. 12:1 shows what it is to be, that conversion is a process, and God has given this right standing before Him that we are Holy and blameless before Him in love to inspire us to want to do what it tells us 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."

• to love Him
• to grow in the fruits of the Spirit
• to overcome the works of the flesh

That is your spiritual service!

Verse 2: "Do not conform yourselves to this world… [go back into the world] …but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…" That's the conversion that takes place!

• step-by-step
• day-by-day
• week-by-week
• month-by-month
• year-by-year

as you grow and overcome and walk in the ways of God!

"…in order that you may prove… [there's doing] …what is well pleasing and good, and the perfect will of God" (v 2).

Now let's see what we are to do with this carnal mind. What do you do when you're going along and all of a sudden there's an evil thought that comes along. You say to yourself, 'Where did that come from?' Well, it could come out of the depths of your own carnal mind.

• it could come because of 'the prince of the power of the air'
• it could come because there are evil spirits out there who want to bombard you with the missiles of evil that comes from Satan the devil and his demons

• What are you to do when that thought comes along?
• Are you to say, 'Oh, I must not be converted'? No!

You recognize it because of the Spirit of God! You are converted, but here is what you need to do:

2-Corinthians 10:4: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal… [you're not going to solve this by doing things that are motivated by the flesh] …But mighty through God… [you are to use the weapons of God, and this is what he's talking about here]: …To the overthrowing of strongholds."

That's referring to the carnal mind, because the carnal mind is the greatest stronghold of sin! Remember, we still have the law of sin and death in us. So, when these things pop up, here's what we are to do.

Verse 5: "Casting down vain imaginations…"

We are to take those thoughts, literally, mentally, and grab hold of them in the name of Jesus Christ and cast them down.

"…and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ" (v 5). It's a process!

Those things are going to happen. The Spirit of God in you is going to convict you of the sin so that you can repent and cast it down.

Verse 6: "And having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience has been fulfilled." That's the process!

Now let's see how we can put this into action even more. God expects us to do something. He will give us His Spirit to do it and accomplish it, which gives us the power to overcome.

That's why during the Feast of Unleavened Bread we put in the Word of God. Not only do we eat unleavened bread:

• we put in Christ Who is unleavened, sinless.
• we put in the Word of God, which gives us conviction
• we use the Spirit of God, which gives us power
• we realize that we have Satan to overcome
• we have the world to overcome
• we have ourselves to overcome

the most important one to overcome is the self through the power and Spirit of God, because we overcome Satan by the blood of Christ. So, here's what He expects us to do:

Colossians 3:1: "Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ… [out of the watery grave of baptism] …seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God." When you go pray, understand that. Realize that Christ is right there. Christ is:

• our High Priest
• our Savior
• our Intercessor
• the One Who sends the Spirit
• the One Who petitions the Father
• He is the propitiation for our sins

all the things that have to do with Christ, and those are all yours because He gave Himself for you!

That ought to be a great humbling and overwhelming experience when you finally come to grasp and understand that when you're praying to God.

Verse 2: "Set your affection on the things that are above, and not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died… [through the watery grave of baptism] …and your life has been hid together with Christ in God" (vs 2-3).

Here's a promise. Notice how he gives this promise before he tells us what we need to do, because Paul wants us inspired.

• you can never overcome by beating the flesh.
• you can never overcome sin by focusing on sin.
• you have to focus on Christ and the solution

That's why he shows the goal:

Verse 4. "When Christ, Who is our life, is manifested, then you also shall be manifested with Him in glory.

He wants you to have the goal in mind before you start working on the things you need to work on:

• to give you motivation
• to give you inspiration
• to help you to understand how great God is and what He's doing

Verse 5: "Therefore, put to death your members which are on earth…" Grab those thoughts, cast them down! Take the lusts, get rid of them through the Spirit of Christ. These are the things:

"…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" (vs 5-6).

We don't want the wrath of God upon us, so put all of those things aside. This is the way, Paul says, that you used to live.

Verse 7: "Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in these things." We're not to live in those!

Paul goes through put off/put on; v 8: "But now you should also put off all these things… [these are the changing from carnal attitudes and carnal ways to spiritual ways] …wrath, indignation, malice, blasphemy, and foul language from your mouth."

Who's he talking to? To converted Christians who have the Spirit of God, but they still have the law of sin and death in them, and they have this fight that is going on. So, Paul is telling them how to overcome this, and how they can build the character of God.

Verse 9: "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man together with his deeds, and have put on…" [you put off all these and now you put on the new man; tie in with Rom. 12:1-2] …Put on the new man, who is being renewed… [it is a process, and it takes time] …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; but Christ is all things, and in all" (vs 9-11).

IF you are Christ's it doesn't matter who you were before God called you! Christ is the all important thing.

Verse 12: "Put on then, as the elect of God, Holy and beloved… [because you are Holy and blameless before Him in love; that's why you're Holy and beloved] …Deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness, and long-suffering."

That's why God has brought together the weak of the world and all the problems that we have so that we can overcome, so that we can change.

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" (vs 13-14).

That is the ultimate goal! The very love of God within us to motivate us in everything that we do—that's the bond of perfection.

Verse 15: "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…"

• don't condemn yourself
• don't have a guilty conscience
• don't put yourself down

Come before God and Christ, confess your sins, let them be forgiven, walk in newness of life, pull all the vain imaginations down and cast them down and:

• put in the Word of God
• put in the love of God
• put in the character of God

Verse 16: "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And in everything… [this is the overall thing] …—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him" (vs. 16-17). That's what God wants us to do!

How we live our lives!

Ephesians 5:1: "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children."

• that's why we study the Word of God
• that's why we let God write it in our heart and mind, and our inward part

So that we can imitate God

• with His love
• with His goodness
• with His understanding

Verse 2: "And walk in love… [toward each other] …even as Christ also loved us… [there's no more profound love than this] …and gave Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor."

Then he says all these other things are the works of the flesh:

Verse 3: "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, do not permit it even to be named among you, as is fitting for saints."

So, the true spiritual meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is this:

• through Jesus Christ
• through renewing the New Covenant through the Passover
• through keeping the commandments of God and loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and being

There is no condemnation! You are Holy and without blame before Him in love!

Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Leviticus 22:31-33
• Leviticus 23:1-8
• Deuteronomy 16:16-17
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
• John 14:6
• John 6:53-57, 63-70
• 2 Timothy 3:14-17
• 2 Timothy 4:1-2
• 1 Timothy 6:3-5
• 2 Timothy 4:2-4
• 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
• Psalm 34:4-8, 14-15, 18-19
• Romans 3:23-27, 31
• Romans 7:7-9, 11-13
• John 16:7-8
• Romans 7:14-21, 24-25
• Romans 8:1-4
• 1 John 1:6-10
• 1 John 2:1-2
• Ephesians 1:3-9
• Romans 5:17-18, 21
• Romans 12:1-2
• 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
• Colossians 3:1-17
• Ephesians 5:1-3

Scripture referenced, not quoted:

• Numbers 28
• John 15-16
• Matthew 16

FRC:cs
Transcription date unknown
Reformatted: bo—11/2020