The Days of Unleavened Bread - Our Part in God's Master Plan of Salvation

Brethren, you've probably heard over the years a saying that Jesus Christ led a perfect life in our stead. And there's really nothing at all for you to do but to believe. You may have also heard people say over the years that God's law has been nailed to the cross, and it's unnecessary for you and I to keep the commandments today. Are these commonly accepted beliefs true? You know, are they according to Scripture?

Brethren, is there nothing that you and I need to do in order to inherit eternal life? You know, God reveals, of course, through the Scriptures, a plan of how it is that we get from point A to point B, a plan of salvation, that He reveals through the seven annual festivals, through the Holy Days. We've been touching on the last few weeks on the first step in God's plan for us to have everlasting life is the Passover. The Passover. You know, where God provided the ability for someone to step into our place and to pay the penalty for sin.

You know, the Scriptures reveal that the wages of sin is death, and so death has become upon all of us because all of us have sinned. Jesus Christ did what no one else could do. He paid a penalty that wasn't really His to pay. He paid it for you and for me. He was willing to divest himself of His glory, not of His divinity, because He still was God in the flesh, but He divested Himself of His glory to come in the flesh and to suffer and to die for you and for me.

It's an incredible sacrifice. It's an incredible part of the plan of God that sometimes we don't necessarily are not able to wrap our minds around of how great this sacrifice really was. It's the first step in God's plan in order for us to have our sins forgiven upon our repentance, to have them removed. Brethren, there are many, though, who would have you and I think that God's plan of salvation was completed at the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that it was done at the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

But I think we'll see from Scripture that that is actually when it began, not when it was completed, but when it began. The first step in God's plan of salvation is the Passover, and it was vital. It was absolutely vital, and it was so important in the plan of God, that God accepted a perfect life, a sinless life, to pay the penalty for your sins and mine in our place. Jesus Christ died because you and I sinned, because you and I transgressed His laws and His commandments, which we find in the Scripture, His way of living.

But some believe that it was finished there at the Passover, that Jesus did it all. He died for you, He died for me, He completely and perfectly kept the commandments in our place, and there's nothing left for you and I to do. Brother, that's prevalent out there. That thought is very much out there, and yet it goes completely against the grain that God reveals in the Scriptures. It's totally in contrast and direct contrast to the second step of God's master plan for salvation that He reveals through the Scriptures, that the meaning of the days of unleavened bread. Well, we are to do something.

That we are to remove the leaven, which pictures sin, that we are to remove and examine and remove the spiritual leaven that we see and find there in our own houses, our own dwellings, our own spiritual houses, our own hearts and minds. We search them out and we remove those things that we find there. Jesus did much. God the Father did much. But as potential sons and daughters of God in the family of God taking on that family name, there is also something that we must do.

So the first step, Jesus did. And He completed that part of the plan of salvation. It wiped away our sins, our past sins, upon our repentance. And yes, it does give us an opportunity for a fresh start. You know, as we've been examining ourselves at this time and asking for God to not only help us or upon our repentance forgive us our sins, but once we confess those sins that we have found in our examination, God forgives.

God forgives and we have a clean and fresh start as we begin this journey. But what's the next step? What's the next step after that forgiveness has been given? Is there anything we must do?

Well, I think we understand from Scripture that the days of 11 bread clearly show us that this step, there is something that we must do. And we don't want to be deceived by a false idea out there that Jesus Christ did it all. And there's nothing that we have to do. There is our part. There's God's part and there's our part in His plan of salvation. The title of the message today is the Days of Unleavened Bread. Our part in God's master plan of salvation. The Days of Unleavened Bread reveal our part. So to help us to understand that reality, God gave His people a special festival. The Days of Unleavened Bread. I mean, they're all special. They all relay a certain part and aspect of the plan.

But He gave us the Days of Unleavened Bread to impress upon us the fact that we have to examine ourselves, not anybody else. And then after we examine ourselves, we begin to put off the sins that Jesus Christ paid in our behalf. You know, there's a lot of deep significance to the Days of Unleavened Bread. And it's not widely known in religious circles. It's really a very simple step in God's plan.

But it's also very profound at the same time. Not well understood. And even though it's a simple step and has profound meaning, it is something that is not necessarily an easy thing for us to do. But God sets the standard here. So let's review why keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread are important to us and understanding the process of this plan of salvation as it reveals our part in God's plan of salvation. So what we'll do to discuss today is we're going to discuss our part in God's plan of salvation as revealed in the Days of Unleavened Bread. So what must we do as we begin to focus on our part? Well, one thing for sure is we are to forsake sin. We are to forsake sin. You know, I think all Christian denominations teach that we can receive forgiveness of sin from God because Jesus Christ paid a price. He performed a sacrifice for our sins. So why is it that so many Christians today still struggle with, why don't I feel forgiven by God? Or why can't I seem to overcome my sins and my weaknesses? Well, one reason is, brethren, because sin hasn't really been forsaken. It hasn't really been forsaken. You know, it's one thing to declare that you're a sinner and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, but is that all that God requires of us?

Now, let's notice Luke chapter 8 and verse number 21. Luke chapter 8 and verse number 21. There's an account here that Jesus was very busy. He was so busy preaching to people about God that his mother and his brothers couldn't even get through the crowd to talk with him. They're trying to get his attention and they couldn't even get through the crowd to talk with him. And then when this was brought to Jesus' attention here in Luke chapter 8 and verse 21, he replied in this manner. Listen to what he says in verse 21. He says, My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it. Is there something that we have to do? Well, I think God makes it pretty clear right here through Jesus Christ that we, yes, we have to hear the Word of God and we have to do it. So Jesus taught that his followers, they are obedient to the Word of God.

They hear it and they do it. And you may remember this is a memory scripture, Luke 18 verse 18, where a young man asked Jesus, What do I have to do to inherit eternal life? And you remember how Jesus responded? He said, Keep the commandments.

And he asked which ones and he names several of them. We talked about that in the Bible study. I think the last time that I was here, he listed several of the commandments. Some of them were part of the ten, but not all of them were part of the ten and the example that he gave. John the Baptist declared that Jesus was the Passover lamb. He told his disciples when he saw Jesus from a distance, he said, Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

And they knew what a lamb was. They knew it a lamb that was going to be sacrificed for because of someone's sin. And now John is pointing to a human being, saying, This person here is the Lamb of God, who is going to take away the sins of everyone, the entire world. Brethren, what's sin? We often talk about sin as the transgression of God's law. 1 John 3, verse 6. Sin is anything that goes against God's Word. Sin is anything that goes against His commandments, against His instruction, against His laws, against His Word. And Jesus said, Those that hear the Word of God and do it are my brothers and my sisters. Declaring to be a sinner and asking for forgiveness and having the blood of the Passover lamb cover our past sins isn't all that's required of us, as God reveals through the Holy Days and through the days of 11 bread. To forsake sin is something we have to do. You can be a thief and admit that you're a thief, but if you continue to steal, you're still a sinner. We have to forsake that sin. You know, God said, I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. I think we understand a little bit about what it means to forsake, that He's never going to leave us, He's never going to forsake us, He's always going to be there, and that's His promise. Even though sometimes it seems like He's off at a distance, He's not. He may be watching, but He's not left the situation. And so we have to forsake sin. If you look at that word forsake, it means to abandon it, to stop it, you know, to quit it. We can't continue to sin. God says we have to, through the days of 11 bread, He begins to reveal to us that we have to forsake it. You know, it's interesting to look at the story. We've been singing about this and maybe even thinking about it and maybe even hearing messages about it the last few weeks. The story about the ancient Israelites and that first Passover, you know, that they were in a culture of Egypt. They were slaves. They weren't free. They didn't have liberty. They weren't free to come and go as they would have liked. And in that first Passover, God frees them. I mean, frees them through that sacrifice. That not only do they not die, but that that's the one that pushes them over the edge where they're able to be free. They come out of that culture. Egypt, in a sense, typifying sin or a way of life and coming out of that. There's all these different types or typology that we can learn from them.

You know, Pharaoh being a type of Satan, a harsh ruler that didn't have their best concerns in mind, but wanted to take advantage of them. And Egypt being a way of living a culture and coming out of all that. A leavened culture, a leavened society, a leavened ruler. And so God saved them. He said, I am the one that brought you out of the land of Egypt. No other God did that. You know, that's part of the meaning of Passover, too. That God and Jesus Christ did things for us that we could not do for ourselves. There was no way that they could get out of Egypt unless God brought them out. And he did it with power. They found freedom when they came out. They took, began to take responsibility for their freedom, but then they found it very, very difficult. They found it too difficult and they preferred the security of slavery. They really wanted God's deliverance, in a sense, but they weren't willing to forsake their old life. It was easier for God to take the slaves out of Egypt than it was to get Egypt out of the slaves.

Brethren, a way for us, if we're really honest with ourselves, it's the same way for us. The reason we don't want to forsake sin is because it's rooted deep down inside. There's something that we still desire. There's something that we still lust for. Of course, God is trying to root that out. God offers us forgiveness, but we remain emotionally enslaved sometimes to our own desires. Oh yeah, we want God's blessing. No doubt about that. We sometimes even cry out with guilt when we commit sin, but if we haven't forsaken it, it's because really somehow deep inside we want it. We desire it, and we lust for it. But the days of 11 bread begin to reveal our part. Something we must do as we search our own hearts and our own minds and the core of who we are, our spiritual houses, our spiritual dwellings. We search for sin, and then God says forsake it. Abandon it. Let's go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 1. You know, the days of 11 bread are for seven days, aren't they? For seven days, which pictures completeness. Completeness. And we have this contrast in the sense that God says, I want you to completely remove the leavening for seven days. But you know, we don't call it the feast of no leaven bread, do we? I mean, in a sense, we don't have any leaven bread for seven days, picturing that we're forsaking sin, which leaven-typifies sin. For seven days, we remove it from our dwellings completely. At least we intend to. I don't think any of us can get all of the crumbs. But it's the spiritual analogy that we are beginning to look at ourselves, see what we find, and begin to put it out. But it's not the feast of no leaven bread. It's the feast of unleavened bread, which means that not only we're supposed to be putting something else, something out, but we're supposed to be also putting something else in. The unleavened bread. It's the feast of unleavened bread. Yes, the leavening is removed, but we also partake of something, the unleavened bread of Jesus Christ. We begin to imitate an older brother, begin to live the way that he lives. So in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 1, we're going to look at some of the lessons here of God's people, that he began to work with, originally into the Old Covenant, the children of Israel. And his New Testament Christians, we are admonished to look at their example, to do what they did, or to not do some of the things they should not have done. Again, talking about what is our part in the process here. Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 1. It says this, because these things are written for you and for me. It says, Moreover, brethren, I don't want you to be unaware.

I want you to understand. I don't want you to be in the dark. I don't want you to be unaware that all of our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Not only baptized in the sea, but in the cloud. They had someone that was going with them. We'll see here in a moment, it was Jesus Christ. The Word at that time is what he was known as. That he was with them. God was with them. They were receiving, verse 3, they were receiving some spiritual food. Some of the same things that we get now. They ate the same spiritual food as the New Covenant Christians. They all drank the same spiritual drink. We're talking about spiritual things, spiritual teachings. For they drank of that spiritual rock. What being are we talking about that was with them or that followed them? That rock was Christ. But with most of them, God wasn't well pleased and many bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Notice verse 6. Now these things became our examples to the intent that we should not lust after the evil things as they also lusted. We're supposed to learn from their example. They didn't have an example to learn from. They were an example for us. Which means, in a sense, that we have greater responsibility. They didn't have an example to look to. They became an example for us. They became our examples, as it says in verse 6, to the intent that we shouldn't sin. That there's something that we should do. That there's a way that we should live our life. There was something they were supposed to have done. Things God expected them to do. Their experience is written here for our example. They weren't to have lusted after evil things.

There were certain things they were not supposed to do and certain things they were supposed to do. They had responsibilities. Rather than a poor evil, though, they lusted after evil things. And they became our examples that we should not lust after evil things, as they did. Lust is a sin. It's a violation of one of God's commandments. One of the lessons that God is teaching us through them is to refrain from that. Our desires to make a different choice. What also are we to learn to do and not to do from their example? Verse number seven, and don't become idolaters as were some of them. Here, their God had freed them. Their God had brought them out of slavery. And they were looking to Him. He's the one that delivered them to bring them out of a very difficult situation. And notice, and then they became idolaters. They were looking to God and all of a sudden they started to look elsewhere. It says, do not become idolaters as were some of them. There's something we have to do. We have to not become idolaters.

So ask ourselves a question. Do we have another God before the true God? Is there some idol? It doesn't have to be a graven image. It can be a lot of different things that we put before the true God. This is the time of the year when we examine ourselves and we think about, for those of us that have entered into that baptismal covenant and said, God, eternal, whatever you have said I will do, as we examine ourselves, have we become idolaters in any way? Is there anything that we're putting before the true God? Is there anything that's more important in our life? Verse number eight, nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day 23,000 fell sexual immorality or sexual impurity.

Young people run from this sin, run from it. And married people, don't let temptations take you away from the one that you committed to.

Brother, don't crack the door of pornography. Don't do it. It will change you. It will corrupt you. That's what sin does. It works like leaven.

It mixes in with that lump of dough and it begins to change the nature to the dough in which it's mixed, and all of a sudden that lump of dough begins to change into something that it wasn't before. And if the process isn't nipped in the bud, when the process is complete, the nature of the lump is completely changed.

Leaven is powerful. Sin is powerful. It corrupts. A little bit of leaven can change the whole lump. It affects the whole lump. It's like cancer. It's like rust on metal. It's like leprosy. You know, rust on metal, you've got this strong piece of metal, and in the end you've got something that blows away in the dust, like the dust of the wind when the wind blows. That's when the process is complete. That's where the process of sin would ultimately take us if we don't repent of that sin. God knows the end from the beginning. He knows the danger of sin. He loves us so much, He wants to warn us about how it works. Don't crack the door of some of those things when it comes to sexual immorality or sexually explicit movies or those types of things. It will begin a process of changing you in a way that you don't want to be. Verse number nine, nor let us tempt Christ.

Christ had to be there, the rock, the spiritual rock that was with them. The word was there, nor tempt Christ. You know, the word tempt, when used in reference to God, it means to try His patience, to provoke His anger, or act in such a way to see how much He will bear. Is the Lord with us or not? Remember that? When they said the Israelites said that, they tempted God. God said, I won't leave you, I won't forsake you. And they're saying, is the Lord with us or not? We're hungry, we're thirsty. They tempted God. Satan tried to tempt Jesus Christ. So if you're really the Son of God, then jump off this high pinnacle of the temple. Because it says, you know, His angels will keep you from dashing your foot against a stone. Jesus responded, it says it's written again, shall not tempt the Lord your God. So brethren, we have to think about that too.

Not to tempt God, not to tempt Christ. Verse number 10, nor complain. Nor complain. God has a lot to say about complaining in the scriptures. And that's a sin. It's a sin to complain. We want to be really, really careful. We may be dissatisfied with something. And not realize it, but we're actually contending with God. You know, they were often at that time, they were contending with Moses. Just refer to a couple of scriptures here. Well, maybe we'll turn to, let's go to Geronimo. I don't know, let's go to Exodus chapter 16.

Exodus chapter 16 verse 8.

And Moses said, Exodus 16 verse 8, This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and in the morning, bread to the full. For the Lord hears your complaints which you make against him. You know, they may have thought that we're complaining against Moses, but that's not what how God viewed it. But they were complaining against God. For the Lord hears your complaints which you make against him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us, but they're against the Lord. Let's go to Exodus, or excuse me, no, I think that will cover it there. So, brethren, let's be careful about that. So, as we see here, there's a lot here in verses 7 through 10. It speaks about the sinful example of the Israelites that we are to learn from. Where to do certain things and not to do certain other things. If there's nothing for us to do, why is the example here? I think the Scripture is beginning to share with us, oh, there's plenty for us to do. There's plenty of personal responsibility that we have as we respond to God and as we respond to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to cover our past sins. But where do we go from there after we are forgiven? It speaks about a lot of things here to learn from and to avoid doing idolatry, sexual immorality, tempting Christ, complaining. All of these are sins that transgress various commandments of God. Verse 11, now all of these things happen to them as examples for us. They were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come. So it's going to be for New Testament Christians all the way up to the return of Christ to the end of this age. Let's notice another example, a personal example here of Moses and see if there's anything that we can learn about forsaking a culture, forsaking a way of life, forsaking sin. Let's go over to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11, God shows in his word that Egypt is a type of sin. Here's one example of that in Hebrews chapter 11, and we'll pick it up in verse number 24. Moses is an example to us, and there are others examples too, of things that they did, that there were responsibilities, there was a part to play. Let's notice several things here as we read verses 24 through 27 in Hebrews chapter 11. It says, by faith Moses, when he became of age, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Not going to be part of this family.

Verse 25, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to reward, and by faith he forsook Egypt. Not fearing the wrath of the king, also portraying or depicting Pharaoh, or Satan the devil, and the culture of his time. For he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Brother, again, Egypt a type of sin, Pharaoh a type of Satan the devil. But there's a lot here in these verses. Let's look at some of the things that Moses did. Verse number 24, it says that Moses did something. He made a conscious choice to refuse to be called a son of Pharaoh's daughter. Verse 25, again, Moses did something. He had to choose between the licentious sins of Egypt and serving God. Didn't he? He had to make a choice. And notice also in verse 25, it says, his choice meant he was going to suffer affliction with the people of God. As it says in verse 25, choosing he made a choice rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Why was he willing to make this choice? Notice verse 26, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. Oh, there's passing pleasures in Egypt. There were treasures, I guess if you want to put it that way, counterfeit treasures in Egypt in the culture of that he was living in. But he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures in Egypt because he looked to his reward. And notice verse 27, Moses did something else. Let's see what it says there. By faith, he forsook Egypt. We're talking about forsaking sin. He forsook Egypt. You know, he was raised in a nice home with a family that was in power. He had probably certain privileges.

He forsook all of that. Not fearing the wrath of the king, again possibly referring to Satan the devil, Pharaoh, Satan. For he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Moses not only forsook Egypt. We talk about what's it mean to forsake. It means to quit. It means to leave. It means to abandon entirely. And he did leave, didn't he? He left it. He could have stayed. No. He gave it all up.

A way of life that he gave up. And again tying him with the days of 11 bread. Seven days completely we forsake sin. We put the leaven out and we eat unleavened bread.

Moses not only forsook Egypt. It says he endured. He did something. Says he endured. That takes work. That takes effort to endure. Just as Moses was willing to forsake the practices of Egypt and of sin, what about us? New Testament Christians. The Israel of God, as it says in other places. What are we expected to do? Let's go over to Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1. Hebrews chapter 12 in verse number 1.

Therefore we also, brethren, we also, we like them, have to forsake sin. It's no different for us today than it was for them. The lessons of unleavened bread and our part are the same for us as it was for them. We're to learn from them and from their examples. Verse 1. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight. There's something we have to do, isn't there? Brethren, the lie that there's nothing that we have to do.

It's totally contrasted with the meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entraps us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. There's a lot here in verse 1. We have a race to run and we have to run this race with endurance as we lay aside every weight and the sin. We lay aside the sin that so easily, boy, it's clever, that ensnares us. We run this race, brethren, alone. We run it alone. We run it solo.

You and I don't concentrate on the sins of others. That's the message, isn't it, during this time of the year? As we begin the process of God's plan of salvation, we examine our own hearts, our own minds, the core of who we are. We don't focus on anyone else. We answer, you and I, to Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat alone.

Alone. We have to be really careful to follow God's careful and clear instructions here. We run this race solo. We don't concentrate on the sins of others, but on our own. How do we forsake our own sins, is the question that we ask.

We have to make it personal because that's how God reveals it.

Verse number four, nothing to do. You have not yet resisted the bloodshed, striving against sin. Striving against sin. Jesus did it all. There's nothing for us to do. God commands us through the writer of Hebrews that we are to strive to expand effort and energy to forsake sin, to put it out of our lives. It's all a part of His plan. It's by His design. This is His thought, His idea. This is the only way that will work. God has His role. Jesus Christ has His role. You and I have ours, our part. God's master plan is revealed through the days of 11 bread to forsake, to leave, to abandon sin. Now let's look at some New Testament scriptures to see another role that we have in God's plan of salvation. Let's go over to Romans chapter 6, verse 11. The first point of something that we have to do is we have to forsake sin. We don't continue in it. We forsake it. We're going to look at another role here in Romans chapter 6, verse 11. Another part is we have to be dead to sin and alive to God. Dead to sin and alive to God. Let's see that here in Romans chapter 6, verse 11. He says, likewise you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There's a contrast. Paul speaks a lot in contrast and we'll talk a lot about that as we go through some of Paul's writings here. But he says we have to reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God. It's something we have to do. But what does it mean? If it's something we have to do, what does it mean to be reckon yourselves dead to sin but alive to God? How does it tie in with the days of 11 bread? How can we do it if we don't know what it is?

Let's let Jesus Christ begin to explain some of it here. Let's go over to Mark chapter 8. Mark chapter 8. We're going to pick it up here in verse number 34.

Mark chapter 8. In verse 34, Jesus begins to shed some light on this to you and to me as we go through this here. It's very, very different from what we would think as human beings. God's ways are often very different than what we think about. Mark chapter 8 and verse 34. When he called all the people unto him, it's like I've got something really important I want to share with you. I want you to hear it. When he called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said to them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Nothing to do? There's a lot here. There's at least three things he talks about here to deny himself. I think we know what that means.

That as you look at your life and compare it with God or Jesus Christ, if it doesn't match, we deny ourselves and we take up a cross. There's something that we have to do. We've got to carry a load. We have to bear a load and we follow Jesus Christ. Follow me. Other scriptures say, imitate me. Follow me. Live as I live.

Verse number 35. Whosoever will save his life is going to lose it. Brethren, if we want to have our own way of life, if we want to do things the way that we want to do them when they are in conflict or in contrast with the way God has revealed a way of life, if we want to save our life, we're going to lose it. We won't live forever. For whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels shall save it. We have to die to something. We have to die in order to be saved. We have to die. We have to lose our life for the sake of God and his son Jesus Christ and the Gospels and then it shall be saved. What's our part? What's our responsibilities? Jesus Christ was the firstborn son of God and he had responsibilities and still does. He has a part to play. He had to die. As a sacrificial lamb, he laid down his life for us in order for our sins to be remitted. What about you and me? We're also sons and daughters of God. He's the firstborn son of God but we are also future sons and daughters of God and just as Christ died, we have to die too.

But not in the same way that he did. We'll look at some of that in a moment.

We'll go through this. Verse 35, Mark 8, for whosoever will save his life shall lose it.

But whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it.

What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world? You know, I've got my little part of my world and I want to do my thing even though God says it's not the right thing to do. But I've got my life. Jesus goes beyond that. What does it profit if you not only get that little part of your life that you gain the whole world? Which is what he offered to Jesus Christ. The whole world when they had their confrontation. He says, what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world but lose his destiny? His soul? Part of the family? An eternal family?

Verse 37, what will a man give in exchange for his soul? He says in verse 38, whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation. We're in Egypt, aren't we? You know, when God was inspiring Peter in the day of Pentecost, he said, save yourselves from this sinful generation. It hasn't changed, brethren. This is not God's age. This is not his time. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, verse 38, and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also the Son of Man shall be ashamed.

You know, we have the example of Moses. He forsook Egypt. He did something. And we're told that the same thing from Jesus Christ, to forsake this adulterous and sinful generation. If we don't forsake that, of him also the Son of Man is going to be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father and with the holy angels. Let's go over to Romans chapter 7, verse 4, we're on this point of dead to sin and alive to God. There's a scripture here that some Christians believe is a proof text, but we no longer have to keep the commandments of God or keep the laws of God, that we don't have to do anything. Let's not be deceived by this false understanding here. Romans chapter 7 and verse 4, because this belief really undermines the true meaning of the days of 11 bread and the part that we have of coming out of sin. Romans chapter 7 and verse 4, it seems like no other question incites more controversy among Christians of different faiths than whether or not God's law has been abolished, whether it's been void.

Some reason that this is a difficult law that no one can keep it, and so God came to abolish it. Some churches teach that, that it's abolished, and they utilize several scriptures, and this is one of them that they use. So let's take a look at this here and see if that's what it's saying, or is it telling us something else? Romans chapter 7, verse 4, therefore my brethren, you also become dead, the law, through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. Some say, hey, the law is dead. Is that what it's saying here in verse number 4? And then in verse number 5, it says, for when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law, the law does tell us what's right and what's wrong, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law. Oh, we don't need to keep it anymore. We're delivered from it, is what they say. Having died to what we were held by so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Brethren, what's he talking about? What's he really talking about? I'm going to talk about this. Does it say that the law is dead? It's no longer in effect. Well, keep your finger here, but let's just go back a couple of few chapters to Romans chapter 3, verse 31. Keep your finger in Romans 7, because we'll come back, but let's go to Romans chapter 3 and verse 31. Because in this very letter, Paul has already talked about the law, whether he thinks it's abolished or not. Romans chapter 3 and verse number 31. Good question. Do we make void the law through faith? He says, no, we don't. But on the contrary, Paul speaks in contraries. On the contrary, we establish the law. Brethren, this is the same letter here, the same book that he's writing this letter to the Romans here.

Just a few verses back, in the same letter he's writing and saying that the law, not only is it not void, but it's established. He says, is the law made void, or is it applicable? Is it done away? Certainly not. In fact, it's been established. And the Greek word here is histemi. It means this word established is the Greek word histemi, which means it stands. It abides. It continues. It's very clear. Paul is crystal clear here. You know, I'm going to reference the scripture for time because I know I'm going to run out of time. Isaiah chapter 28 verses 9 and 10. You may want to write that down for your notes. Isaiah chapter 28 verses 9 and 10. It talks about the fact as we begin to understand the truth of God, it's line upon line and precept upon precept. A little here and a little there.

We've got to get all these pieces of a puzzle together to get the picture of what God is trying to communicate to us. That we'll be able to understand His word and His truth. Okay, let's go back to Romans chapter 7. If it's not saying that the law is done away, if it's not saying the law is dead, what is it saying? What's it talking about? Let's let God begin to explain from the scriptures here. Back to Romans chapter 7. We'll pick it up in verse 4. We can't just look at one verse and take it out of context from the scriptures. So what's it saying here?

Because God wants us to understand. Basically what He's beginning to share with us here as we look at verse 4 is that it is converted Christians that have died, not the law. We have to die, but not in the same way that Christ died.

Let's read that. Romans chapter 7 verse 4. Therefore, my brethren, so He's talking to converted Christians, His brothers and sisters. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law. Not the law becoming dead, but you have become dead.

So Paul did not say that the law was dead. He said you have become dead. In what way did we become dead? So we've noticed it says here the law isn't dead, but you become dead. In fact, nowhere in this context does it say that the law is dead. If it was, we'd have to get some scriptures from other places to establish that it is not here in Romans chapter 7. In verse number 4, it's not here. So if the law didn't die, what did? It says the brethren did. You become dead to the law through the body of Christ. Well, then what does that mean? If you are a converted Christian, if you become baptized, and you become one of God's sons and daughters, how is it that you die to the law? How is it that you become dead to the law as it says through the body of Christ? Let's not understand another concept here in this context. The being dead to the law involves not having the death penalty hanging over us. Being dead to the law involves not having the death penalty hanging over us. The law says that if you break it, that the wages of sin are death. It's a righteous requirement of the law. It's death.

Let's look at Romans chapter 5 verse 12. Romans chapter 5 and verse 12. Let's notice something there. Romans chapter 5 verse number 12. It says, therefore just as through one man sin entered the world. I think we understand that that's talking about Adam. That through one man sin entered the world.

Again, we know what sin is. It's not keeping the Word of God, not keeping the commands. Instructions that God lives by himself and shares with us. Through one man sin entered the world. So here it says in Romans chapter 5 verse 12, therefore just as through one man referring to Adam, sin entered the world and death through sin. So that ties really pretty much to what the Scripture talks about. That death through sin entered the world as well. And thus death spread to all men because all of sin. So, brethren, we see here that sin is the transgression of God's law, his way of life, his Word. And it says because of that the consequences are death. And I think we're talking about eternal death.

So you seem to exist. So we want to make sure we understand. Now let's go back to Romans chapter 7 and verse number 5. We want to understand that being dead of the law involves not having that death penalty hanging over us because of the breaking of the law or because of sin. Romans chapter 7 verse 5. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. Okay, that makes sense. It says that when you're in the flesh, sin bore fruit to death. It's death. Verse number 6. But now we've been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Brother, we die. We die. We're delivered from the law by dying to it.

What we were held by. And now we serve in the newness of Spirit and not the oldest of the letter. What's he trying to tell us here? What is he trying to say?

This is not an easy concept to understand, but he's trying to help us to understand.

There's a law that says if we break God's commandments, his way of life, the consequences are death. It's called the law of sin. Let's notice that in Romans chapter 8 and verse 2. Romans chapter 8 and verse 2. It says, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Brother, we needed to be delivered from that law of sin and death. We needed Jesus Christ to come. We needed him to do his part because if he wouldn't have come, we wouldn't have anyone to pay for the penalty for our sin. And we would have died. There's a righteous requirement to the law and it's death and Jesus paid it that we have to die too. Let's notice verse number four. That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. God says if we die to our way of life, the way of the flesh, and we begin to live a different way, this contrast here, we begin to live according to the Spirit that the righteous requirement of the law is going to be fulfilled. Not only because of what Christ did, but because we have died. Our own way of life has died. We begin to live a new way of life. We have to die to sin. We have to die to the flesh and we have to live to the Spirit. Notice verse five. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. They are making conscious choices and decisions. The way they live their lives has to do with the heart. It has to do with the mind. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. He's contrasting again. Verse number six. For to be carnally minded is death. Our hearts and minds and the choices that we make, it's the same today. There's something we have to do. If we make a choice to be carnally minded, it's going to result in death. But if we make a choice to follow Jesus Christ and have the mind of Christ and to live the way that he lives and to imitate him, to be spiritually minded is life and peace. I think that's what we all want, don't we? Ultimately. To live and to live in unity and peace. Let's notice a contrast over in 1 Peter 2 verse 24. We've touched on the fact that Jesus Christ died so that our sins could be covered for the remission of our sins that took his death to do that. Let's go over to 1 Peter chapter 2 verse number 24.

A third thing that we have to do here, and I think 1 Peter 2 verse 24 starts to address that, is we have to die to sin and we have to live for righteousness. We have to die to sin and we have to live for righteousness. All part of the lessons of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Let's notice 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 24.

Peter and Paul are on the same page here. They're on God's page. Referring to Christ who himself bore our sins on his own body on the tree. That we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. Talking about the responsibilities of Christ, he had to bear our sins in his own body on the tree and by his stripes, his suffering, healing is made available to you and me. Couldn't be healed without that sacrifice. It was a complete sacrifice, not just dying, but also suffering. So another contrast here. We have to die to sin and live for righteousness. We see the part Jesus played a vital role, but notice it says we have to die to sin and live to righteousness. How do we do that? How do we die to sin? Apparently there's a death we have to die. It's not the same one that Jesus died. It's different kind of death. And yet a death nonetheless. It says we have to die to sins and live for righteousness. A contrast here. Jesus Christ died, but he also lives, and he lives to God. Let's notice that here. Let's go over to Romans chapter 6. Go back to Romans. Romans chapter 6. Is it only by Jesus Christ that we die to sin?

Or do we have a part to play also? So we go back to Romans 6 verse 1. We're going to see rather than we have a part. Jesus Christ had a tremendous part. He did what we couldn't do, but he didn't do it all because we also have to die. And we also have to live for righteousness, which is what Christ is doing now. So in what way do we die and what way do we live? Let's look. Romans chapter 6 verse 1. What shall we say then? He's talking about converted people. He's talking about brothers and sisters. He's writing this to the brethren of the church. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin?

Shall we continue to transgress God's laws and commandments? Shall we continue to live a different way than he lives? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? What does he say? He says, certainly not. Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin? It's no whether he says it over and over again that you and I have to die to sin. How do we do that? He said, shall we continue in sin in verse 1 that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? If we've died to sin, why would we want to continue to live in a sinful way? Why would we want to continue that? Why would we want to transgress the commandments of God? Let's turn over to Psalm chapter 119. Look at David's example here. Psalm 119.

Keep your finger here in Romans chapter 6 if you haven't already. We'll be coming back. Psalm 119. Why would we want to continue to break God's commandments and laws, His clear instruction on how to live our lives?

Psalm 119. We'll pick it up here in verse number 41. David says, let your mercies come also to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your word. This is God's word that we want to. We're on this road to eternal life, this road of salvation that we're on. It's according to God's word, not any human beings. So shall I have an answer for Him who reproaches me, verse 42, for I trust in your word. That's what's going to guide me. Verse 43, and take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in your ordinances, so I shall keep your law continually forever and ever, and I will walk at liberty.

Brethren, the book of James talks about God's way of life. His laws, His commandments are liberty. That's what gives us true freedom. Show us what's right and what's wrong, and they show us what will cause us heartache and trouble. They want to protect us from all of that. I will walk at liberty and I will seek your precepts, and I will speak of your testimonies also before kings, and I will not be ashamed, and I will delight in your commandments, which I love.

Brother, we don't continue in sin. We begin to live a different way of life. Let's go back to Romans chapter 6 and verse 3. How do we die? How do we die to sin? Romans chapter 6 and verse 3.

Or do you not know that as many of us were baptized into Christ, were baptized into His death? This theme of death keeps coming up over and over again. This is Paul's writing here. I'm just basically reading what he's talking about. It comes up again and again. Verse 3 tells us that Jesus Christ died. It says, we were baptized into His death.

Verse 4, therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death. Why? That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in a different way. We have to do something, and we have to do something different than what it was before. We walk in newness of life. Something has to die in you and in me.

To escape eternal death, we have to die so that we can live. It's not only what Christ did, which was vital, but it says we have to die and walk in newness of life. Verse 5, for if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. How are you and I united together in the likeness of His death? He begins to explain. Verse number 6, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him. Other than through baptism, the old person dies. It's not the same person that comes up out of the water.

He grave. The old person dies. Our old man, if we've come to the point where you decided to say, before baptism, God, I don't like the way that I've been living. I don't like who I am. Don't like who I've become. I know I haven't been following Your Word, and I haven't been doing what I need to be doing, and I don't like what I'm becoming. I want to become like You. I want to change. And we begin to die. We begin to die to sin.

We begin to live a new way of life. When we commit to God and come out of that watery grave of baptism, we begin to live a new way of life. A righteous way of life. Conversion. We begin to change. We begin to imitate somebody else. Jesus Christ. We begin to become complete and perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. After this death has happened, who are we going to obey?

Who are we going to obey going forward? Are we still going to continue to sin and be slaves to it, or are we going to be a slave to God and to His righteousness? Let's notice verse 7 of Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6 and verse number 7. For he who has died has been freed from sin. He who has died has been freed from sin. This is deep stuff. For he who has died, he's not talking about Jesus Christ's death, he's talking about yours and mine.

He who has died has been freed from sin. How? Well, we touched on in verse 6. The old man was crucified with Christ for the funeral. The old man died. Don't think about that sometimes at baptism. It's a funeral. That the body of sin might be destroyed. It might be done away. Verse number 8, Romans 6. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.

Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. That's why we want to be with Christ. And in Christ, because death no longer has dominion over Him. Death no longer has power over Him. Verse number 10, for the death that he died, he died to sin once for all.

That's his role, his part. But the life that he lives, he lives to God. This is a remarkable verse here, brethren. Verse 10 is remarkable. Brethren, he died and then he was raised and then he says, okay father, what do you want me to do now? He lives to God. My life is still yours to use as you wish. However you want me to be used, I'm willing. I want to be used the way you want to use me. I'm going to live to you, to serve you, is what he says in the latter part of verse number 10.

It says Jesus lives to God. And then notice verse 11, likewise you also, now he's talking about you and me, likewise you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul contrasts again. Paul says, quit sinning, the old man has died, the new man needs to live in a different way. It's the same contrast as the days of 11 bread. Putting out the spiritual 11 for seven days, eating on 11 bread for seven days. So likewise he says in verse 2, just as Christ died and then rose and then lives to God, he speaks the same thing to you and I in verse number 11.

No longer slaves to sin. No longer obeying sin. But we have to put on Christ.

Dead to sin, alive to God. Each of us have to ask that question of ourselves, particularly at this time of the year. Can't answer for you. You can't answer for me. You can't answer for your spouse. You can't answer for your children. It's personal. He wants to live in you. He wants to come to the point that we say my life is yours. Live in me and I live in you. Verse 11, likewise you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. There's something we got to do. Reckon ourselves dead to sin. Reckon ourselves alive to God. Not only something we must do but are commanded to do. Verse number 12. Therefore, so what's the point of all this going forward?

Don't let sin reign in your mortal body. Some say there's nothing at all left for you and I to do but one of the lessons of the days of 11 bread is don't let sin reign. It can still reign. How could sin reign though if there's no commandment?

If there's no law? It's still there. The law isn't dead. It's still there. It's still guiding us. It's still shaping us as we obey it. Still shows us what's right and what's wrong. It has its role but it's not dead and it's not gone and it's not abolished. It's been established. It's still there. Don't let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lusts. That's the same word lusts that we read about in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 when we were supposed to be looking at the example of ancient Israel. Nothing's changed. Don't let sin reign. That you should obey it in its lusts. Verse 13, and don't present yourselves, members, as instruments of unrighteousness which leads to sin. Don't do that. Still have things to do, don't we? It's very, very clear from Scripture, brethren. So clear. We can't blame them, though, because they don't understand. God hasn't opened up their minds. It takes God's the Father working with someone for them to understand this concept but to say that there's nothing for us to do.

Isn't true. It's not according to both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

It's not according to the Scriptures.

Verse 13, and do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin. Don't do that. That's what Paul is saying. In the contrast here, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead. That is how we are alive. From the dead we'll begin to live a new life, a righteous life. The old man is crucified has died and the new man begins to live a righteous way of life.

Verse 14, Romans 6 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you. Why? It's still around. It's still there. The law is still there. But sin shall not have dominion over you. Why? Because you're not under the law but under grace. Brethren, we're fortunate to be under grace. We're very fortunate. The law still exists. You can still break it. We can still sin. Paul makes that clear. It's not void. It's laws and void. Sin's still there. Don't let it rain over you. But if Christ wouldn't have come, he would not have said, if he wouldn't have said, I'm going to be gracious to you, I'm going to pay your penalty, then we would have had no hope. Let's go over to Titus chapter 2, verse 11. It was gracious of him to say, Father, I'll go. I will pay the penalty for them so they'll have the opportunity to live. Now, there are many people that misinterpret the meaning of grace. They twisted the scripture to what God originally intended it to mean.

We're going to come back here in a moment. I probably should have told you to keep your finger here in Romans 6. But we're going to go back here in a moment. But I think it's important to understand grace here because some people have twisted it.

They've come to think of it that we don't need to keep the law of God anymore because of grace. They reason we're under grace now. We're not under the law. We don't need to keep the law. But that's not what scripture says. What does scripture say? Because we'll see here in Titus chapter 2, verse 11, that it tells us grace teaches us to keep the law of God. Let's notice this. This is an important scripture here in Titus chapter 2, in verse number 11. Let's let God's word explain itself here. Titus chapter 2, verse 11. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. We could be glad that Jesus Christ appeared to you and me. And for all men, for that matter. It's not just for our sins, it's for the sins of all mankind. Verse 11. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us, teaching us what?

That we should deny ungodliness. There's something we got to do. Deny ungodliness.

And deny worldly lusts. There's that word lusts again. Those things that are deep within us that we want to do, we desire to do, even when it's against the way of God and His word. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness, to deny those worldly lusts, those sins, and that how we should live in a different way. Again, the contrast here. To live soberly and in a right way. A sinless life, an unleavened life. To live a righteous life. The way God lives. To follow the Christ's example.

To live soberly and righteously and godly in the present age right now. Under the new covenant. And that's all here. It teaches us all of these things. To deny certain things and to embrace other things. Verse 13, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. I should say, that's our only hope. We have our role. Verse 14, who gave Himself for us, He did His part. And that He might redeem us, buy us back from every lawless deed. We're talking about sin, aren't we? We're talking about sin transgressing God's commandments. This is what He did. He redeemed us because of the way we were living. Redeemed us from every lawless deed and noticed to purify for Himself His own special people. To call us out, come out from among them, live a different way. To purify for Himself His own special people. Zealous to do good things, to have good works. Speak these things, He's telling Titus. Exhort these things. Rebuke these things with all authority. Don't let anyone say, the grace says you don't have to obey me. Or obey God. Let no one despise you. This is what He's telling Titus and He's telling you and I. The grace of God teaches us to obey God and to no longer live a lawless life, but to live a righteous and Godly life. It's part of the meaning of the days of Unleavened Bread. Let's go back to Romans 6, verse 14. Romans 6, verse 14.

For sins shall not have dominion over you. We can be grateful for that, brethren, because of Jesus Christ. If you're not under the law, we're not under its penalty, the law of sin and death. If you're not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we're not under the law, but under grace? You know, Paul has to make sure we understand because he knows that people are going to misapply what he's saying. He said, shall we sin because we're no longer under the penalty of the law of sin and death? Shall we go ahead and sin? And Paul has to make sure that nobody misunderstands so he makes it crystal clear. Verse 15. What then shall we sin because we're not under the law, but under grace? Again, absolutely not.

Certainly not. And then there's a caution here in verse 16. Don't you know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you know, whoever you present yourself a slave to obey becomes your master. Don't you know that whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey. Whether of sin leading to death. It can still happen in the New Covenant, even to converted people. Sin can corrupt. It works like leaven. We can still be a slave to it. It can still lead to death. We can become alive to the law again. We were dead to the law, but we can become alive to it again. Rather than being dead to sin or dead to the law, we can be alive to it again and its consequences and its penalties. God doesn't want that for anyone. So he's warning them through Paul. Verse 16. Don't you know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves to whom you obey. Whether sin leading to death or notice or of obedience. Obedience to what? There's something we have to do. Obey what?

Obedience. Obey God's righteous laws and commandments which leads to righteousness. God says it over and over again. He says over and over again that death is the way out. We die to sin. We don't continue in it. And we live to God.

Verse number 17. But God be thanked that you were slaves of sin and yet you obeyed. Something we have to do still from the heart. We'll talk about that during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Talking about the heart and how that's involved in this process of coming out of sin. You obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you. We've been talking about this form of doctrine here through Paul and through Christ and through Peter. Verse 18.

And having been set free from sin, we have to be set free from it and its consequences by dying to it and living to God. Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Again Paul's contrast here, tied into the contrast of the days in Unleavened Bread. God says we serve a new master now. No longer to serve sin, but to serve a right way of living. A righteousness. No longer a slave of sin, but becoming slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms, verse 19. He's taking a complex issue trying to help us to wrap our minds around it. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness, which led to more lawlessness, isn't that how leaven and sin works? So now, a contrast, present your members as slaves of righteousness, which leads to something else. Holiness. Holiness. Be holy, God says, for I am holy. He lives an unleavened life. He wants us to also. Verse 20. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. And what fruit did you have, then, in the things which are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, verse 22, having been set free from sin, we become slaves of God. Brethren, that's the fourth and final point here, as far as things we have to do. We've gone from slaves to sin to slaves of God. We've gone from slaves to sin, or slaves of sin, to slaves of God.

Something we have to do. When you are a slave, there are things you must do.

Verse 22. But now, we've been set free from sin, having become slaves of God.

You've had your fruit to what? Not to death, but to holiness. When we are slaves of God, we will have our fruit to holiness and, in the end, everlasting life. No longer slaves of sin, we become slaves of God, which results in fruit to holiness and man everlasting life. A new master, no longer sin, but God. Brethren, the days of 11 bread do reveal our part, don't they? I mean, not only the days of 11 bread, but the scriptures, several scriptures, both in the Old and New Covenants, talk about the part that we have to play. And that wonderful meaning here, the understanding that we have, is eventually going to be known to everyone. Eventually, God is going to open up the eyes of everyone to understand the days of 11 bread and the parts that they play in God's plan and the part that they reveal that we have to play in God's plan of salvation. There is something we must do. Those four points, as we recap here, we have to forsake, we have to abandon, sin. We have to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. This third one is we are to die to sin and live for righteousness. And the fourth one, we've gone from slaves of sin to slaves of God. Yeah, we do have a role, don't we? It's pretty clear in God's plan of salvation. God and Jesus did much on our behalf, but they didn't do it all. We have our part in God's plan of salvation as revealed by the days of 11 bread.