God's Holy Days

Well, we are to our 12th fundamental belief. We skipped over 12 last time. We went to the food laws, which is actually the 13th fundamental belief. And we promised to come back to the festivals. So that's where we are here now. Again, I forget how many fundamental beliefs are. They might be in the 20s or so. So when we finally get through all of this, we'll maybe take some ideas from you on what kind of Bible study you want to do. We can go through a particular book. That kind of thing is interesting once we get through the fundamental beliefs. So you can be thinking on that. I'll just say a quick prayer. You can remain seated just to open our Bible study if you'll bow your heads. Our dear Heavenly Father, we just come before you with open hearts and just so grateful. No matter what happens in our lives, we know that with having you in our relationship and you as our spiritual Father, it's just such a wonderful blessing that we don't deserve. But we're here. We just pray that you'll help us to make the most of it and the most of our calling and just allow it to hit our hearts so we can do all these things in love. That's the key. So allow your words to hit our heart today through this Bible study. We love you and we pray all this by your Son Jesus Christ's name. Amen. So did anyone have any comments from the earlier study in Ephesians?

Any comments on that before we begin?

It's a pretty fascinating part of Scripture. Paul has the most written in the New Testament.

I think God used him in particular. I think Paul had something that we're going to see today as to why God was able to use him in such a significant way and did so. We're going to look at another one of Paul's letters today in our Bible study. You'll see from your fundamental belief that we have this 12th statement. So I'll read this first part.

This is a pretty interesting print out here from our fundamental beliefs because it does show you, which I love to see, that God's Holy Day plan through these festivals we see through the Holy Days of God's plan of salvation. We're able to see the past, present, and future, how they kept it in the past, how we currently keep the festivals and the Holy Days, and how they'll even keep it in the future. That's a fascinating thing to see. I would like to just read briefly the summary of belief. It's the second page, page 107. I'm going to start under summary.

We'll move from this to a particular set of Scripture, which I think will be helpful today. Summary. When God delivered the nation of Israel from captivity in Egypt, He commanded the nation to participate in special worship during the harvest seasons of the year. God defined these celebrations as His festivals or feasts of the Lord. The gospel message in God's plan of salvation are enriched by understanding that the physical harvests of food crops are types of the spiritual harvest of humans through God's gift of salvation by Jesus Christ. I encourage you to go and look at these Scriptures. The seven annual Holy Days are annual Sabbaths, as they are described.

They are holy convocations or commanded assemblies of God's peoples. These days are holy because they are sanctified, set apart by God. God did this. He commands His people to assemble for worship and to learn about Him and His plan. His command goes further than worship only. It includes fellowshiping and rejoicing together. The New Testament record shows the continuity of the observance of these days by Jesus Christ and the Church. Jesus observed these festivals, and we as His followers are told to walk as He walked. The New Testament Church began on an annual festival the day of Pentecost. The apostles and the disciples of the early Church continue to observe these festivals long after Jesus's death and resurrection. Paul upholds their observance and presents them as continuing shadows or outlines of the great events of God's plan of salvation that are yet to be fulfilled. He also instructed the congregation of Corinth, let us keep the feast. Listen to this. Through the observance of the feast, God's people focus on and are reminded throughout the year of the work of Jesus the Messiah. It is through the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and the divine calling to a new way of life that we see the building up of God's Church as a family of God. Through Christ as our focal point, we begin to understand the special meaning behind the annual feasts. During the course of the seven annual festivals are seven holy days, which are annual Sabbaths. These holy days are the first and last days of unleavened bread, the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the last great day. Although the Passover is a festival, it is not an annual Sabbath. Lastly, on page 109, the annual cycle of the celebration of these festivals and holy days reminds Christ's disciples that He is working out a plan and extending salvation from sin and death and offering the gift of eternal life in the family of God to all of humanity, past, present, and future. So there you have it.

So I encourage you to go back and read this and go through it on page 106. I just think this is really just such a cause, such a clear reason to keep the holy days now. And we won't look at this, but just for your later reference. In page 106, number six, it shows you where will be observed by all mankind during Christ's millennial reign. So you can actually see during the millennial period these feasts being kept, these holy days. So they kept it then. Christ kept it. The disciples kept it after Christ's death. We keep it today. They keep it in the future. These feasts are for our benefit. And a reminder every year of God's plan of salvation. Isn't that incredible? Any comments on that?

I think it is pretty incredible that we have this honor and so many missed the blessings of these holy days. You know, they don't keep them, so they don't know the blessings of all that they point us to. Now, I struggled a little bit with trying to figure out how to take an overall view of the festivals today because it's almost impossible, obviously, to go through every festival and holy day. But I thought we kind of focused, if you remember in the sermon, on the fall festivals, the fall harvest, the trumpets, Christ's return, of course, atonement.

Satan's banishment, the thousand-year millennial reign, and then the eighth day when the final harvest, the second resurrection will occur. So I thought in the study today we would go to the beginning and take a look at God's plan of salvation for mankind and see if we can't sum up the gospel and the good news in one short Bible study. So there's one place in scripture which I absolutely love, and it gives us, I think, a real good place to go. If you're ever trying to defend your belief, defend these truths, go here and maybe go back after the study and really look into it. Let's turn to Romans 5, if you will. Romans 5. And we're going to go to the very beginning of all time. Romans 5 takes us there. Romans 5 in verses 12 through 14.

We're going to here go back to the very beginning. There's several beginnings of the Bible, of course, Genesis and John 1. Here's another beginning, a summary of all things.

And here in Romans 5 verses 12 through 15, here one of the most profound set of scriptures that were given by Paul. I think God revealed, obviously, such an in-depth understanding too, Paul. So Romans 5 verses 12 through 15, we're going to talk about death first, and then we're going to talk about life. And this is where it all starts with our baptism later on. It all starts with an understanding that's in these four verses here.

Romans 5 verse 12 through 15, it says, Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. For until the law sin was in the world, but sin was not imputed, it's not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death ranged from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who was a type of him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense, for if by the one man's offense many died, much more by the grace of God and the gift of by grace of one man, M, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

So let's stop there. So there's a tremendous amount said in these four verses as we go back to the very beginning. So what does this tell us?

This scripture tells us, this set of scriptures tells us that before we even knew it, before mankind even knew it, we needed to be saved. We needed to be saved and we didn't even realize it.

Look at verse 12. Death had spread to all men. Sin had done this. So before we even knew it, mankind was in a fatal condition, absolute fatal condition. As verse 12 says, through one man sin entered, so that's Adam, the first Adam, and again sin brought with it what? What did sin bring to mankind? Death. Yeah. Death spread to all men. What caused death to spread to all mankind?

Sin. That's verse death through sin. That's very clear there in verse 12.

So it's a bad situation. It's a fatal situation for mankind. I'll take a quick side trip. Just very quickly, we're not going to dwell on this. Why did God even allow sin to enter into the picture? Why did God allow sin so that death is even in the picture? Well, He wanted choice to be available to His creation. He wanted men. He wanted sons and daughters of choice and not pre-programmed to only choose one way. So with choice, choice innately will give you, I'm going to follow my father or I'm not. So with choice, sin comes into the whole picture. Sin brings death here. So at some point centuries ago, Adam and Eve rejected the instructions of God. They decided for themselves that they could decide what was right or wrong. God had told them, this is right and wrong. Here's right. This leads to life. And they said, no, we'll decide that. So in the Bible, it refers to this. In a way, Adam and Eve were depending on a law of their flesh. So instead of God's spiritual law, they chose a fleshly wisdom. You'll read about that in the Bible. A fleshly law instead of God's wisdom, instead of God's spiritual law. So living outside of God's law, that sin, sin brought death upon Adam and Eve and every man or woman since that time. So everyone's dead. Everyone's dead. So one of the first and foremost things God needed to do is to reveal to mankind this fatal condition. He needed to let mankind know that they're dead. So how did he let man know they're in this fatal condition? Does anybody know that? So what did God reveal to mankind that showed them they were dead? They were in a fatal condition. The law. The law. So the means by which God would reveal to man that they were in this fatal condition was through the revelation of the law. Notice verse 13 and 14 again. This is fascinating. This is very important stuff. For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death ranged from Adam to Moses, even if you hadn't sinned in the likeness of Adam. It was a type of him to come. So one thing to notice here is that God's law always existed from the beginning. How do we know that God's law existed from the beginning even before the tablets? Verse 13, it points out, until the law sin was in the world. So in other words, even before the law was given at Mount Sinai, for until the law prior to, up to, until the law sin was in the world. So even before it was written down and given to mankind by Moses, even before the tablets, sin was in the world. For until the law sin was in the world. That's verse 13. Even from the beginning of the world. In one way we really know this. How do we know this? How do we know sin existed even before those tablets were given?

Sin had already made its charge of death. So verse 14, it says, Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses. So death was charged to all people even before Moses, the one to whom the tablets were given. Death reigned from Adam to Moses. That's what he's making clear here. So if there hadn't been a spiritual law in place prior to it being written on the tablets, death would not be imputed. It says that sin is not imputed when there is no law. But the charge of sin would not have been made from Adam to Moses. But it said death had been imputed because one man chose to live outside of God's spiritual law. So I hope we get that. So those that say, oh, that was just for the Israelites. No. Death had made its charge here. Sin, death was charged. Sin was sin is not imputed if there is no law. Does that get that? Okay. So even if you hadn't sinned like Adam, in that manner, it doesn't matter. Death reigns over you. Death reigns over all men because the first man lived outside of God's law. So this is important. Let no man or woman think that there was no sin prior... there was no sin before there was the written law to forbid it. The same sinful acts that were forbidden after the law was written at Mount Sinai were the same sinful acts before.

And God wanted man to be fully aware of the wages of sin as death. Death has been imputed to all mankind. We've all earned death. And He says very clearly, even from Adam to Moses, everyone's dead.

So the law is wonderful because how else would we know? You know, the law reveals that we're dead. That's not a wonderful day. But God wanted His children to know that they were in this fatal condition. That brings us directly to the Days of Unleavened Bread. You know, we see through this how destructive and deadly sin is. Through the Days of Unleavened Bread. That's a reminder to put sin out. We see how destructive and deadly it is. It brought death upon us. So that's the Days of Unleavened Bread shown here. So we love the law. Without it, we wouldn't know our condition. The law is described as a mirror. You know, you've heard that. So the law is held up to us. And unfortunately, it shows that we're dead men and women in this fatal condition.

So, but we have a loving God, don't we? And there's something else that Paul reveals here. It's quite remarkable. It's the most wonderful news. For dead men and women, this is the most wonderful news we could ever hear. Just the smallest mention of it. Here in verse 14, this brings us squarely to the understanding of the Passover. Verse 14, Nevertheless, you're dead. Death range from Adam to Moses. But Adam, though, being a type of someone who is to come. Adam is a type of him, capital H, of him who is to come. Squarely to the Passover here. Who is this? It's none other than the one that would hold the remedy to man's fatal condition. He owes the remedy to bring us back from death to life. Reach into our deadness and pull us back to life. So let's continue here. Let's read more about this great Savior. You know, we needed him before we even realized it. Romans 5 verse 6 through 11. So get this. This is incredible. Romans 5 verse 6, For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely a righteous man will one die, but perhaps a good man someone would even dare to die. Verse 8, But God demonstrates his love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more having been reconciled, we should be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have received the reconciliation. Let's stop there. So this is pretty incredible to realize. So by the time the law was held up to you and I, to show us that we're in this fatal wretched condition, a solution had already been provided for us. Before we even were revealed we were dead. A solution had already been provided. A Savior by the name of Jesus Christ already had in the plan to save us. And he saved us, ironically, first through his death and then through his life. The raising up. Here's more. Look at verse 18 through 21. Verse 18 through 21, Romans 5. So clear here. This is part of the mystery as well. Romans 5 verse 18. Therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men. That's Adam's offense. This judgment of death came to all men, resulting in condemnation. Even so through one man's righteous act. That's Christ. The free gift came to all men, resulting in the justification of life. So resulting back to life. For as in by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. So also by one man's obedience, many will be made righteous. So this brings us to the Days of Unleavened Bread, too. You know, we could ask, through one man's obedience, many will be made righteous. Obedience to what? Obedience to what? He's talking about Jesus Christ. Through Christ's obedience, many will be made righteous. Be made righteous. Christ's obedience to God's law was the catalyst in bringing many back to life. How could that be something you do away with? You know, they say.

So verse, it continues, Paul continues, verse 20 and 21. Here it is. This is very clear. Verse 20 and 21. Moreover, the law entered, the law was given to us, that the offense may abound, so that we could see it. The law entered, the offense would abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Christ, Jesus Christ our Lord. So that's wonderful. So even though the mirror, the law, it's a wonderful law. It gives us our understanding of who we are and the wretched, the condition we're in. Even though that brought us death, it showed that sin abounded in us, clearly. We were made aware. And now we're made aware. A wonderful gift had already been in place, the gift of grace made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And in that grace, the gift of Jesus Christ is applied toward a life that would one day result in access to eternal life.

That's pretty incredible. So we're seeing the relationship of what the law gives us and what Jesus Christ did in response and in our response. So the law and grace are both wonderful gifts to us. They're both wonderful gifts. They work together. It's not one or the other, which the world tries to place on it. Grace is a free gift to all mankind resulting in the justification of life. It's a free gift. So the next question is, how do I receive that gift? So Jesus Christ has this gift of grace. It's a gift that is justification back to life. How do I receive it from Him? It's a free gift. How do I receive this gift from Him?

Well, let's turn over to Romans 8, if you will. Romans 8 verse 1. How do we receive this gift of grace so that we're not condemned to death? How do we not stay condemned to death? How do we receive this free gift from Jesus Christ? Romans 8 verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation, there's no condemnation to death, to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. That's it. How do you receive this gift of grace? How do you receive this justification back to life? You do the opposite of what Adam and Eve did.

You don't walk according to the flesh. You walk according to the Spirit. The condemnation to death is only lifted from those who walk a certain way. The condemnation to death is only given to those who walk a certain way. That's what the Days of Unleavened Bread tell us. We want to receive this wonderful gift available to us from the Passover, perfect Passover land. Days of Unleavened Bread show us how to walk. And then we have the mention here of the Spirit. What holy day does that bring us to? Walking in the way of the Spirit. Pentecost, yes. And we're given the summary of that here in Romans 8, verse 2 through 11. So I want you to notice we've seen the Passover.

We've seen the Days of Unleavened Bread and all that they picture. Now we're about to see the Pentecost, the power of God to help us in all these things because God not only gives us the admonition, but He gives us the ability to fulfill all that's necessary. That's a loving God. He says, this is what you need to fulfill in your life and I'm even going to help you do that. I'm going to give you the ability. How does He give us the ability? Well, He'll see His Spirit, His Holy Spirit. The Romans 8, verse 2 through 11. Here's a great summary. And we're speaking about two laws here.

You know, we can live by the law of the flesh, decide on our own, or we can live by the spiritual law. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. You know, the law of sin and death, that's what Adam and Eve lived by. That's what they chose. But the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, it's actually freed me from everything that sin and death bring, that law of sin and death, the condemnation.

Makes me free from that. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His Son, His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh on the account of sin, and He had condemned sin in the flesh, so that, or 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. So this righteous requirement will be fulfilled in us when we walk according to the Spirit. Verse 5, For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, for those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be. You know, that you turn your mind over to the law of the flesh in that way. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is not in you, the body is dead because of sin. But the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

So let's stop there. So you'll notice this is so important here. So you see He's condemning sin in the flesh. There's no there's no justification that the law has been done away with by any means here. And this is this is maybe a verse that you go to if you're questioned on this. The law and those things that's been done away with. Verse 3 again. Verse 3. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.

On the account of sin, He condemns sin in the flesh. So you'll notice it doesn't say that the law's weak, does it? It says that the law was made weak through and because of the flesh. So God knew this. God knew that the law's revealed to us and that we would need help in keeping it and putting on His fruit and His character. And He does so by having His Spirit live in us, His power. That's important. The law is not weak. It's made weak through our flesh. We know that.

So we'll continue just a little bit further. Let's conclude with just one more passage here. This is kind of the summary here of the first spiritual, first harvest, the spring harvest. So Romans 8, verse 12 through 17. Romans 8, verse 12 through 17. Therefore, brethren, we are not debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. But if you live according to the flesh, you will die. The law is made that clear. But if you live by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you didn't receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children heirs, heirs of God, join heirs with Jesus Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. So there you have it, the plan of salvation of mankind. Any comments on that? So I hope you see just how the transition happened. And what we needed a Savior, and Christ was willing to step on this earth and give His life for us, offer us life, the great Passover. So we respond to that by looking at what the Days of Unleavened Bread picture, putting out sin, putting in life. And we can't do it. And if we struggle, God says, here's my essence, here's my power, this will help you. Depend on it. Look toward me. Tap into my spirit. It'll help you fulfill these things which are necessary. Because I'm coming. My son's returning. The Day of the Trumpet. He's coming. Be ready. I need you to be first fruits. I need you to fulfill these things. I need you to preach the gospel in your proclamation and how you live. Show Him who I am. And I long for the day when He returns and then His first fruits will rise up. It is returned. Usher in a thousand-year period, we'll be training and we'll be preparing for the masses that will be called from the grave after those thousand years. Train them up. Say, boy, I was this way too. And look what God was able to do through me. He can do this through you. So I hope we're looking forward to those days that are the Feast of Tabernacles and the Holy Days, the Trumpets, the Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, all that. It's going to be a wonderful time. You can study these verses. I know we're cutting it pretty short. I don't want to keep y'all too long. But it is a wonderful plan of salvation. It's a mystery revealed to us. So use this knowledge to help you stay strong and keep on the walk.