God's Spiritual Blessings From Heaven

Man's life has a great purpose, and we should not forget this great purpose. It's for you and I to be sons and daughters of God in the kingdom of God. I keep re-emphasizing that because it's important for us to understand that that is part of the really main context of what God's got in mind. He wants children in his family. And for God to achieve that purpose is giving us very precious spiritual blessings from heaven. Very precious spiritual blessings from heaven. Let's call them gifts. And one of them we know, as we heard in the sermonette, is the life, the suffering, and the actual death of his beloved son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ. And that we're going to remember soon as we approach next weekend the Passover. Today, brethren, I want to focus on how God has blessed us with spiritual blessings, and it was spiritual gifts from heaven, which are particularly related or connected with Christ's suffering and death. And the reason I'm doing this is so that you and I may prepare for this memorial, this annual memorial of his suffering and death in a worthy manner with great gratitude and thanksgiving. In Hebrews chapter 2 verse 9, so let's turn there to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 9, we see that Christ became the author or the founder or the, as we read there, the captain of our salvation. So let's just look at Hebrews chapter 2 verse 9 and 10.

In verse 9 it starts, for we see Jesus was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Brethren, that is a great gift, the gift of his life for you and I. He gave up his eternal life as we heard in the sermon, semanet from being a God being of the God kind in the God kingdom down to earth. And not only that, but he also died for us.

You know, why did he die for us? Because we all, we all have sinned. You have sinned, I've sinned, we all sinned. And the wages of sin is death. And there's no way you and I could buy our lives back because we did. And so he died for us. He gave his life for us to buy us back from death, to redeem us. So continue now in verse 10. For it was fitting for him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory. So it was fitting for the Father in the process of bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation, that's Christ, perfect through sufferings. So Christ had to go through sufferings and death for us. And then it says, yeah, it says to make the captain of their salvation is our captain, is our founder, the founder of salvation, is the author of salvation, is the one that is going to give us eternal life through what is done. Now, some people in this world think, oh well, Adam and Eve sinned and therefore, God had to intervene to correct things out. Sure, yes, Adam and Eve did sin, but they would sin sooner or later. And God knew that they would sin because the Father, who became the Father, and Christ, that means who became Christ before that, it was those two eternal beings, the God and the Word, they knew that this was going to happen. And therefore, they planned because the Father wanted to have children. And to have children fully wise by themselves, they would have to have free moral agency and have the capability of making their own decisions and sooner or later they would make their own decision. And they did. And so we read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 9. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 9.

We read, For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. God decided, appointed, destined us to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. And that means that He had decided that, had predetermined that that would be so. And also, if we look at 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9, 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9 says, speaking about the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with the holy calling, not according to our works, seeing, yes, because none of us has as God any decent works that deserve anything. We don't. But according to God's own purpose and grace, which has given to us, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Before time began. So God had this plan before time began. Now, when the time began, as you and I counted, counted time, if you look at your watch, it's basically based on the rotation of the earth around its axis and against the sun and that you work out the years and the months and all that. So time began when God created the heavens and the earth. That's when time began as we measure it. And so before creation, and as you and I read in John 1, verse 1, in the beginning was the word. So it was already in the beginning, so he was there. So that was decided, as it says, yeah, before time began. The two decided that. It was part of a predetermined plan. But, reading verse 10, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our son, of our Savior, Jesus Christ. A big part by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. In other words, this plan was a mystery and to most of humanity still the mystery, but it has been revealed to us, thus few, that God is opening our minds and helping us understand it, as revealed by Christ's coming, by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, by His first coming. And through that, He's abolished death, because by Him dying for us, we are going to be bought back, bought, redeemed, bought back from death. And we will ultimately, as it says, brought to life and immortality. In other words, eternal life and immortality is now brought to the surface. In other words, to light. In other words, we have it in the open. So with Christ's coming, this knowledge has now become self-evident to us in the church through the gospel, through the true gospel, the true message that Christ gave to us. And so, this required planning and required great mutual trust between the God-being that became the Father and the being that became the Son of God, Christ. So they had absolute mutual trust in what they're going to do. In other words, faith. Because imagine if Christ did not trust the Father and He says, well, I'm going to give up eternity. I'm going to become a human being. I'm going to die. And am I trusting you that I'm going to be resurrected? Because He was dead, dead, dead. He had absolute faith and trust in the Father. There was no doubt. And that faith of Christ is very important. It's like the beginning and also the faith of the Father that the Son would not sin, that He would trust in the Son, and the faith that they knew this great plan would be successful and bring many sons to glory. So there is a great trust you from divinity of the plan, that they knew this plan ultimately, ultimately, will be a very successful plan. And so we read then in John chapter 3. Let's start in verse 13 that it says that no man is in heaven except Christ, which came down from heaven. So John chapter 3 verse 13.

I want to bring out a point there. John chapter 3 verse 13. And it says, no man has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, that is the Son of Man, there's no body today in heaven. When people go to fear and say, oh well, he's looking down at you.

No, he's not. He's dead. He's sleeping. Yes, he'll be or she will be resurrected, but no one has ascended to heaven. And then it says, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And it was like the serpent was put on a pole and was killed. Christ also had to be put on a pole and had to be killed.

So that is the same principle for our sins, of course. Verse 15. That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. So it's actually saying twice here that we need to believe. Now, what do you mean believe? Now, believe means something very simple. If you, for instance, believe in something I say, for instance, I tell my children, be careful, don't cross the street, and they're just running around.

And I may say, be careful, because maybe I've seen a car coming, and they are being trained to listen to mom and dad. And when there's this warning, stop, don't cross the street, they will obey automatically, because they've been trained to believe mom and dad. And who knows, because they believe mom and dad and they trust and they listen to those instructions, they've been trained to listen to those instructions, maybe that instruction one day would save them from a disaster situation, maybe killed by a car crossing the street or something like that.

So believe is obeying. Believe is the instruction is the intent to say, I obey what you tell me. And so when we believe in Christ, we've got to obviously believe who He is. In other words, we understand what He's done, the suffering and His death for us, understand His act of absolute faith in what He did. But we also believe in trust in what He told us, His message, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, which is part of the gospel of the Kingdom, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is that He is the one, He is the way, the truth and the life.

And we're going to believe that. He is the way. There's no other way. And what He's saying is true. And He is the one through whom we're going to have eternal life. And we're going to believe that. That we read that in John 14 verse 6. And so when it says, yeah, we got to believe in Him, we got to not just take, oh well, I believe with my heart in Jesus.

It's more than that, brethren. It's a meaningful, profound meaning that we understand who He is, what He's done in absolute trust of what the outcome of that would be. And that He gave His own life. And the outcome, the final outcome, the end result of that, is so that you and I may have eternal life. So, do we really comprehend the actual cost and spiritual value of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ?

And I specifically say suffering and death, because I'm relating suffering to the symbolism of the bread, and I'm relating death to the symbolism of the wine. So I'm specifically saying those two words, suffering and death. Do we really comprehend that act, the depth of it, and the implications of that suffering and death? Because this is part of a greater context, a greater context. And what is that context? The context that was all pre-planned for you and I to be sons and daughters of God in His kingdom.

And God is faithful. He requires that. He realized that had to be done. And He committed that would be done before the creation. And He did it. He paid the price. The Father gave His beloved Son, and His beloved Son was willing to give His life for us. This is a great act of faith. In other words, God is faithful. He's committed to do it, and He did it. And so the very first spiritual blessing from heaven that you and I have as a great value, which is related with Christ's suffering and death, is nothing else than Jesus Christ's own life.

By God's gracious loving kindness towards you and I, to redeem us, in other words, to buy us back from death. And that gift, that spiritual blessing from heaven is given to you and I gratis freely. Freely. You know, you think about the time of the apostles when Peter gave His sermon on the day of Pentecost. And that's in Acts 2, verse 36 to 38. Acts 2, verse 36, verse 38. But you think about that time. Peter made through his lecture, which by God's miracle was understood by all different people of different languages that were there, a miracle.

So they all could get the message. So, quote unquote, was translated by God's miracle to everybody. And they all could hear it in their own language. They could understand it. When He then conversed those different Jews that came from different areas of the world, such as Persia and Greece, and even from the Promised Land themselves. And obviously, because they came from different areas of the world, their prime language was other languages.

So when they came to realize that they had killed the Lord and Christ. And what does that mean? When they realized that they had killed the Lord and Christ. Read with me, in verse 36 of Acts 2. They fall at all the house of Israel. That means all you Israelites that come from different countries know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ.

They came to a point, and that in a sense is like the climax of that speech or that sermon of that message. And they said, you killed Christ, and He is the Messiah. He is your Lord, and you killed Him.

Look at verse 37. When they heard this, they were cut to the heart. That means they believed, they understood and believed that indeed they had done it.

And said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, He said to the disciples, It's like saying, oh no, what have I done? And what can I do now? So they believed. So the first point is belief. And then is the intent of doing what is right. So there's got to be a belief, and then followed with an intent to do what's right. And then what Peter tell them? Peter said to them, repent.

Change. Repent. Make a commitment to change. Make a commitment to be different.

Now let me ask you a question. When the time comes that God opens your mind and my mind to trust in what Christ has done, to believe what He's done, to trust that, to understand that great purpose, understand what He's done for you and I by suffering and dying for us.

How should you and I respond?

How should you and I respond? Our response should be the same. What have we done?

And I want to change. And then the message to us from God through Christ, through the Apostles here, is repent. And like we heard in the sermon, Ed, first is the Passover, and then is the Days of 11 bread. We've got to commit to change. We've got to commit. And what is that commitment?

That commitment is we sign a contract with God at our baptism that we're going to change. That's the new covenant between you and I with God. You see, so now we have a very simple three-stage, three points. Number one, we believe, our part is to believe, to trust, that God is able to give us eternal life, to forgive us and give us eternal life. Two, we've got to repent. We've got to be willing to act on that faith, on that trust that we trust in, that we have faith in Him. And we've got to commit by being baptized. And that means it's a promise. It's a vow between you and God that says, from your own words, I'm going to obey your laws.

You've not been forgiven by obeying the laws, but you're vowing now to obey the laws. It's different. But the two go together. You see, that's why it says here in verse 38, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of, which means by the authority of, Jesus Christ for what purpose? For the remission of our sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Obviously, this is a short synopsis. A lot more detail involves in it, which involves the laying on our vans and receiving God's Holy Spirit. So, but as I mentioned here, it is a synopsis, a very brief summary, and it says, be baptized. Now, what is baptism? Now, you and I know baptism is being immersed in water. Right. We all know that, right? It's being immersed in water. But you know what, brethren?

I think sometimes we must the real meaning by just focusing on the physical. Yes, we immersed in water. But you know, there's always duality, physical and spiritual. What are we immersed in at baptism? We immersed into the body of Christ. We immersed into the body of Christ, the spiritual body of Christ by Jesus Christ's authority. In other words, in Jesus Christ's name. So there's two different things. We immersed into the body of Christ by the authority of Jesus Christ. And so, let's just look at that very briefly. First in Galatians chapter 3 verse 27. Galatians chapter 3 verse 27. It says, for as many of you as we're baptized into Christ, we baptized into Christ.

You have put on Christ. You baptized into his body. And therefore, now Christ is part of our body. Christ is in us. We baptized into Christ by his authority. Look also at Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6.

Romans chapter 6 starting in verse 3. And this is a section that we all probably know very well about the meaning of baptism. And it says, Romans 6.3, or do you not know that as many of us as we're baptized into Christ.

We baptized into Christ Jesus. And you know, Christ Jesus, his body is a church. And I'm not talking about a sect or a human organization, but we baptized into the spiritual body of Christ, which is a spiritual organism. I make that very clear when I baptize people. And you know that the warnings that you probably were baptized years in the past says, the minister said, I'm not baptizing you into any sect or human organization. Remember that? In other words, I do not, and none of God's ministers in the church baptize you into the United Church of God. Because that's a human organization. We baptize you into the spiritual body of Christ. Now, yes, of course, we support and back up an organization to do God's work. We committed to the organization so we together as a team can do God's work. But you spiritually are baptized into the spiritual body of Christ. We need to understand that. It's very important. And continuing on, baptizing Christ Jesus, we're baptized into his death. So because you're now part of his body, just like Christ had to suffer and die, we also have to suffer and die spiritually. Therefore, verse 4, we're buried with him because we inside his spiritual body. Symbolically, we're buried with him. Through baptism, through being immersed into his spiritual body, physically in the water, but spiritually into his spiritual body, through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead, not from the water, yes, he was baptized, but the symbolism is spiritual. Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God, by the glory of the Father. Even so, we, you and I, should now do what? Oh, Christ accepts us as you are and as day as I am. No, it says we should walk in newness of life. You see, this is symbolic, yes, of baptism, but it's symbolic of the Passover. You really think about it, symbolic of the Passover.

And so, automatically with that, what does it mean? Automatically, with that gift of Christ's life for us, there comes automatically a second gift, a second spiritual blessing from heaven. And what is that? That is in Romans chapter 3 verse 28, which says, therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith. Oh, you see, you saved by faith. No, it doesn't say saved. It says justified, which means made just, which means made right with God. In other words, that relationship is reconciled. That relationship is reconciled. Our sins have separated us from God, reconciled. We got a relationship. You know, when like two people are crossed with one another, they don't talk, they give the cold shoulder treatment, but when they're reconciled, they, quote unquote, just to one towards another, and they again communicate. They got a relationship. You and I have a relationship with the Father freely. It says, yeah, by faith, by this mutual trust from faith to faith, apart from the deeds of the law, apart from the deeds of the law. And so we've done nothing.

In other words, you and I justified not because you obeyed God's law, but you justified because you believe and you now have an intent to change and he trusts you. And you trust in him and he trusts you. It's a trusting relationship. It's faith.

Oh, does it mean therefore that I can sin? No! Because you read a little bit further in verse 31, do we make void the law through faith? No! No! We established the law because now we have to walk in newness of life, obeying God's law. It's all very clear.

And so the second gift is that you and I are freely justified, made right with God by mutual trust from faith to faith. And so we got to live a new life. And what does that mean?

We got to commit to take sinners out of our lives. That's what it means.

Doesn't that sound like the days of 11 bread that we're going to take sinners out of our lives? And so as a direct result of these blessings from God, we got the gift of life. We got the gift of being justified freely. But we also have a directly linked gift with that, that you and I, by being justified, and look at it in Romans 4 verse 2, because it's right next to it, it says, For Abram was justified by works.

For if Abram was justified by works, if he was justified by works, then he has something to boast about. You see, Abram was not justified by any works. You and I are not justified by any works. You see, he said in verse 28 of chapter 3, as I read a moment ago, he said, We're justified by faith apart from deeds of the law. And so if Abram had been justified by works, you could say, Ha-ha! I'm made right with God, because I did this or I did that. No! You and I are not made right with God, because I did this or I did that. No! So verse 3, for what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, he trusted God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, was credited into his, quote-unquote, spiritual bank balance as righteousness.

In other words, his debt was wiped away. He's righteous. And so what do we have here?

You know, that it's not what his wages were, but it was another gift, a gift that he received righteousness given to him by God. His sins were covered, his sins were passed, and they didn't count against him. You can read that in verses 5 through 8.

And so that third great gift is that God's righteousness is imputed, is credited or given to us, gratis, as a gift. And so we receive Christ's sacrifice. You, yes, you realize, you believe, you make a commitment, I'm going to change, and then God releases your sins, makes you justified, and and because your sins are gone, you are right with God, not only right, but you are righteous. Righteousness is imputed. That is an amazing gift, brethren. In Isaiah 64 verse 6, he says, all our righteousness is like filthy rags. You know, our righteousness is useless rags.

You see, God's righteousness is what you and I need to hunger and thirst. Do you remember about the Beatitudes on the Sermon on the Mount? That says, hunger and thirst for righteousness. Now, obviously, it's not hungering and thirst for my righteousness, because I have it, which is the filthy rags. I hunger and thirst for God's righteousness. You see? And so, that's why when we read earlier on, you're baptized into Christ, we die, and now we are going to come out of the water and walk in eunice of life. That eunice of life means now that Christ is with us, Christ is in us, because we've been baptized into his body, and now we walk with him, and that is symbolic of what? Of eating unleavened bread for seven days. Eating unleavened bread for seven days. You and I have to eat unleavened bread for seven days. So, not just taking the leaven out, we've got to eat. In other words, unleavened bread symbolizes Christ in us, the bread of life, and we have to eat. Some people say, oh well, I don't eat bread every day, so I don't have to do it. No, you have to do it, because the law says you eat unleavened bread every day. You have to have Christ in your life every day. That is the symbolism. You see, the Israelites, Paul mentioned in Romans chapter 10, they were very zealous, but they're zeal for God, as he says in Romans chapter 10 verse 1.

Just turn a few pages forward. He says, I bear them witness in verse 2, because he says, he wishes they all would be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God. It's like me saying, I bear witness that many Christians out there in the world have a zeal for God. Yes, they do. There are many good people out there. When I say Christians, I mean so-called Christians, but a lot of these people are zealous. I'm not criticizing them, but it says, but not according to knowledge. What do you mean, knowledge? Is knowledge of trigonometry and algebra? No, it's the knowledge of who Christ is, the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, of what he's done and what he's doing and what God's plan is in the greater context. For they, being ignorant of what? In verse 3, they being ignorant of God's righteousness. They don't grasp that the righteousness that you and I need to hunger and thirst is God's, not mine, nor my self-righteousness, which is like filthy rags. And therefore, they seek to establish their own righteousness. They seek to say, oh, I'm trying to be righteous. I'm righteous. But that's self-righteousness.

I've come across people that tell, told me, well, the important thing is righteousness, so I'm trying to be righteous. You see, they seek to establish their own righteousness, but have not submitted to the righteousness of God. They seek to establish self-righteousness, but they have not submitted to the righteousness of God. How do we submit to the righteousness of God?

Well, for one, God imputes righteousness, and now He's going to give us a helper, God's Holy Spirit, as a gift, a fourth gift to help us to obey the sanctification of the Spirit for obedience, as you and I read in 1 Peter 1, verse 2.

You see, brethren, that's why I'm still staying in Romans chapter 10. In verse 4 says, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. Christ is our standard, is our example, is who we look for, is our standard for righteousness. For righteousness. The very purpose of the law is to give us, let's call it, clues. But what you and I need to follow is Christ's example. You and I need the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because He is the ultimate end result fulfillment of the law for everyone that believes and trusts and does according to what He says. And so we have this also, brethren, and the answer is we need Christ. And not only Christ, we need God's Holy Spirit, which is God's helper. In John 14 verse 16 through 17 says, I'll give you the helper, and the helper will help you to understand all truth. It will help you and I to grab it, to grasp it, and say, ha ha, this is where I go. And what is that symbolic of?

Pentecost. Pentecost. You see, we have these symbolisms. They're all tied to Christ's first coming, His suffering and death.

Christ's life given for us, symbolizing the Passover, freely justified, meaning that we now have to have a desire to deliver spiritually. We now have to receive, and we need to receive and we need to receive God's righteousness. And we therefore have to be eating the bread of life in our lives for seven days, which is symbolically, completely for every day of our lives, which is the bread of life, which is the days of 11 bread. And then we need the helper from the Father, which is God's Holy Spirit, which is Pentecost. That's why all these four are tied to Christ's first coming. You see, Pentecost is 50 days from the wave sheath. It's tied to Christ's first coming. And the wave sheath, which is symbolically when He is accepted by the Father on our behalf as our high priest. It's not His resurrection, because resurrection was on Saturday, but the wave sheath on Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, which means He was accepted by the Father officially as our high priest in heaven on our behalf. You read that in scriptures in the Torah, and you'll see that that is what it is. You see these blessings, spiritual blessings, that you and I receive from heaven are due to God's grace for you and I. And they're intrinsically connected with the gift of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, which we are to celebrate soon. And so, brethren, as you and I are approaching the Passover in the days of 11 bread, what shall we do? And you and I read in scriptures like 1 Corinthians 11, as we heard again on the sermonette, and we need to examine ourselves and correct, we need to examine ourselves all the time, but specifically also particularly around this time. And what is that? It's taking leaven out our lives and putting unleavened bread in our lives. Do we understand the deep meaning of this?

I think sometimes we don't.

And it is important for us to go back to 1 Corinthians 11, because in 1 Corinthians 11, it's talking about YHAN in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 28, and verse 27 says that we drink, we ought to drink this cup not in an unworthy manner, but in a right manner, and therefore we need to examine ourselves. So we eat the bread and drink the cup. So yes, we are to particularly examine ourselves during the season, that obviously does not omit that we examine ourselves all the time, but particularly during the season, so that we take the Passover in a worthy manner. Now understand, neither me, nor you, nor any one of us, none of us is worthy to take the Passover.

But we ought to take the Passover in a manner that is worthy, pleasing to God. It's the manner, is the approach. It's not that you and I are worthy, but it's the way we take it. And it says, for verse 29, for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Do we understand what the Lord's body is? Well, in first place, you and I understand the spiritual body of Christ and what he had to suffer and go through it. And yes, quite often we, every year, we rehearse that suffering and the pain that he went through. But, until we baptized into Christ, into the spiritual body of Christ. And so, let's build the onion, the layer, and look at underneath, not just the physical outward, but the spiritual meaning. And so, the spiritual meaning of discerning the Lord's body is discerning the Church of God. Do we discern the Church of God? Our brothers and sisters in the Church, do we treat them in the right manner? Unfortunately, oh yeah, we can blame it Satan, but you know, it's our carnal mind too. And we fall prey. We have fallen prey many times to cause or to allow division in the Church. And that is very concerning, because if you and I are not discerning the spiritual body, then it says in verse 30, For this reason many are weak and seek among you, and many have died.

And you look back, many people have got sick and illnesses through stress, because of what we have allowed to happen in God's Church by not discerning the spiritual body of Christ. And so how can you and I take the Passover in a worthy manner? By examining ourselves, sure, physically sure, by reflecting on the painful physical suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Secondly, sure, by reflecting on any suffering that you and I may potentially cause on fellow brothers and sisters in the Church, because we're part of the spiritual body of Christ. And thirdly, by reflecting that the Passover symbolizes the victorious the victory, the victorious, the victory that Christ has for us over death and sin.

And that is something really for us to consider in a very positive and encouraging way as you and I look at the Passover.

Because it's easy for us to look at the Passover and hit you down, hit you down, hit you down and discourage you and discourage you and hard and hard and beat. Brethren, yes, we need to examine ourselves and become better people, but man, we need to reflect on the positiveness, on the gratitude, on the thankfulness for Christ being victorious over death and sin for us so that you and I can have eternal life. That is something that I don't want you to forget at this Passover. I want you to look at the Passover. Yes, it's a solemn, respectful time, but I want you to look at it internally as a time of great joy. Please, I don't want you to be beat down and discouraged because, wow, Christ has made us right with God, gratis, has wiped out our sins, has given us God's righteousness, and is giving us the help of His Spirit to help you and I overcome all because of His, of what He's done. And so I want you to look at this Passover in a positive, grateful, and thankful light. Look at both sides, yes, the physical, but look at the spiritual. And don't forget, therefore, to give God thanks for His grace towards us. Because through His goodness and kindness and graciousness, He's giving us undeserved mercy. None of us is worthy, but let's partake of it in a worthy manner. And so, remember, that man's life has got a great purpose. We are to be God's children, sons and daughters. And to achieve that, God has given us most precious spiritual blessings from heaven. His Son, free justification, imputed righteousness, and the Helper, which is God's power, His Holy Spirit. And so, as we discern the physical and the spiritual body, let us prepare for the Passover with an inner joy and gratefulness, so that this Passover, you and I, we all may be richly blessed with the Spirit and with the internal joy of God in your heart and in my heart.