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Mustard Seed January/February 2004
Laxity in The Feast of Tabernacles
Christ Our Passover
Mustard Seed - January/February 2004
Just a little over two months from now we will enter the Passover season. It may be a little early to talk about this subject, but I feel that it is very important to go ahead and begin to consider what this season is all about.
There are two parts in this season. First the Passover service, followed by seven days of Unleavened bread. The Old Testament Passover was a type or forerunner of the sacrifice of our Savior. The killing of the lamb represented the death of Jesus Christ. His body was beaten beyond compare for us. He was hung on a cross and His blood was shed for us. Rom. 5:8 "...but God commands his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The whole purpose for His death was that we might live. By His death He paid the penalty for our sins. His death had every thing to do with sin; not His, but ours. It's like we were lined up in front of a firing squad, and just as the order to fire, was about to be given, He stepped in front of us and took all those bullets for us. he relieved us of that death penalty by taking our place.
Knowing this, we come to the second part of this season. The seven days of unleavened bread, which portrays coming out of sin. We know the basic definition of sin, --"the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4). Several other scriptures add to this definition also. Whosoever commits sin violates God's law. The ten commandments and all that goes with them, is that law of God.
I realize that this is very basic but sometimes we get so bogged down with complicated explanations and definitions, that we seem to forget the basics.
Every sin that man commits can be traced back to the Ten Commandments. Maybe it doesn't say "thou shall not," but in principle, it's there. So this season that is coming up in April is an annual reminder that we must do out best all year to put sin out of our lives.
I think that we will all agree that it's easier said than done. So how then do we come out of sin? I Cor. 10:13 "...there has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it." So we are not just on our own, we have help.
I John 2:1 "...my little children, these things write unto you, that you sin not, and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." God in his wisdom knew that we couldn't do it on our own, and that's where the sacrifice of Christ comes in.
I Pet. 3:18--"For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit."
I Cor.5:7--"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." It is very encouraging to know that Christ is with us in our struggle against sin but we can't leave it all up to him. In 2 Tim. 2:3-5 it tells us "...you therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." "...No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier. "...and if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." It takes a lot of effort on our part to put sin out.
Heb. 12:4 " you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." We have undertaken probably the hardest thing that a human being could possibly undertake, and that is to overcome sin. We must never let this season become a routine, ho-hum observance and lose sight of the real purpose of this feast. We must not let our zeal for "cleaning house" cause us to forget what it represents, and that is cleaning our spiritual houses.
What if God said, "you have kept these days for all these years, so now let's see how far you have come. This year you only have these seven days to get it done." If God gave us only seven days to come out of sin --or else, I wonder if we would suddenly take on a different attitude? Would this Feast of Unleavened Bread begin to look a little different, and Heb. 12:4 suddenly takes on a new meaning? Would all those scriptures that are read on Passover evening about love, begin to look real? Would the Ten Commandments suddenly become the most important thing in our lives?
When we consider that God loved us so much that he gave His son for us and that the son also loved us so much that he willingly gave his own life for us and not only gave his life but suffered more than anyone ever has, shouldn't we return that love by striving to come out of sin?
Words do not exist that would describe the overall price that was paid for us. So as we enter this coming Passover season, let's approach it with an attitude of humility and love. Let's always be thankful that we do have the help that we need. Christ has promised never to leave us.
With all that is available to us through Christ, we have no reason to fail, we should only be successful.
--Neil Wroten
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