We have just observed the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. These days remind us annually of Christ’s death–when He paid the penalty of our sins and reconciled us to God the Father. The world is cut off from God. But those reconciled with God are no longer cut off from God, as Christ’s shed blood is a sufficient payment for their sins.
Jesus said, “No one can come to Me, except the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). Those specially chosen by God and drawn to Christ are instructed to put sin out of their lives, which is what the Days of Unleavened Bread represent. Leaven puffs up, as do vanity and sin. Leaven is a type of sin, and the putting out of the leaven pictures putting the “get” way out of our lives and turning to the “give” way. This is the beginning of building into our lives holy, righteous, perfect, Godly character.
Beginning with the morrow after the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we count 50 days to observe the Day of Pentecost, which means “count 50.” Originally this Feast was called the Feast of Firstfruits, portraying the first spiritual harvest of God’s begotten children.
Remember, Adam cut mankind off from God, and man must have contact with God the Father to receive His Holy Spirit. The “tree of life” in the Garden of Eden meant that God freely offered Adam and all of humanity, the Holy Spirit, but Adam had to make a choice between accepting God’s gift and rejecting the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As mentioned, the “tree of life” represented God’s Holy Spirit and the “give” way of life. The other tree represented Satan’s “get” way of life. Adam chose the “get” way and was driven by God from the Garden of Eden, “lest he….take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” (Genesis 3:22). As a result, spiritual salvation was closed to all humanity except to those whom God predestined to be called in this day and age.
We are among those predestined to be called now! We have been called to receive God’s Holy Spirit and to overcome Satan, Satan’s world and our own human nature. This requires effort, self-denial and will power. The Holy Spirit makes us God’s begotten children–but we are not yet born into the God Family. God’s Holy Spirit gives us the ability to comprehend spiritual knowledge. It is the love of God placed within us. It is the spiritual power by which we can overcome, to turn away from and resist the “get” way, and turn to the “give” way. It is the power by which we may develop holy, righteous, perfect character which is the purpose for God having created humanity in the first place–so that God could reproduce Himself through man.
Let us rejoice in this special calling we have been given. Let’s not take for granted what the day of Pentecost is all about–a reminder to us every year that we are among those called to be a part of the FIRST small harvest. God calls us His “special people.” He offers us salvation, by calling us out of a world that has been cut off from God since the time of Adam. But, we have been called for more than just our own spiritual salvation and the gift of eternal life. We are called NOW to help in preparing for the Kingdom of God and backing up the great commission of proclaiming the true Gospel to the whole world.
