There are seven feasts of the Lord. Passover is the first. Unleavened Bread is the second. Firstfruits is the third. Each of the seven portrays an aspect of our salvation. The Christian salvation has a definite beginning, a specific process, and a goal toward which we are to be pressing.

The Levitical feast of Firstfruits was distinguished by the waving of a sheaf of barley before the Lord. Because the sheaf, the firstfruits of the harvest, became holy by being waved, the entire harvest was considered holy.

The principle of the firstfruits is used widely in the New Testament. For example, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Firstfruits of the Church, of those who are raised from the dead.

When we receive the salvation that comes through Jesus and are baptized in water we are to count that our first, adamic personality has been crucified with Jesus.

This is not the end, however. We are to count also that a new life has been born in us and that our new life has been raised with Jesus to the right hand of God in Heaven.

Our new, born-again nature is a firstfruits of our personality. It is a new creation. It is of God. It actually is the Kingdom of God.

Meanwhile, the remainder of our personality, our adamic soul, spirit, and body are still very much on the earth.

Because the firstfruits of our personality has been raised with Christ to the right hand of God, and is therefore holy, our entire personality is holy. This means that since God has accepted our new nature as holy He regards our entire personality as holy.

Just as the entire barley harvest was holy because the sheaf had been waved by the priest before the Lord, so it is true that our entire personality is holy. In fact, the holiness extends to the other members of our family. It is a lamb for a house.

But the idea is that the balance of the harvest will be reaped! The remainder of the barley did not rot in the field. It was reaped!

As soon as we have been born again the program of reaping begins. Little by little the old personality dies and is replaced by the new. In the meantime God regards us as holy even though our body, soul, and spirit are filled with filthiness and rebellion.

As long as we continue in the process of reaping, walking in the light of God's will, the blood of Jesus covers us and we are without condemnation. If we walk away from the daily process of dying to self and entering eternal life in Jesus, we begin to come under condemnation.

Salvation begins when we receive the Lord Jesus. Salvation continues as we offer our body to God as a living sacrifice and follow the Holy Spirit. Salvation will have attained its goal when the Lord returns and we receive the Fullness of the Lord in a new body like that of the Lord.

The Christian churches of today need to understand that salvation is not a ticket to Heaven. It is a process that we are to work out each day with fear and trembling. What we have now is a firstfruits.

God always is faithful to keep us. If it is our desire to win the fullness of salvation, we can. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus and He will enable us to overcome every obstacle and enter His Presence in total victory.