Every step in the creation of the Kingdom of God involves an initial provision and invitation of God, and then a necessary step of obedient faith by man. Faith is obedience to the unseen God. The hope that saves us is hope in the fulfillment of God's promises—promises found in the Scriptures and then applied by the Spirit to us personally.

To refuse to respond in faith when God makes the provision and gives the invitation is to be rebellious, slothful, unbelieving, stubborn, and disobedient. The result of disobedience is separation from God.

To not wait for God's provision and leading, "stepping out in faith," as it is sometimes termed, attempting to do "big things for God," is presumptuous and rash. This kind of aggressive faith is not found in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews—the chapter that defines the statement "The righteous shall live by faith." Attempting to exercise faith apart from God's provision and leading is a dangerous misuse of "scriptural principles" in order to accomplish one's own ends. Such personal ambition can lead only to deception, to the pride of Satan, to the False Prophet.

Unleavened Bread. The concept of Unleavened Bread includes the removal of all malice, wickedness and worldliness from us and the embracing of sincerity and truth (I Corinthians 5:8). We are to take the position that we have been crucified to the world and the world to us. As far as we are concerned, Adam and all his descendants (including ourselves) died on the cross in Christ. Thus, we are pilgrims and strangers in the present world.

The feast of Firstfruits. The feast of Firstfruits typifies the resurrection of Christ and our spiritual resurrection and ascension with Him to the right hand of the Father. God has received Christ—the Firstfruits of the Kingdom, of the new creation of God. God also has received, in Jesus, our newly born spiritual nature—the firstfruits of the redemption of our entire personality.

The first stage of development of the inner Kingdom of God is that of being received by the Lord. We eat of the Passover Lamb, Christ. We are baptized in water, dramatizing sincere repentance from our worldly wickedness and our determination to serve God from that point forward.

Because we have received God's Lamb, the Holy Spirit makes alive our spiritual nature, planting in us the Divine Seed of God. We are born of God as His child. Our new spiritual man then takes his place in Christ at the right hand of God, far above all other spiritual personages (Ephesians 1:19-2:6).

Man living and working by God's Spirit—the feast of Pentecost. Pentecost, the feast of Weeks, is the second annual gathering. The feast of Pentecost typifies the role of God's Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption.

It always has been God's intention that every aspect of the Divine program of redemption not be carried out by the resources of man but by the Spirit of God. This has been difficult for human beings to accept. Religious people have been driven by various ambitions and fears. They have been led astray because of lack of experience in following the leading of God's Spirit. They have sought through the centuries to build the Church of Christ. The result of such human desires and attempts has been, and will continue to be, religious Babylon (man-directed Christianity).

To be continued.