Good Morning Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
This and next week’s message will address a hotly debated subject in many churches. With God, this subject has no debate. It is clearly and plainly written to those with a seeking, committed heart to God and His Son Jesus Christ. satan has entered churches to sow tares among the wheat or lies among The Word. He has sought to render powerless those who hold all the power in creation, the Believer. My prayer is all Believers are in one accord with the doctrine and instructions of God Almighty on this subject, and they reap the incredible benefits and blessings God has for them through it.
Today’s teaching is titled, “The Principle and The Test.” This week’s message will address “The Principle,” and next week’s message will address “The Test.” The Principle we’re about learn runs throughout The Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation.
It is called, “The Principle of the First.”
If God is first in our life, then everything else will come into order. This doesn’t mean we won’t have tribulation in this world. Jesus outlines in Mark 4, in the Parable of the Sower, the challenges from satan that will come against a Believer: affliction, persecution, cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things. Jesus said for us to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world and satan for us.
We must understand God CANNOT be second to something else in our life. There are some things God cannot do. He cannot act outside His character. For instance, God cannot sin. God can’t lie because He is Truth. God also CANNOT be second. He’s preeminent. This means He is first of all, higher than all, before all, and above all. These are the preeminent attributes of God. If we put God second in our life, we end up severing our relationship with God. God doesn’t severe His relationship with us.
There are three principles, or subprinciples, of The Principle of the First. All of these principles come from the Old Testament. There is a line of thought among many Believers the Old Testament is a reference, but it doesn’t apply to Believers any longer because of the New Testament, the New Covenant. This is patently false and a lie from hell. The New Covenant builds upon the Old Covenant. It does not do away with it. Christ fulfilled the laws of the Old Covenant for us so we cannot be condemned to eternal death and separation from God. We’ll talk more about this in next week’s message. I Corinthians 10:11 makes clear to us, as Believers, the Old Testament is written for OUR instruction. We would do well to study and pay attention to it.
I Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [type = figure, copy, image]: and they are written for our admonition [instruction, warning], upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1. The Principle of the Firstborn.
Exodus 13:1-2
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Sanctify [consecrate] unto Me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is Mine.
Consecrate = set apart for God. It is God’s.
Exodus 13:12 – The Principle of the Firstborn
That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S.
Exodus 13:13
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
Redeem = purchase or buy back
There are two classifications of animals used in these Scriptures: a donkey representing unclean animals and a lamb representing clean animals. This was written 3500 years ago. What does a donkey and a lamb have to do with you today if you are a doctor, a lawyer, a business owner, an accountant, a teacher, etc.? It’s the principle behind it. This principle is actually talking about Jesus. Revelation 1:5 tells us Jesus is the “First Begotten of the dead.”
If you have an unclean animal, it must be redeemed by the sacrifice of a clean animal.
When you and I were born, were we spiritually born clean or unclean? Unclean. When Jesus was born, was He born spiritually clean or unclean? Clean. The clean had to be sacrificed so the unclean could be redeemed. This represents our relationship through Jesus Christ.
The Principle of the Firstborn is you give God the firstborn BEFORE you have any others. This is The Principle of Faith. God gave Jesus as The Lamb of sacrifice before the foundation of the world. God “tithed” Jesus Christ, in faith, to redeem us.
2. The Principle of the Firstfruits.
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Honor the Lord with your substance [possessions] means to tithe first and then buy the home, car, land, computer that you can afford. This is how we honor God with our possessions.
“Increase” = “income.”
Exodus 23:19. First of the firstfruits.
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
Notice Exodus 23:19 says to “bring.” It never says to “give.” You can’t give what doesn’t belong to you. You can either bring it to God or steal it from Him.
Why did God accept Abel’s offering and not Cain’s?
Genesis 4:3
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Genesis 4:3 “in the process of time, it came to pass….” The phrase, “in the process of time, it came to pass” means that Cain didn’t bring his “firstfruits.” He got around to bringing it to the Lord when he felt like it and what he felt like bringing. It doesn’t say “firstfruits.”
Genesis 4:4 “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.” Notice “first.”
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Notice Abel brought of the “firstlings [firstborn) of his flock and of the fat (already existing herd. This is an offering). This was 2500 years before the law. And The Principles of the Firstborn and the Firstfruits was already enacted by God. Do those of you who believe tithing went away with the fulfillment of the law want to explain this one to me?
I’ve had many Believers say, “I give as I feel led.” This was Cain’s attitude. He gave what he wanted when he wanted or as he felt led. The tithe is not yours to give as you feel led. It belongs to The Lord. It is set apart or consecrated to The Lord. We’ve already read this in Exodus 13:1-2. You return or bring it to God. You do this or you steal it.
When Abel brought the “first” of his lambs, God could accept it. When Cain did not bring a “firstfruits” offering, God could not accept it. God will not be second.
3. The Principle of the First Ten Percent (we know this as the “tithe”)
Leviticus 27:30
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.
First ten percent. Not the second, or third, or fourth, or fifth, or last ten percent. The first.
Jesus IS THE PRINCIPLE OF THE FIRST
Colossians 1:15 – “The Firstborn”
Who is the image of the invisible God, The Firstborn of every creature:
I Corinthians 15:20 – “The Firstfruits”
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become The Firstfruits of them that slept.
Romans 5:8 “The Tithe”
But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
We’ve established God’s Principle of The First in this message. God is first, and He commands the first to be given to Him. Next week we’ll address “The Test.” We should give thought to whether we are functioning like Abel or like Cain. God blessed Abel, but He could not bless Cain. This Truth continues, even today.
In closing, to the natural man, seeing is believing. To the Spiritual man, believing is seeing.
Much love in Christ Jesus.
Larry