The Church Of The Firstborn

The Church Of The Firstborn

The Lord is coming back for a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the Blood of the Lamb. The true church of the Lord Jesus is not a church made with hands that meets in a stain-glassed cathedral each week. The true church is in the heart of every born again child of God, washed by the precious blood of the slain Christ, Whom is the HEAD over all things - the church included. When we disjoint ourselves from the HEAD we become apostates and deluded. Sadly, in this modern seeker-sensitive atmosphere of the 21rst Century Church the foundation of the gospel upon which the true church is built has been exchanged for false gods, false teachings driven by a false spirit pointing to a false Christ. The New Age movement has sunk its demonic claws into the teaching and preaching of the 21rst Century Church. The Holy Spirit must lead us into ALL truth in these last days. The church of the firstborn will stand the test of hell itself and will be a light of hope and healing to millions before the end comes.

By Chris McDonald

TEXT: Hebrews12:22 -29 - But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, [23] To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, [24] And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. [25] See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: [26] Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. [27] And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. [28] Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: [29] For our God is a consuming fire.

The Bible IS the word of God. We as children of God are born again by the SPIRIT and the Word of God.

1 Peter 1:19-23
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, [21] Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: [23] Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever.

When we are born again, we are added to the Lord's Body - the CHURCH. As members of this body, we have a spiritual birthright that has its meaning and finds it source in CHRIST - the HEAD of the Body.

Eph. 2:20-21
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; [21] In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Many Christians, like Esau, are selling their spiritual birthright for temporal, carnal, and material satisfaction that will rob them of their place in the Church of the Firstborn, unless repentance takes place and takes place quick. Repentance is not just repenting of what is bad, but it's renouncing ALL that we ARE - both the GOOD and the bad. The noose around the modern church's neck today is the GOOD. Temporal blessings may give us a sense of relief and false security but they will never take the place of a heart sold out in love to Jesus, the true source of eternal life and salvation. HE is the Head of the Church.

Paul, the apostle, wrote in Hebrews that New Covenant believers have come to 9 things as part of the New Covenant Church:

Hebrews12:22 -24 - But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, [23] To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, [24] And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Unto Zion - Not the earthly, geographical location in Israel.
Unto the Heavenly Jerusalem - the city of the LIVING GOD. Not unto the earthly Jerusalem, which is spiritually Sodom and Egypt, and which was to be destroyed by Prince Titus in A.D. 70
Unto an innumerable company of angels - angels who are ministering spirit sent unto the heirs of salvation
Unto the general Assembly - the total redeemed company of saints, touching both Old and New Testament saints both in heaven and on earth.
Unto the Church of the Firstborn - the theme of this message
Unto God, the Judge of All - the true and living God, the judge of ALL men.
Unto the spirits of just men made perfect - the saints who have departed from the earth and are now with the Lord Jesus
Unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant - NOT to Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant
Unto the blood of sprinkling - the blood of Jesus Christ, which speaks better things than that of Abel.

We have been called to be a Kingdom of priests and kings unto Christ. The Hebrew believers at the time of Paul's writings had been under the Old Covenant economy. Earthly Zion and Jerusalem had been their joy. Angelic visitations had been evidenced throughout their history of the nation. They knew what was involved in the general assembly of tribes during the feasts. As a nation they had received the true revelation of the true and living God. They knew about the blood of sprinkling. They knew that the saints who dies in faith would, in due time, be taken into the presence of the Lord. Their minds were saturated with the concept of the firstborn. Israel as a nation was spoken of in Acts as "the church in the Wilderness."

Acts 7:38
This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

In the New Covenant we see several designations for "the Church." It is spoken of as:

The Church
The Church of God
The Church of God in Christ
The Church After A Locality i.e. "The Church at Ephesus," "The Church at Corinth," Etc.
The Church Of The Firstborn

The last title and the subject of this message, "the Church of the Firstborn," is actually found only ONCE in the entirety of the New Covenant. As a nation, Israel had received the true and living revelation of God Himself. They knew through Moses about the blood of sprinkling. They knew that the stains who died in faith would in due time be taken into the presence of the Lord. Their minds were saturated with the concept of the firstborn. Israel herself was called the "firstborn of nations," a topic we will deal with in detail in an upcoming journal very soon.

The writer of Hebrews was seeking to point believing Jews AND Gentiles to the MESSIAH, who had come and abolished, by His sinless, once-for-all and perfect sacrifice all the ritualisms of the Mosaic economy as requirements for salvation. FAITH in CHRIST replaced the works of the Old Covenant priest slitting the throats of an animal and using the blood to shadow something more glorious in the mind of God for not only Israel, but the entirety of the human race. Paul sought to wean those who had their faith in the ritual of the Old unto the glorious revelation of the NEW Covenant, which was a spiritual covenant based on the finished work at Calvary. He wanted to take them from the earthly to the heavenly, the carnal to the spiritual, from the shadows and types to the REALITY and the ANTITYPE of ALL that Moses did under the Old Covenant of LAW. In the old covenant economy, animals were sacrificed as payment for sin. Under the NEW COVENANT, there would be but ONE sacrifice and that would be CHRIST.

Neighbor, I can't say this loud enough or with enough passion - there is ONLY ONE SACRIFICE FOR SIN! There is only ONE who died on a cross 2,000 years ago and broke the bondages and shackles of man's darkness and dilemma. It was not a ROCK star, a preacher, a well-known Christian entertainer or any other human being for that matter. It was not a psychologist or a Christian counselor. It was not a leader of the government of 12 theory that 12 men can be a "covering" for others and somehow keep those under them from falling into sin. Neighbor, they can't keep THEMSELVES from falling. They can't cover THEMSELVES, how can they cover you? ONE SACRIFICE, ONE SACRIFICE, ONE SACRIFICE, ONE SACRIFICE; My Lord, I feel the anointing on me writing this already.

Hebrews 9:25-28
Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; [26] For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. [27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28] So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

It was not Mohammed who died on that cross. It was not the POPE who died on that cross. It was not Mr. Moon who died on that cross. It was not Hari Krishna who died on that cross. It was not the New Age guru that millions foolishly give money to and put their faith in hoping for eternal life. The sacrifice that set man free was paid by the name above ALL other names and that is CHRIST JESUS. JESUS came to set the captives free. Jesus Christ came to deliver man out from under the horrific bondage and hell of sin. Christ was the one who looked hell in the face and destroyed every principality and power of darkness Satan could ever dream of mustering against us. It was CHRIST who is the sacrifice upon which the TRUE CHURCH is built. The TRUE CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN is a church built upon BLOOD!

Paul said it twice in Hebrews 9:25-28 that Christ ONCE was offered to bear the sins of many. Many at this time had been cast out of the synagogues. They had left the external fro the internal, the natural for the spiritual. They were being tempted to lapse back into Judaism as an expression of their faith and forsake the New Covenant Christ of God. Their "birthright," was the salvation that Christ had purchased with His blood. As New Covenant believers, they were being called into the reality of that Covenant; to be part of the CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN ones, to inherit the spiritual birthright for all those who believe. That spiritual birthright is found in CHRIST, the One to Whom Moses pointed.

I ask you today as Paul asked the Hebrews so long ago - "why do we want to forsake the grace and power of the New Covenant and go back to the Old Covenant pottage of law and bondage?" The very fight over the souls of the early Hebrews is waging today - Law vs. Grace. This error had crept into the church in such a fashion, especially at Galatia, that the Holy Spirit directed Paul to write a full letter to that church rebuking it for it's trip back to Law. Peter, the great apostle was actually the reason for the people going back into Law and without hesitation, Paul rebuked him publicly for it. You might call this the first church schism. But had not Paul rebuked Peter for his mixing Law with Grace, there may not have been a New Covenant church in the beginning. It was that serious of a problem and error!

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: [7] Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Galatians 2:11-18 - But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. [12] For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. [13] And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. [14] But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? [15] We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, [16] Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. [17] But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. [18] For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

And it's the same serious issue today. The church world has sunken into an expression of faith that is worse than Catholicism in many ways in that we have mixed works and Law with the grace and power of the New Covenant. The Church of the Firstborn operates in GRACE. The apostate church operates in legalism and Law and winds up in utter, total deception and chaos. That's the subject of this message - GRACE. The true church will always operate in Grace, not Law and bring healing, deliverance and freedom to those bound by sin. The apostate church will always place men in further bondage. We must be part of the church of the firstborn.

The Law Of The Firstborn

As we go back to the roots of this concept we find that there was one basic evidence of the importance of the firstborn: the firstborn always received special recognition and treatment. Firstborn sons were shown special preference in two particular ways:

The birthright
The blessing

All sons could receive an inheritance, but the inheritance or birthright which was set aside for the firstborn was always far greater than that of the other sons. This special birthright automatically belonged to the firstborn, but it was possible for him to forfeit or sell this privilege. The firstborn's birthright included a double portion of his father's material possessions.

Deut. 21:17
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

This meant that if there were two sons, the firstborn received 2/3rds of the inheritance, while the other son received a third.

The birthright also included the right of headship. If the father died or was absent, the firstborn was recognized as the head of the family such as Reuben in the case of Genesis 37:21-30:

Genesis 37:21-30 - And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. [22] And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. [23] And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; [24] And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. [25] And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. [26] And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? [27] Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. [28] Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelite for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. [29] And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. [30] And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

Each son was head of his own family, but when the father died, the firstborn son inherited the headship of the father over ALL his brothers. There were other benefits of the birthright without a doubt but those two were the main ones we will discuss in this message.

The second way the firstborn was given special treatment was that his father gave him a special verbal blessing. Each son was entitled to a blessing, but the firstborn received this special blessing. The blessing of the father did more than simply pass on the inheritance; it also influenced the courses of the lives of his sons and their families, far into the future. The father could give a positive blessing or a negative curse but the birthright blessing was treasured because it was ALWAYS positive and abundant, confirming the special benefits which were the portion of the firstborn.

There were several important laws God gave concerning the firstborn:

1. The firstborn were Sanctified unto the Lord.

Exodus 13:1-2
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, [2] Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.

Whether born of man or beast, the Lord claimed the firstborn as His. They were sanctified, set apart, separated unto God from the moment of their birth. None could have the firstborn, for they were separated exclusively unto the Lord.

2. The firstborn of animals were presented to the Lord by Sacrifice.

Exodus 13:11-13 - And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, [12] That thou shall 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. [13] And every firstling of an ass thou shall redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shall break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shall thou redeem.

As far as the firstborn of donkey animals were concerned, they were to be redeemed by the sacrifice of a LAMB. This pointed to the fact that the firstborn needed redemption by BLOOD sacrifice. AND WE STILL NEED REDEMPTION BY BLOOD TODAY! If the donkey was not redeemed by the lamb, then its neck was broken. All this points to the fact that mankind, like the stubborn, willful and rebellious donkey needs redemption by the blood of the Lamb of God.

John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:36
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

3. The firstborn sons were Presented to the Lord.

Exodus 13:12
That thou shall 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 shall 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 shall thou redeem.

Exodus 22:29
Thou shall not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.

God claimed all firstborn sons as His own property. And if we are part of His Body, the Church, we are HIS property, not Satan's!

4. The firstborn were Redeemed.

Exodus 13:13
And every firstling of an ass thou shall 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 shall thou redeem.

To be redeemed means to be bought back for a price, the price of redemption. We as believers have been BOUGHT with a price!

1 Cor. 6:18-20
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. [19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

5. The firstborn were Hallowed unto the Lord.

Numbers 3:11-13
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, [12] And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; [13] Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord.

Hallowed means to be made holy unto the Lord, and is linked with the thought of sanctification. We are not just saved and redeemed but we are sanctified by HIS BLOOD and power of the finished work He accomplished on the cross. This is because the Holy Spirit works within our hearts and lives within the legal parameters of that same finished work. The Holy Spirit cannot work any other way and WILL not work any other way. Many mistake the work of man's flesh for the work of the Holy Spirit. TRUE grace is the enablement of the Holy Ghost in our lives to become like CHRIST. It's not the empowering of our flesh to measure ourselves with others and claim deity as many are doing in the atmosphere of what we know today as modern church.

In summary the firstborn were:

Sanctified
Sacrificed
Presented
Redeemed
Hallowed

The CHURCH of the Firstborn

We as a true church are the same as the firstborn!

1. We are a church that is Sanctified!

Ephes. 5:26
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

1 Thes. 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have been set apart by the grace of God to be a called-out company. Neighbor, you may belong to denomination and not belong to HIS church. It is possible though to belong to HIS CHURCH and never belong to a denomination! When we're genuinely born again, born from above, born into the Kingdom of God, we are added to the church of the FIRSTBORN and as a result we obtain our spiritual birthright IN CHRIST and receive blessing!

Sanctification is a work of the HOLY SPIRIT, not works! Many think they are saved by grace through faith and then have to "work" at their sanctification. We are sanctified the same way we are justified - BY FAITH in the cross! There are two aspects to what Jesus did at the Cross:

He took away the "penalty" of sin, which has to do with our Justification;
He broke the "power" of sin, which has to do with our Sanctification;

In Romans, Paul said: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Rom. 6:6).

Romans 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Paul is speaking here to Believers. And when he uses the term "knowing this," he is referring to the information he has just given in Romans 6:3-5, which speaks of the Crucifixion of Christ, and our part in that Crucifixion.

Romans 6:3-5
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

In other words, when Jesus died on the Cross, and when we evidenced Faith in Him, when we were originally saved, in the Mind of God, we were literally "baptized into His death" (Rom. 6:3). That's how closely that God identifies us with what Christ did at the Cross, and what makes the Cross so very, very important. Jesus died there as our Substitute. Actually, as our Substitute He died "for" us, and as our Representative Man, He died "as" us.

1 Cor. 15:45-47 - And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. [46] Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. [47] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

While Romans 6:3-5 has to do exclusively with our initial Salvation, the Holy Spirit through Paul is letting us know that everything that we have thereafter is based upon what Jesus did at the Cross. At Salvation we were literally placed "in Christ," which was all done by our having Faith in Christ and what He did for us. In other words, we were crucified with Him, buried with Him, and raised with Him in newness of life, all which are found in Romans 6:3-5. Now the Apostle says, "knowing this," we are to understand that what we once were, which speaks of what we were before Salvation, was "crucified with Him." And when that was done "the body of sin was destroyed," which means that the power of sin was broken, which has to do with the second aspect of the Cross. Consequently, we do not any more have to serve sin. And incidentally: Whenever the word "sin" is used in this Sixth Chapter of Romans, with the exception of a couple of times, it always carries in front of the word that which is known in the Greek Text as the definite article. In other words, it reads "the sin," which actually refers to the "sin nature." Before we were saved, we were ruled by the sin nature. Paul says here that due to the Cross, and our Faith in that Finished Work, we no longer have to serve "the sin."

So after we place our faith in the cross, then what? The Holy Spirit through Paul says: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:11).

Romans 6:11
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is where our faith comes in. We are to believe that Jesus addressed every single need we might have at the Cross; consequently, our Faith must be anchored in all that Christ there did. Total trust and confidence in what Christ did at the Cross, is to be exercised in that great Sacrifice. The Cross is the means of our victory, the means of the Grace of God, the means by which the Holy Spirit works within our lives. If we are not growing in grace and experiencing failure after failure, it's because we have our faith anchored somewhere else! We may very well be born again but if we're walking in defeat, we've turned to something else for sanctification. The church of the firstborn is a church sanctified by GRACE.

2. We Are A Church That Is Sacrificed To The Lord as a Living Sacrifice!

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Our life of service takes on a new meaning and desire when we remember that Christ was a servant for us and calls us to be servant for Him. Paul was a servant of Christ, as were James, Peter, Jude and others in the New Covenant church. As Paul opens the 12th chapter of the book of Romans he really gives us the fulfillment of the first eleven. We read of the abundant "mercies of God," towards sinful humanity and the fallen nation of Israel. On the basis of that we have no choice but to present OURSELVES as a living sacrifice back to God. Under the Old Covenant, man brought God a sacrifice. Under the NEW, we ARE the sacrifice!

God showered all the compassion He could shower on an undeserving human race. We deserve NONE of it yet He shows us His goodness so much LONGER and DEEPER before He has to show us His wrath. Wrath is not God's first instinct, it's always the last resort. He has been patiently waiting for 2,000 years since the Cross of Christ paid man's sin debt to allow humanity to repent. One day the gloves will come off without a doubt but even in judgment, God remembers mercy. His judgments are JUST and fair and always based upon LOVE, not hate.

As believers, the Lord wants the sacrifice of our lives, not our death. We are to be a LIVING sacrifice! The Old Covenant sacrifices were put to death on an altar. We have died with CHRIST spiritually speaking, thus we are in a position to present Him with our lives that are hidden with Him. It is a HOLY and ACCEPTABLE sacrifice that brings us into our reasonable service before the Lord. The word "reasonable," here is actually translated, "spiritual." Our giving of our lives is a spiritual exercise, done willingly, in the power of the Spirit, not obligatory because of the letter of the Law, but because of the inward working of the Holy Spirit in LOVE! We love Him because He first loved us! And if we're doing it for any other reason, we're in bondage to legalism and have been deceived!

1 John 4:18-21 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. [19] We love him, because he first loved us. [20] If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? [21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also.

3. We Are A Church That is Presented To the Lord Without Spot Or Wrinkle

Ephes. 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; [26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

When the Lord sees His church, HIS TRUE church - the church of the Firstborn, He sees it without spot or wrinkle. The reasons He can see it that way is because of the blood of Christ! It's a GLORIOUS church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the Lamb. The church's greatness has never been because of it's great numbers or great wealth here on earth. The church's greatness and power to change humanity is because of THE HEAD!! No church organization can set you free neighbor. No preacher can set you free. NO denomination can set you free. Only Jesus, the head of the Church can do that. It's a church worth fighting for and with in these last days on a spiritual level. Our fight is not carnal, never has been. Our fight is a spiritual fight - the good fight of FAITH.

4. We Are A Church That Is Redeemed By The Blood Of The Lamb Of God

Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

1 Peter 1:15-21
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. [17] And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: [18] Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, [21] Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

The Lamb of God is without blemish and without spot and He is Redeeming a CHURCH that is without spot or wrinkle, blemish or spot too! How may you ask? Because of the BLOOD of HIS SUFFERINGS ON THE CROSS!

        Our Redemption was paid for by the Blood of Christ. Considering that He was and is God manifest in the flesh, His Blood is precious beyond compare – even more valuable than the entirety of the world (Mat. 16:26). His sacrifice of Himself, presented a Perfect Sacrifice which God could accept, and in fact, did accept.

        When the Holy Spirit penned the phrase, "But with the Precious Blood of Christ," through Peter, He was presenting the fact that the payment, which proclaims the poured out life of Christ, all on behalf of sinners is the only payment needed and the only payment accepted in the eternal heavens! The manner in which the shedding of the Blood of Jesus Christ, as the great sacrificial Victim, secures the holiness of all who believe in Him, may be stated in a few words, though fully and satisfactorily to illustrate it, would require more space than we can here devote to it.

        In Genesis, Chapter 9, God says that man is not to eat flesh with blood in it because life is in the blood. Blood is precious to God; it is given on the Altar as an Atonement for our souls. In the Mosaic Legislation the people were prohibited from eating things strangled because the blood was still in the flesh. The blood was used upon the Altar, poured out at the base of the Altar for an atonement for sin. The life of the flesh is in the blood, and "I have given it to you upon the Altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul" (Lev. 17:11).

       And when the Lord looked upon the crimson of life poured out, even though it was that of a bullock or of a lamb, yet in God's sight it was precious, and because it was a symbol of the Blood which would be shed by His Only Son. The blood of a man is even more precious in His sight, than that of an animal, as would be obvious. In Genesis, Chapter 9 God says that if a man’s life is taken in cold blood, the person who took his life must pay for it with his own blood (Gen. 9:6). And in the Book of Numbers God says the shedding of blood by violence, by murder defiles the land (Num. 35:33). It cries to God as the blood of Abel cried to the Lord of Heaven (Gen. 4:10).

        If the blood of animals and the blood of men are precious to God, what shall we say about the Blood of God's Son, our redeeming Savior? In Acts 20:28 the Apostle Paul says that our Church was purchased by the Blood of Christ.

Acts 20:28
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

        The first thing we must know, is that the Blood of Christ brings to us God's Atoning Grace. The Law says, "This do and you shall live." We are to obey this Commandment and we will have eternal life. But how does a man keep the Law of God, and how can he learn to be perfect in all his ways, when his every effort is characterized by mistake and sin?

        So the man under the old economy of God brought for his sin a sacrifice. He comes before God with a bullock or a lamb, but has to come again and again. So his life is one of a perpetual memory of his sin and shortcomings. Likewise, the High Priest goes into the Holy of Holies with the blood of expiation and he returns again. In fact, it must be done every year. There is no end. What does the Blood of Christ do for us?

        Paul writes in Romans 10:4: "For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one who believes." In Romans 5:9 he tells us that we are now "justified by His Blood," and "we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

        Christ is the end of the Law, which means, that He has satisfied the demands of the broken Law. If we look in faith to Him, His Blood will redeem us from the wrath and judgment of God upon our sins. Outside of Christ we are slaves to the tyrant of the Law. The Law threatens us, curses us, and judges us. There is no righteous man before the Law. All have sinned and come short of the expectation of God. What does a man do, therefore, who finds himself always a sinner? The Blood of Christ brings to him the Grace of God. Under the shelter of God's love, mercy, and grace the judgments have been placated.

The Blood Of Christ and The Washing Of Our Sin

        It is through the Blood of Christ and the Blood of Christ only, that our sins are washed away. We are not saved by His miraculous birth, nor by His beautiful life, nor by His miracles that could even change the course of nature. Not even by His words of wisdom, though never a man spoke like this man, but we are saved by the Blood of the Cross.

        And as well, the Death of Christ is not exemplary. In other words, He did not die to teach us an example. He did not die for our inspiration, but He died for our sins according to the Scriptures. What God seeks in us is a response of humility, repentance, and acceptance so that through the Blood of the Son of God we might be cleansed, we might be acceptable in His sight. And this is no accident in history, nor is it something that just sort of happened as it regards the Plan of God, for the Apostle says that the spilling of the Precious Blood of Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world, before God flung the stars and the planets into space, and before He created this Earth. Christ died for our sins according to the foreknowledge and Sovereign elective Grace of God. It is in the Blood of Christ that we are justified. It is in the Blood of Christ that the Church is born. It is in the Blood of Christ that we have hope of forgiveness for sins. And by the Blood of Christ He has quenched all the Altar fires on the Earth.

        It is difficult for us in this modern day to realize that in the day of the Egyptian, the Babylonian, the Assyrian, and of the Greek and the Roman that the entire Earth was covered with altars and the smoke of fires ascending up to Heaven. As far as I know, there is not one altar burning in the Earth today. Why? The Atoning Grace of God in Christ Jesus quenched all the altar fires on the Earth. There are no more priestly orders, for He is our High Priest, making intercession for us in the Sanctuary of God.

        Our Lord was obedient to the Law for us in His life. In death He paid the penalty of sin for us. In His death He was the scapegoat that carried away the sins of His people. In the Resurrection He not only was declared to be the Son of God but He also brought justification to declare us righteous in His Presence when He comes again. In His return He will bring to us a complete Salvation. It will be the completed redemption of the purchased possession, a resurrected immortalized body as well as a redeemed and Blood-bought soul.

        Have you ever noticed how we categorize sins? "Do you see that man over there he is a violent sinner. Do you see that one over there – he’s the dregs of the Earth. And do you see this one here? He is as dirt and filth," some would say.

            We have a tendency to gather our righteous skirts around us and talk about how sinful other people are. Then we remember the Word of the Lord, in which God says all have sinned - all. There is not one of us who is righteous by his own means – no, not one. One man may have sinned in one category and another in a different category, but I also have sinned in my categories. My life is full of blemish and wrong and I need to be saved just as the next person does. I also need to cast myself upon the Mercies of God. I too need to say, "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." And, praise God, the same loving grace that was extended to others is extended to me. Under the blood we all are saved. "When I see the blood I will pass over you."

        There is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). We are free. We are washed. We are redeemed. We are justified by the Blood of the Crucified One. I come openly, unashamedly, confessing my faith in the Son of Glory.

The Lamb Without Blemish

        The phrase, "As of a lamb without blemish and without spot," harks back to the lambs which were offered in the old Jewish economy.

        At the beginning of the Ministry of Christ, John the Baptist used the term when introducing Christ: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29). John, of course, said this at the behest of the Holy Spirit. The meaning was clear.

        Of all the untold millions of lambs which had been offered up from the very beginning, starting it seems with Abel (Gen. Chpt. 4), and then increasing greatly with the advent of the sacrificial system in the Levitical Law, all and without exception, typified the coming Son of God. While the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins, it did serve as a stopgap measure, until Christ would come.

        We find the practice beginning, as stated, with Abel (Gen. Chpt. 4), continued with Noah some 1,600 years later (Gen. 8:20), with the practice taken up by Abraham, in fact, to such a degree, that Abraham was referred to as the altar builder (Gen. 12:8; 13:4; 22:13-14), continued by Isaac (Gen. 26:25), and Jacob (Gen. 35:7). And of course, when the Levitical system came into force under Moses, the offering of Lambs as sacrifices was constant. Two were offered each day, 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., with that doubled on the Sabbath. As well, at the time of the great Feasts, and especially at Passover, many thousands were offered up. Josephus said that as many as 250,000 were offered during the last Passover week attended by Christ. While not that many, many hundreds if not thousands were offered up on the other Feast days as well, during the course of the year. And then again, Israelites were constantly coming and offering up sacrifices. In fact, the Altar fires were to never go out on the great Brazen Altar. And it all pointed to Christ, the ONE who was to come. The ONE whom has REDEEMED His church with Blood!

5. We Are A Church That Is Hallowed, Or Made Holy Before the Lord

Hebrews 12:10
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Hebrews 12:14
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Ephes. 5:27
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

The church of the firstborn is a church that will be molded into an example of true holiness. We must never forget that when God chastens us as His true church, that is a sign of His LOVE for us, not His anger! The best of God's children need chastisement. We have our faults and follies, which need to be corrected. Though God may let the heathen alone in their sins, He will always correct sin in His own children; we are of His family, and shall not escape His rebukes when we want them. A sign of maturity is when we seek that God judge us! It's when we can open our heart before Him and say "Father, show me the sin in my life." Neighbor, when you do - believe me - HE WILL! And it will not always be pleasant!!!!!!!!

But we must never forget that in this He acts as becomes a father, treating us as His children, which we are. No wise and good father will wink at faults in his own children as he would in others; his relation and his affections oblige him to take more notice of the faults of his own children than those of others. To be suffered to go on in sin without a rebuke is a sad sign of alienation from God. If you're in sin and profess to be a believer and are without chastisement - look out! Such are bastards, not sons. One may call him Father, because born in the pale of the church; but that one is the spurious offspring of another father, not of God!

Hebrews 12:7-8 - If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? [8] But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

John 8:41-44
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. [42] Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. [43] Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. [44] Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

God's correction is not condemnation. His children may at first fear lest affliction should come upon us, and we cry. Job cried to God during his time of testing for the Lord not to condemn him. God was not condemning Job, He was allowing Job to be molded into the image of the One to come in whom we today are being molded into as well - CHRIST!

God chastens us NOW so we may not be condemned with the world. He does it to prevent the death and destruction of their souls, that they may live to God, and be like God, and for ever with him.

1 Cor. 11:31-32
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. [32] But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Job 10:2
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

One day the world WILL BE JUDGED and condemned! Those who are not born again and members of this glorious church of the firstborn are condemned already!

John 3:33-36
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. [34] For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him. [35] The Father loves the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. [36] He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.

Friend, no chastening for the present seems joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterwards it yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness, Our flesh will feel them, be grieved by them and yes even groan and cry under them! But the judgment of true faith, which corrects us and develops in us the sanctification of the Spirit, produces the fruits of righteousness!

These fruits are peaceable, and tend to the quieting and comforting of the soul. Affliction produces peace, by producing more righteousness; for the fruit of righteousness is peace. And if the pain of the body contributes thus to the peace of the mind, and short present affliction produces blessed fruits of a long continuance, we must not fret or faint under it; Our great concern must always be that the chastening we are under may be endured with patience, and ultimately that it bring us into a greater degree of holiness. That is the will of God concerning our sanctification.

This is God's design for the true church - the church of the firstborn! And it ought to be the design and concern of His children, that with renewed strength and patience we may follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which none will see God. Most definitions of holiness today tend to be measured upon hair length or the amount of rings one wears on a finger - God help us. Holiness is a heart matter, having the very nature of Jesus formed in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. NO legalistic system or church-based dogma can do that! No government of 12 program can do that! No psychologist can do that. No 12-step program - even it's Christian-based - can do that!

The TRUE church will never look to man for it's salvation or sanctification! It looks to CHRIST and grows up unto HIM to a maturity of character that will stand the tests of these last days. The times we live in are historic, but they are going to be perilous. Too much is at stake for us not to be like Jesus and to walk in the power of His resurrection.

In Closing

This message is the first of a new series on the theme of the firstborn. We will pick up at some point the pattern of birthright and blessing through scripture as it pertains to the New Covenant church today. I do want to mention Esau in this vein here briefly as I close. As stated, one of the blessings of the firstborn was the birthright. We know that Esau, who was Jacob and Rachel's firstborn, sold his birthright to Jacob for a mere bowl of pottage. He didn't want it until he realized what he had sold and lost. Esau wept too late. He sought a place of repentance, and a way to change his Father's mind, but too late. He despised the sacred birthright earlier and it was too late now. The writer to the Hebrews speaks to Spirit-filled believers TODAY, warning us not to be like Esau and sell our spiritual birthright. (For all our unconditional eternal security buddies - this may give you room to pause and think a minute that if Paul is warning us not to give our birthright away, maybe it's a GOOD possibility if not PROBABILITY one can choose to give up his salvation experience!)

Hebrews 12:12-18 - Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; [13] And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. [14] Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: [15] Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; [16] Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. [17] For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

I think it's fair to say that there are millions of Esau-believers who are selling their birthrights today through the lusts of the flesh, profanity, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Temporal satisfaction is the name of the game today in the modern church world - but neighbor, it's just a bowl of pottage in light of eternity. Millions do not value eternal realities today. I must confess that I don't look at eternal issues as important as I should. We ALL need to pause and take a deep look into our hearts to make sure we are in the faith!!

But just as sure as you read this, if you've made it this far to this point of the message, there is coming a terrible "afterwards!" It will come in due time for us all. What tears of regret will flow, but for millions who have rejected Christ, the tears of remorse will be too late to receive a birthright then. The born-again experience is the spiritual birthright of the believer. The Holy Spirit living within us to form the image of CHRIST is the greatest blessing God has given to redeemed humanity.

The sinner who misses eternity will never be able to say God did not give them a chance. God gives us all space to repent but once that space is over, it is too late to repent. The "space" means a period of time. No one but God knows how long that period of time is. It's actually different for every human being. I believe that as long as you have a breath you have "space" to repent. Yes, there is a danger in one's heart becoming hard on this earth but the mercy of God goes deeper than man's opinion.

We enter life by birth and we leave by death; the period of time in between is the space we all are given by God on this earth. What we do in that space is important, for time and eternity. Birth is the door to life; death is the door to eternity. Temporal and fleshly satisfactions here on earth are not worth the tragic consequences of selling out our spiritual birthrights and inheritances purchased by the precious blood of Christ! We don't look to those things temporal, the Holy Spirit said through Paul, but we look to the eternal.

2 Cor. 4:16-18 - For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. [17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; [18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

I ask you today. Are you saved? Do you belong to the church of the firstborn? You must be born again. Backslider, if you're away from God and you think the situation you find yourself in will "just get better," it won't. It is going to take repentance and doing the first works of faith over to bring you out. Christ is the only answer to your problem sir. You may feel like you don't have the strength to keep fighting the powers of darkness. GOOD! Stop fighting the powers of darkness and fight the good fight of faith. The battle against the powers of darkness has already been won at Calvary. (By the way word of faith friends - Calvary was NOT the greatest place of defeat - it was the greatest place of VICTORY! There was a defeat there - but it was not CHRIST who was defeated, it was SATAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Place your faith again once more in the precious blood of the slain lamb of God and what He did for us at Calvary. HE is the author and FINISHER of our faith. When we come to Him, He will never cast us aside, but invite us to become an eternal member of the church of the firstborn! This is the type of church He is building today. I pray you're a member of His glorious church today. I pray you've made your calling and election sure. I pray you've been washed in the precious blood of the Lamb of God and your name is written down in the Lamb's book of life.

2 Peter 1:10-11
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: [11] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

As I am closing this message, an old, glorious song is ringing in my heart right now:

It's the city where the Lamb is the light! T'is the city where there cometh no night. Oh, I mean to go there, to that city foursquare. IN the city where the Lamb is the light!

If you plan to go there today neighbor, you must be born again, washed in the blood of the Lamb. Pray with me:

Dear Lord Jesus, I now realize I am a sinner. I accept the fact that You died for me on the rugged Cross of Calvary. I now open my heart's door and receive You as Saviour and Lord of my life. Please take full control of me and help be to be the kind of Christian You want me to be. I repent of my sins and with Your help Lord Jesus I commit to turning from my sins today and living a holy, sanctified life through You by the help of your Precious Holy Spirit. Receive me now as Your child, In Jesus name, Amen!

If you have prayed this prayer please let us know by emailing us at spiritjournals@yahoo.com

and put "Decision For Christ" in the subject line. We want to fellowship with you and help you find a place of worship to help you in your new walk with the Lord!

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