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UNLEAVENED BREAD – DAY THREE (Weekly Sabbath)

“Are You Unleavened In Christ”

Fred R. Coulter – April 22, 2000

This is for the regular Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread – 2000. 

How is it that we are unleavened in Christ?  You know, let’s go to 1 Corinthians 5, which we already covered before, but let’s go back there again.   1 Corinthians 5:7, and let’s see what the apostle Paul said, and let’s ask a couple of questions and see how this applies to us being unleavened in Christ.  Because we truly are unleavened in Christ if we understand the whole process of what God has done for us to reconcile us, to justify us, to bring us back to Christ. 

Now here 1 Corinthians 5:7, it says, “Purge out therefore the old leaven…”  And that means we have something we need to do.  Whenever we see what God has done to justify us in the things that we are doing, what we need to understand is this, we still have things that we need to do because those are the good works in which we have been ordained to walk in.  So we have to purge it out.  “…That ye many be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.”  Now there are two meanings to “as ye are unleavened”.  The first one is that you have unleavened your homes and you put leaven out of your houses.  The second one is, spiritually that you are unleavened in Christ, which then is the most important of all.  So what does it mean to be unleavened in Christ?  Now notice again, “For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” 

And I want to just reiterate this again, “Therefore let us…”  Now that’s the apostle Paul, all of the ministers who were with him, all the brethren in Corinth whether they’re Jews or Greeks, and where ever this letter was sent afterwards, “…let us keep the feast…”  And I want to make it absolutely clear for anyone who has any doubt whatsoever that the ones who are called Gentiles should keep the feast.  This should settle the question because he said, “let us keep the feast”.  He didn’t say, “let us eat the Passover”.  Now he talks about that in chapter 11.  But here it is “let us keep the feast”, which is obviously the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And so during this time it has a spiritual significance to it, that in putting leaven out of our homes we also put sin out of our lives, but we also come to Christ so we are spiritually unleavened in Christ.  Now let’s see how that works.  Let’s see what the Bible tells us how we are unleavened in Christ.

Now let’s go back to John 15, because these are the words of Christ.  Now remember Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  So here in John 15, here are some of the words that Christ gave.  And let’s notice a very profound statement that He says here when we come to verse 3.  Let’s begin in verse 1.  “I AM the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman.”  In other words, God the Father is the One Who is ultimately responsible for doing everything in our personal lives through the power of the Holy Spirit by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  He is the One Who is helping us to grow in grace and knowledge.  He is the One that helps us, if we are the good seed, to increase thirty-fold, sixty-fold, a hundred-fold. 

“Every branch in Me…”  Now there’s the key.  You must be in Christ, and He must be in you.  “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away…”  Now Jesus also said in another place, “Every plant that My Father has not planted is going to be rooted up.”  And that includes the tares, that includes the briars, that includes the thistles that Satan the devil has sown, whether it is in the Church, or in our lives, or whatever it may be.  He takes it away.  So there is a time when people are taken away because they do not understand or realize the great sacrifice that Jesus Christ has done for them, or the whole meaning of it and what it means to be unleavened in Christ.  And sooner or later a little leaven leavens the whole lump and guess what?  Voila, one day they are gone. 

Now I talked to a man just the other day.  And he said he talked to someone who had been in the Church of God, grew up in the Church of God, kept the Sabbath, kept the holy days.  Attended very regularly and was diligent in it and now they’re back to Sunday keeping.  That is a branch that did not remain in Christ and the Father took it away.  Now God may not be entirely done with that individual yet.  There is still a chance for a repentance, just like people can come out of any other religious organization as God calls them.  But nevertheless it is true to the statement, “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it…”  Purging comes from the Greek word katharos, which means the English word is catharsis, which is a deep, penetrating internal cleansing.  So He purges it.  “…That it may bring forth more fruit” (vs. 2). 

So the truth is all the trial and difficulties that you go through, which you’re guaranteed you’re going to go through them because the apostle Paul said that through much tribulation must we enter the Kingdom of God.  And so we’re going to have a lot of difficulties and trials and things to try us and test us.  But all of these things prepare us for the next phase of growing, because when we are purged through these trials, and we are purged through these things we take stalk of ourselves.  And that’s why we have the Feast of Unleavened Bread so we can really take stalk of ourselves, as I mentioned in the sermon before the Feast of Unleavened Bread to examine yourself whether you are in the faith or no. 

Now notice the reason that He does it, “that it may bring forth more fruit.”  And so don’t be dismayed or discouraged because of any of the trials that you are going through.  Ask God to help you give you understanding.  Ask God to give you faith and hope in it.  Claim His promise that He will deliver you out of it, because God will not give us a trial more than we can bare but will always make a way of escape.  So that is a great promise.  That’s why, you see, when we are unleavened in Christ we can go before God the Father and claim all of these promises.  They are there.  God loves you.  Christ loves you.  God is there to help you.  Christ is there to intercede for you.  Always remember that. 

Now let’s continue on here in John 15.  “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (vs. 3).  Now the word was what?  The Passover words, correct?  And the words that He spoke in chapter 14, as well as in the 15 and on into 16, and then finally the Lord’s prayer there in chapter 17.  “Ye are clean…”, that means you are clean from your sins.  You are clean from your past.  “…Through the words which I have spoken…”  Now remember He said when He broke the bread, He said, “Take eat, this is My body which is broken for you.”  And that is to cover your sicknesses and your sins.  And He said of the wine, “Take drink, this is My blood (namely the blood of the New Covenant), which is shed for the remission of sins of many.”  And also in another place He said, “For the remission of sins for you.”  So there is a general application of it to the Church and there’s an individual application to each individual.  So when He says, “You are clean through the words which I have spoken unto you”, brethren that is a tremendous thing.  That means you stand before God completely unleavened having all of your sins removed in a continuous way.  A continuous means through grace to get rid of any sins that come along.  And we’ll talk about that a little bit later, how you’re unleavened with Christ. 

Now verse 4 He says, “Abide in Me [and that means, to dwell in Me], and I in you.  And that’s the whole relationship that we have between us and Jesus Christ, individually.  That’s why a hierarchy that sets itself over the brethren, and in between the brethren and God is completely wrong because it’s cutting off this personal relationship. 

“Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it [live] abide in the vine…”  And that’s true.  You can cut off a branch.  You can cut off a twig.  You can even cut the whole tree down if you like, or cut the whole vine down, whatever.  Where the roots are, going down into the ground is going to maintain life, because the sap will come up in there and generate new branches, and generate a new tree from the old roots.  You’ve seen that time and time again.  And also there’s the analogy that the apostle Paul used concerning the Gentiles, of the wild olive tree that’s grafted into the good olive tree, which is Israel.  And the Church then is spiritual Israel.  And everyone who is in the vine of Christ and in Him is in spiritual Israel.  That’s something to really grasp and understand brethren. 

God is doing a marvelous work, and you individually each one of you are part of it.  So you don’t need to get down and discouraged.  You don’t need to be melancholy and just depressed because of your circumstances.  Regardless of your circumstances God loves you.  Regardless of your circumstances God is going to help you.  Regardless of your circumstances God is going to deliver you.  He has promised it.  So you see this is great, this is marvelous.  And sometimes we get so bogged down in just the day to day things that we forget it.  That’s why we have the Feast of Unleavened Bread, so that we can be renewed, we can be regenerated, we can be uplifted, we can be inspired.  We can desire to grow in God.  We can desire to grow in love and truth.  That’s what it’s all about.  This is a tremendous feast brethren.

Now let’s continue on here. “…[You] the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except [you] abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that [lives]  abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing” (vs. 4-5).  So you need to understand that.  It always has to be Christ in you the hope of glory. 

“If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch [that is a cut off branch], and is withered…”  And we’ve seen that too brethren.  Haven’t we seen those that wither up.  Haven’t we seen those that have gone back into the world and just given up?  Now occasionally it’s possible to take a branch that has been cut off and stick it back in water and the water will help nourish it, and then it will begin to sprout new roots.  But you see, that can’t happen all the time.  When they are withered, “…and men cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (vs. 6).  In other words Christ is telling you this, you are either in Him or you’re going to the lake of fire.  No two ways about it.  And God gives us these absolutes to look at.  Not to put fear into us, but to inspire us to want to respond to His calling and His love.

Now notice what Jesus said, “If ye abide in Me [which you do], and My words abide in you [which they should], ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (vs. 7).  What ever you ask, according to the will of God, you will receive.  Now that’s profound to understand.  Now sometimes we have to do like the man who’s boy the disciples couldn’t cast the demon out of.  And Christ said, “Well, do you believe?”  And the father looked at him, crying and said, “I believe but help my unbelief.”  Showing that we as human beings have a mixture of belief and unbelief all together.  And so what we need to do is come to the point of having that belief and that trust, which only we can  give to God.  And then He says, “Whatsoever you will God will give it to you.” 

Now notice verse 8, “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit…”  And all of this fruit bearing is part of being unleavened in Christ too, isn’t it not?  Yes it is.  “…So shall ye be My disciples.”

Now notice verse 9, “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.”  And brethren that’s the most important thing that there is.  The love of God is so important that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema”, that is cut off.  And we will see on the last day of Unleavened Bread that the love of God is the true and most powerful way to overcome and to be the victor and to conquer sin. 

Now let’s continue on here.  “If ye keep My commandments [so it’s all dependent on the commandments of God], ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you…”  That’s what God wants.  He wants you to overcome being miserable and naked and blind, to come to the point of having the joy of Christ in you.  Because Christ has done everything to make it possible for you to have eternal life.  And that ought to bring us great joy.  “…And that your joy might be full” (vs. 10-11).  Not just a little bit but abounding, to be full.  Pleroma is the Greek, which means to really be full, super full.      

Now verse 12.  “This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”  And brethren we have a whole lot of work to do concerning that.  And I think with all the doctrinal difficulties we have had, and all of the self appointed teachers running around here and there, coupled with the scattering of the Church and the separating of the tares and the separating of false brethren and things like that, it has been very, very difficult but never the less we are to love one another, as Christ has loved us.  And of course as we know that is the new commandment that God gave through Christ in John 13:34.  That is the new commandment.

Now let me just mention something here.  That new commandment does not do away with any of the other commandments.  That is an additional commandment because no one could learn how to love each other as God loves them unless Christ had first come in the flesh to set us the example, and to show His love unto death.

Now let’s continue here.  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (vs. 13).  Now you see Abraham was called a friend of God.  We are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.  So therefore we are friends of Christ.  And if we are friends why should we then not do the things that He says, because He says that you’re only friends if you do whatsoever I say unto you.  After that if you don’t do that then you may very well make yourself an enemy of God.  You know the Church of Pergamos, the one that instituted the hierarchy after the doctrine of Baalim, and the doctrine of the Nicolatins.  He said they better repent or He would come and fight against them.  So you see we need to also understand that.  God desires love, not confrontation.  God desires faith, not disbelief.  God desires for you to have hope and not discouragement.  And all of those things are part of being unleavened in Christ. 

Now let’s go to the epistle of 1 John and let’s see how we do this on a day to day basis, because it’s something that we do beyond the time of just the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  But this is what we do on a continuous basis.  Now let’s pick it up here in 1 John 1:3.  “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”  That is the whole purpose of all that we go through brethren.  That through prayer, through study, through the exercise of the Holy Spirit, through growing in grace and knowledge, through developing the fruits of the Holy Spirit that we have fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.  Now that is profound.  So when God says He loves you, He sent Christ because He loves you.  He has forgiven your sins because He loves you.  He has called you because He loves you.  That is the highest point of the fellowship that we need to have. 

And we can continue in it, and He tells us how we do that, continuing on here verse 4.  “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”  Isn’t that interesting.  Here we’re talking about the fellowship and joy.  Christ is talking about living in Me, and I in you, which is the true fellowship, and the joy which would come from that.

Now verse 5, “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”  Now we already covered that on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  But I want to reiterate it here again so that we understand we have to continuously be the children of light, and walk in the light as He is in the light as it says here. 

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him [that is fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ], and walk in darkness [meaning walking contrary to the commandments of God], we lie, and do not the truth…”  Now the word “do” here in the Greek means “to practice”.  So it is a way of life that you practice, that you live by, that you do, you see.  this is tremendous brethren.  “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light…”  And how is that?  By loving each other as He has loved us.  And, “if you love Me”, Jesus said, “keep My commandments.”  And then you are walking in the light.  You’re walking in the way of the Lord.  “…We have fellowship one with another…”, and that’s how to improve the fellowship and love between one another, see.  Walking in the light as He is in the light.  “…And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (vs. 6-7). 

So we have this, two things.  The words which Christ spoke at the Passover, which we read through every year.  Those words cleans us.  Jesus said, “You are clean through the words which I have spoken.”  That’s on the annual basis.  Now on a daily basis the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin continuously.  And of course that is if we repent of it. 

Now notice, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins…”  Now that’s who we confess our sins to, to Christ.  Come boldly before the throne of grace so that we may have help in time of need.  Now you see there it is right there.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…”  So He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.  He will never fail you.  If you come to God and weeping and repentance as we talked about on how to examine yourself, and ask God to clean you on the inward part, and ask God to give you a right heart and restore Him to you, He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and you can count that as a tremendous and absolute blessing.  Now notice what else He says here.  “…And cleans us from all unrighteousness” (vs. 8-9).  Now we’re going to see how God does that.  To cleans us from unrighteousness.  So you see when you are unleavened in Christ the truth is this:  you have no sin.  If you confess your sins as they occur you are constantly cleansed.  Constantly having your sins forgiven, always.  That’s something to keep in mind constantly. 

Now let’s come to 1 Corinthians 15, and let’s talk about something concerning what the Bible calls “justification”.  Because you see when you have your sins forgiven you have been justified.  When you are standing in grace, as we will see, you are in a state of constant justification.  But this hinges on something very important so let’s read it here in 1 Corinthians 15:12.  This church in Corinth was really a wild church.  It’s kind of like today when people ask me what church age are we in. Lots of times I’ll say, “Well we’re in the 1 Corinthians church age”, you know.  Because we have so many doctrines, you have so many people going here and there and opinions and things like this.  Well here’s one of the things that they were preaching. 

Here come down here to 1 Corinthians 15:34, let’s read this one first.  “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”  So here there were people in the Church who didn’t have the knowledge of God, didn’t understand God’s plan.  Now notice what they were preaching, verse 12, “Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?”, when the whole very purpose of what God is doing through Christ is based on the resurrection.  His death and His resurrection.  Now let’s see that and how important that is. 

“But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: Whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (vs. 13-17).  You have not had your sins forgiven or justified.  That’s why it’s so powerfully important that Christ was resurrected, you see.  Because He paid the penalty and He alone was worthy.

Now notice verse 18, “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”  There’s no hope of a resurrection.  “If in this life only we have hope in Christ…”  If we were just a selfish little group and only we had hope in Christ, and God didn’t have a plan for the whole world and all humanity, “…we are of all men most miserable.  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”  And this day the very Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread is when Christ was resurrected.  Just right at the close of the Sabbath as it was ending He was resurrected from the dead after being in the tomb three days and three nights.  Now last year during the Feast of Unleavened Bread we covered all those aspects of it so if you want to go back and review that you can do that.  “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall be made alive.  …Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming” (vs. 18-23).  And so then that’s when we’ll be resurrected.  That’s what we are looking to.

Now let’s come and see something here very important.  Let’s come to the book of Romans.  Now the book of Romans we have quite a few things that we need to cover so I’m going to read to you out of my translation of the book of Romans beginning Romans 4:16.  Now here the apostles Paul is writing about Abraham and the faith of Abraham and how our faith is tied to the faith of Abraham. 

Let’s pick it up here in verse 16.  “For this reason it is of faith, in order that it might be by grace…”  And it is the grace of God which keeps you constantly in a state of unleavenedness in Christ.  Now continuing, “…to the end that the promise might be certain to all the seed [circumcised and uncircumcised]: not to the one who is of the law only, but also to the one who is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all; (Exactly as it has been written, “I have made you a father of many nations.”)  before God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead, and calls the things which are not as though they are; Who against hope believed in hope…” (Rom. 4:16-18, AT).  And sometimes brethren, that’s all you have to believe in when there is such a trial upon you.

Now I remember reading about a man who was imprisoned in Russia, the Soviet Union before it became Russia, because he believed in Christ and kept the Sabbath.  And he was entombed in a cell 30 feet below the surface of the earth with no light, and just a little ventilation.  And once a day they would shove, through a little slot in the door, a little slop for him to eat.  And he was in complete darkness and the only thing he had to hope in was hope.  He said at that point it’s between you and God.  And at that point doctrine doesn’t make one bit of difference.  Well you see that is true.  Doctrine makes all the difference up until that point and then doctrine doesn’t make any difference.  It is do you love God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and being?  Are you going to hope in hope and ask God to give you endurance to come to the end of this?  Well he did.  He came out of it.  He’s alive today.  See, so sometimes you just have to come to the point that you can only hope in hope.  So don’t look at your circumstances as a hopeless situation.  That is not so.  God is there, always there.  And with God there is always hope.  Even gives life to the things that are dead.

Now notice, “Who against hope believed in hope, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your seed be.”  And he, not being weak in the faith, considered not his own body as already having become dead, being about one hundred years old, nor yet did he consider the deadness of Sarah’s womb”  (vs. 18-19).  See if God would have taken young people to do this, why there would be no miracle.  But you take someone a hundred years old and a wife ninety years old, now that’s a miracle.  Now that is a spiritual birth, or a birth by spiritual power.  No question about it.

“But because of the promise of God, he did not doubt through unbelief; but after giving glory to God, he was strengthened in the faith…” (vs. 20).  And sometimes you need to do just like Abraham.  You just need to go to God and say, “God, I know that you are God, that you love me, that you care for me, that you gave Christ to be the sacrifice for me.  I know that you are always there and fulfill your promise and fulfill your word and there is no shadow or variable of turning in you.  Please help me oh God.  Please reach down, give me understanding.  Please reach down, lift me up according to your goodness.  There will be times when you have to pray like that, you see.  I’m sure that Abraham did. 

Now notice verse 21.  “And he was fully persuaded…”  Now let’s understand something here.  If you are fully persuaded of what God has said and the word of Jesus Christ, “You are clean through the words which I have spoken to you”, then you are in a state of unleavenedness.   “… He was fully persuaded that what He had promised, He is also able [or has the power] to do.  “Able” there comes from the Greek dunamis, which means “the power”. 

“As a result, it was also imputed to him for rightreousness.”  Now as a result, what we’re covering here, that if you apply in your life the way that God shows, will be imputed to you for righteousness because of faith in Christ.  Now let’s go on, verse 23.  “But it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; Rather , it was also written for our sake, to whom it shall be imputed; to those who are believing on Him Who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…” (vs. 22-24).  Now then contrast with that how it was over there in the church of Corinth, that some of them didn’t have the knowledge of God and some of them were saying that there’s no resurrection of the dead, therefore Christ didn’t rise from the dead.  But if you are “…believing on Him [that is God the Father] Who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…”  Now notice verse 25 is the key verse here.  Who was delivered for our offenses…”, all of our sins.  He bore the sins of the world upon Himself, He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  “…And was raised for our justification” (vs. 24-25, AT).  Now justification means “to be put in right standing with God”.  And that right standing must include the imputation of righteousness. 

Now let’s come to Galatians 2, and let’s see how this is, and how it is with, and we’ll see how all of this ties together.  Let’s come to Galatians 2:16.  “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of (the) law…”  Now if you’ve got a King James with the word “the” there, it is not in the Greek.  And it is “works of law” meaning “any work of any law.”  See law was not designed to justify under the New Covenant.  Law was designed to justify under the Old Covenant through the sacrifices and the rituals.  But there still had to be repentance.  Now that does not carry over into the New Covenant.  And this is what was the problem there in this meeting where Peter separated himself from the Gentiles because of the circumcision party from James from Jerusalem. 

You are “…not justified by works of law but by the faith of Jesus Christ…”  And that means Christ’s own faith.  That’s why faith is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, as we have covered.  And that must come from God.  “…Even as we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by…works of law: for by…works of law shall no flesh be justified.”  Now we know for sure this doesn’t mean that we don’t have works to do, but those works do not justify.  Christ alone.  His sacrifice, His death, His resurrection all combine together bring forgiveness, and cleansing, and justification.  Nothing else can do that.  No animal sacrifice, not even commandment keeping can do that.  If you keep the Sabbath, that’s required.  That doesn’t justify you.  But Sabbath keeping and holy day keeping is required so that you might learn of God, that you might come to repentance, and you might come to truth, that you might come to understanding, to walk in the light as He is in the light.

Now notice, “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” (vs. 17).  Now what happens if you have been cleansed, you have been justified, you’re standing in grace, and you sin?  Did Christ make you sin?  No, that’s the old self in you that is doing it.  It is not Christ Who’s the minister of sin. 

Notice verse 18, “For if I build again the things which I destroyed [if you go back and build again your old life, which you destroyed in the watery grave of baptism], I make myself a transgressor.  For I through…law am dead to…law…”,  which means this: the wages of sin is death.  And sin is the transgression of the law.  So I through law [transgressing it, God’s condemnation for sin], have died to sin that I might live unto God” (vs. 19, paraphrased).  And that’s the whole purpose, as we will see when we come to Romans 6.  The whole purpose of baptism is if you are co-joined into the death of Christ. 

Now let’s pick it up here in verse 20.  The key is that you live unto God.  “I am crucified with Christ [through the operation of baptism]: nevertheless I live [that is I live in the flesh]; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”  Now that means Christ’s very own faith.  Now notice verse 21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [which then is the imputed righteousness through justification] come by…law, then Christ is dead in vain.” 

Now, justification.  What is justification?  Let’s make it very clear what justification is. 

  • Justification means that you are in right standing with God through the forgiveness of your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. 
  • No amount of law keeping can justify past sins. 

For example, if someone kills someone and then flees and hides and lives an exemplary life after that.  Does that exemplary life mean that they are justified from killing the person?  No, they are not justified from it.  Same way with you.  Unless you repent your sins are not justified. 

  • This rights all the past wrongs by repentance and accepting the blood of Christ.
  • Justification removes the penalty of sin when you are forgiven. 

And what is the ultimate penalty of sin?  The wages of sin is death, and in this case the second death, or the lake of fire.  And the death of Christ is imputed to you, and God accepts it as satisfaction for the payment of your sins.

  • Christ death brought justification by the sacrifice of His life. 

If obedience justified past transgression then no sacrifice would be necessary, only obedience.  Yet obedience, the true spiritual righteousness, comes not by law or knowledge of law, but by the Holy Spirit, because that truly justifies you to God. Now you have part of God in you through the power of the Holy Spirit and the impregnation of the seed of God the Father that now you are a child of God. 

  • Justified by faith and the sacrifice of Christ and the claiming of Christ’s promise of forgiveness. 

This puts you in right standing with God.

  • The righteousness of Christ is imputed to you that you stand before God totally blameless, or completely unleavened in Christ.

Part 2

Now brethren let’s come back to Romans 5, and this is a key very important chapter.  Absolutely one of the most magnificent chapters in the whole Bible.  Paul was inspired to write clearly what it means to be unleavened in Christ by having your sins forgiven and having the imputed righteousness of Christ given to you.  Now let’s begin in verse 1.  “Therefore, after having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; By Whom also we now have the access by faith into this grace in which we now stand…”  And so grace is like a great umbrella, spiritual umbrella, under which you are standing.  And from that comes the love of God, the truth of God, the Spirit of God, the faith of God, the fruits of the Spirit, Christ in you.  All of these things are by grace.  The very fact of having the Holy Spirit is an act of grace by God to you.  It is a gift, and all gifts are grace.  “…And we ourselves are boasting in the hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2, AT).  So when you really get down and really feel bad, start hoping in the glory of God.  That is, think about what it’s going to be like to have the glory of God given to you at the resurrection.  And the true total unleavenedness will be when you are no longer flesh but spirit.

Now let’s continue on, verse 3.  “And not only this, but now we also boast in tribulations…”  See we need to learn to ask God to give us a boasting or joy in trials and difficulties that come instead of complaining.  Thank God for it.  Ask God to help you to learn from it so that you can know God even more, that you can grow in grace and knowledge from that experience.  “…All the while we are realizing that tribulation [or that is trials] bring forth endurance, and the endurance brings forth character, and the character brings forth hope.  Now the hope of God never makes us ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out into our own hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given to us” (vs. 3-5).  Now that’s quite interesting in the Greek, it just poured out.  And that’s what we need to realize and feel with the Spirit of God, especially during the Feast of Unleavened Bread when we are unleavened in Christ.  Let God’s Spirit pour out into us. 

“Therefore…”  Now here’s when God did all of this. “…When we were still without strength, at the appointed time Christ died for the ungodly” (vs. 6).  Because you see the truth is there was no godly people on earth.  Not one.  All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Paul said, “We have proved that both Jew and Gentile are under sin.”   So He died for the whole human race, all ungodly. 

“For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, and yet perhaps someone might even have the courage to die for a good man.  But God is demonstrating His very own love to us, because that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Therefore, much more [much more than Christ dying for us], having been justified now by His own blood [and through the resurrection], we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if, while we were still enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His own Son, still greater yet, after being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  Now not only this, but we are also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the reconciliation” (vs. 7-11).  You have been reconciled to God through this whole operation that we are talking about.

Now what then about human nature?  Well, Paul interjects that here beginning in verse 12.  Now we have several tapes which covers that concerning the nature of Jesus Christ, and Romans 5:12 if you want to write in for that for a more detail study.  So we’ll just read on till we come to the important part concerning this topic at this time.

Verse 12, “Wherefore, even as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; as a result, death passed into all mankind…”  All received the law of sin and death, as we’ll see a little later.  “…And it is for this reason that all have sinned: (Because before the law, sin was in the world.”  And this means before the law was given to Israel sin was in the world because there were still God’s laws, which were required to be kept.  “Now then, sin is not charged when law does not exist; Nevertheless, death [which is a result of sin] reigned from Adam until Moses, even upon those who did not sinned in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the One Who was coming” (vs. 12-14).  No one else has sinned directly in the face of God, in the garden of Eden in the presence of God.  So his sin was great for all mankind

“But shall not as the offense was, even so shall the free gift be?”  Now the free gift, we’re going to see here is the gift of righteousness.  “Because if by the transgression of the one…many died, much more profoundly did the grace of God, and the gift of grace…”  Now we’re talking about the gift of grace.  There’s the gift of grace, which is given to you, under which you stand.  God gives that to you.  So we have the gift of grace.  Now we’ll see a little later there’s the gift of righteousness.  “…Which is by the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto many.  And the free gift is not like that which came through the one who had sinned: because on the one hand, judgment was by one unto condemnation; but on the other hand, the free gift is to the justification of many offenses.  For if by the offense of one man death reigned by the one, how much more profoundly shall it be to those who are receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness…” (vs. 15-17).  This is the kind of righteousness that is imputed.  If it’s imputed to you, you didn’t earn it.  It is a gift.  Now this is in addition to your keeping the commandments.  And this imputed righteousness, the gift of righteousness is the righteousness of Christ, or the spiritual righteousness that can only come from God.  And this puts you before God in a sinless state.  In other words you are completely and absolutely, through this gift of righteousness and the gift of grace, unleavened in Christ.  Absolutely no doubt about it.

Now let’s review verse 17 again.  “For if by the offense of one man death reigned by the one [all have sinned and come short of the glory of God], how much more profoundly shall it be to those who are receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, that they shall reign in life by the One, Jesus Christ:)  So then, just as by the one transgression there resulted judgment unto condemnation to all men, exactly in the same way also, by the one act of righteousness [which was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which was the most holy righteous act that God could perform for His creation of mankind] shall result [in] justification unto life towards all men…”  And we might add: according to God’s plan as revealed in the holy days.  “Because even as by the disobedience of the one man, many were made sinners, in exactly the same way also, by the obedience of the One [Who was Christ], many shall be made righteous [because of Christ in us]” (vs. 17-19). 

That’s what is so profound about this.  Nowhere brethren, do we see any inkling what so ever that we now through grace have license to sin.  No, we now through grace are given the gift of righteousness to live justly before God.  Now we’ll see in chapter 6 how it tells us what we need to do.  And how he begins showing the contrast between the flesh and the spirit. 

So let’s finish here verse 20 and 21 in Romans 5.  “Moreover, the law entered, so that the transgression might abound [and that is that they might really know what sin was]; but where sin abounded, the grace did superabound…”  In other words grace has to be greater than sin, which it is.  Meaning it’s superabounded.  “So that even as the sin reigned unto death, in exactly the same way also, the grace might reign through righteousness unto life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Now here’s what the Protestants missed.  I don’t think that they read this very often.  But we’re going to read it.  Romans 6:1, “What then shall we say?  Shall we continue in sin, so that grace may abound?”  And that’s what the Protestants do.  They say, “Oww, nobody has the power to obey, no one has the power to keep the law but through the grace of God we life.”  Then they just go on and sin.  Paul said, “What shall we say?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  MAY IT NEVER BE!”  That’s what it means in the Greek mi gnioto {check spelling}, MAY IT NEVER BE!  It doesn’t mean God forbid.  It means don’t even let this thought exist.  “We who died to sin, how shall we live any longer therein?”  You can’t do it.  “Or are you ignorant that we, as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death?” (Rom. 6:1-3, AT)   That’s what baptism is all about.  It is a covenant death that you pledge your death to God.  Because Christ died for you, you pledge your death in the lake of fire if you do not follow Christ.  That’s exactly what you’re pledging.  So therefore God let’s you be baptized to have a symbolic death.  And that symbolic death co-joins you into the death of Christ. 

Verse 4, “Therefore, we were co-buried with Him by the baptism into the death; so that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, in exactly the same way also, we should walk in newness of life.”  Not in the life of sin, but in a life of grace and imputed righteousness.  As Jesus said, “If you love Me keep My commandments.”  As He said, “If you abide in Me you keep My commandments.  If you abide in My love you will keep My commandments.”  Ok? 

“For if we have become co-joined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection.”  And that is the whole profound meaning of being unleavened in Christ. 

Now here’s what we need to understand and this is what the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures, right here, verse 6.  “Knowing this, that our old man was [crucified] with Him…”, or co-crucified, that’s what it means in the Greek.  Just as Christ was on the cross and being crucified, He bore the sins of all the word, which means for everyone worldwide in particularly of all generations down through all time and for each one in particularly.  So when you are baptized into this covenant death of baptism, you are “…co-crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed [which shows that this is a process], that we should no longer be enslaved to sin; Because the one who has died to sin [that is in the watery grave of baptism] has been justified from sin” (vs. 6-7).  So if you have been justified from sin you are to no longer live in sin, or be enslaved to it. 

“Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, after having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has any dominion over Him, because when He died to sin, He died once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God.  In exactly the same way also, you reackon yourselves to be dead to sin, indeed, but alive to God through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  And that is how you are unleavened in Christ.  “Therefore, do not let sin rule in your mortal body by submissively obeying it in the lusts thereof” (vs. 8-12).  No, there will be sin in you, but don’t let it rule, see.  Don’t let it have dominion. 

Now we’re going to see on the Last {Day of Unleavened Bread} Great Day how to overcome sin by using the Spirit of God and letting God fight our battles for us.  But here it is here, “…do not let sin rule in your mortal body by submissively obeying it in the lusts thereof.  Likewise, do not be yielding your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin; rather, be yielding yourselves to God, as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (vs. 12-13).  Now they have known that people who have gone through a death experience and have been able to come back to physical life, in almost every case they set to change the way that they live.  To change the way that they have done in the past.  And so that’s what we need to do brethren, because we have been made alive from the death of the watery grave of baptism, wherein all of our sins, which the wages of is death, have been buried. 

Verse 14, “For sin shall not rule over you, because you are not under law, but under grace.”  Sin is not to rule in is when we’re under grace.  “What then?  Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace?  MAY IT NEVER BE!” (vs. 14-15).  No. “Don’t you understand…”  Now you see how that flows right along here.  You are not under works of law for justification, no you’re under grace the faith of Jesus Christ.  So that does not give you license to sin.  The freedom in Christ, which we have as we pointed out, is not the freedom to sin but the freedom from sin so that you may walk in God’s way.

Now notice what the apostle Paul wrote here, verse 16, “Don’t you understand that, to whatever you are yielding yourselves as servants for obedience, you are servants to whatever you are obeying, whether it is of sin unto death, or it is of obedience unto righteousness?”  So here shows that with the imputed righteousness of Christ we have to have obedience.  So we have to have obedience unto righteousness.

Verse 17, “But thanks be to God, that you were servants of sin, but now you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you…”  And what is the greatest doctrine or teaching?  That you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your soul, and all your strength.  Is that how you’re commitment is to God?  If it is then you will have obedience unto righteousness and the imputed righteousness of God given to you through Christ.  So that’s a marvelous thing. 

Verse 18, “And after having been set free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.”  To serve God righteously through His Spirit, through the gift of righteousness, and “…all the commandments of God are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172).  “I am speaking from a human point of view because of the weakness of your flesh [Paul continues]; because just as you had yielded your members in bondage to uncleanness and to lawlessness unto lawlessness, so now in exactly the same way, be yielding your members in bondage to righteousness unto sanctification…”  And sanctification means “to be made holy”.   “Because when you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.  Therefore, what was the fruit that you had then, in the things of which you are now ashamed?  For the end result of those things is death.  But now, after having been freed from sin, and after having become servants to God [that’s what you are – the servants of God], you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end thereof is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (vs. 18-23).  And that’s how you are unleavened in Christ.

Now what about the human nature that you still have?  What about fighting and overcoming those things and overcoming what is in you?  Because you’re going to have sin and temptation come along, now what do you do? 

Now let’s come to Romans 7 and let’s pick it up here in verse 7.  “What then shall we say?  Is the law sin?  MAY IT NEVER BE!  But I had not known sin, except through the law [because the law tells us what sin is].  Furthermore, I would not have been conscious of lust, except the law had said, “You shall not covet.”  But sin, having grasped an opportunity by the commandment, worked out within me every kind of lust; because apart from law, sin was dead.”  There couldn’t be any sin without law.  “For once I was alive without law…”  He didn’t know about the laws of God.  And none of us knew about the laws of God, did we?  And one day God began calling us and all of a sudden we began to understand about the law and commandments of God, right?  Yes.  So you were living once with out law.  That’s what Paul was saying.  “…But after the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died” (Rom. 7:7-9).  In other words you understood what sin was.

Now let’s apply this to the Sabbath.  There was once where you didn’t know about the Sabbath.  Then the knowledge of the Sabbath commandment came and your life living in Sabbath breaking now killed you and you died through the operation of baptism.  That’s what he’s saying here.

“And the commandment, which was meant to result in life, was found to be unto death for me [that is because he was breaking the law]; Because sin, having taken opportunity by the commandment, deceived me [and sin always deceives you], and by it killed me.  Therefore, the law is indeed holy, and the commandment holy and righteous and good” (vs. 10-12).  Nothing wrong with the laws and commandments of God.  See the Protestants don’t understand this.  They think that the law is a curse.  They think that the law is unholy.  They think that the law is sin.  But Paul said, “MAY IT NEVER BE!”

Now verse 13, “Now then, that which is good, has it become death to me?  MAY IT NEVER BE!  But sin, in order that it might truly be exposed as sin by that which is good to me, which actually working out death [and he never knew it, and you never it, and I never knew it]; …that, by the means of the commandment, sin might accordingly become exceedingly sinful.”  You go back and rehearse again Psalm 51 where David repented of his sin with Bathsheba, and he was deceived by it.  And he had to repent of it. 

Verse 14, “For we understand that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, having been sold as a slave under sin;”  And that’s the way our human lives are without God.  “Because what I am working out by myself, I do not know [or I do not understand].”  Do you ever say that to yourself?  “I don’t understand why I did that.  I don’t know why I did that.”   That’s what he’s saying here.  “For what I do not desire to do, this I am doing…”  And as an apostle of some 25 years, now he’s talking about his inner battle of overcoming, and his inner battle of warring with what we will see is the law of sin and death within him.  Because even though you are unleavened in Christ you still have that.  And you still have to overcome that.  And you still have to begin to realize that the battle that is going on and warring in your mind is all a part of overcoming through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Because it’s God’s Spirit in you, which is telling you in your mind that this is sin and this is wrong.  It is Christ in you showing you when you are sinning.  So therefore this internal battle goes on and Paul is describing it here.

So he says, “For what I do not desire to do, this I am doing; moreover, what I am hating, this I am practicing.”  And some people still have a hard time overcoming smoking, overcoming drinking, overcoming cursing and swearing, overcoming taking God’s name in vain, overcoming lying, and all of those things.  That’s all a part of sin within you, you see.  “But if I am practicing what I desire not to do, I agree with the law that it is good” (vs. 15-16).  The law is convicting you internally and mentally that what you’re doing is not good.  It is sin.

“Now then, I am no longer working it out by my own self…”  That is he is not doing it of his own accord because he hates what he’s doing.  He doesn’t want to do it just like you hate it when you sin.  Just like you hate it when you do things that are not right.  You’re not doing it yourself, you don’t even understand sometimes why you do some of the things you do.  Same way with me.  I don’t understand and I have to go to God and go to God’s word and get understanding, you see.  And here Paul gives it right here.  “…Rather, it is the sin which is dwelling within me; Because I fully understand that there is not dwelling within me - that is, within my fleshly being – any good thing!  For the desire to do good is present within me [but that’s not the good thing]; but how to work out that which is good, I do not find [that is within himself]:  For the good that I desire to do, I am not practicing; but the evil that I do not desire to do, this I am doing.  But if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I, working it out by myself, but the sin which is dwelling within me.  Consequently, I find [a] the law, that when I desire to practice the good, the evil is present with me” (vs. 17-21).  Now we are going to see this is called the law of sin and death as Paul defines it here in the next few verses.

Every human being has the downward pull of human nature, which is called the law of sin.  And this law of sin we have naturally by inheritance as part of our human nature.  That’s why it has to be by grace that God saves us, not by our own human works.  For if by our own human works we which have sin naturally within our members, how can we do that which is righteous enough of our own accord to warrant eternal life?  We can’t.  It has to be by Christ.  It has to be by gift.  It has to be by grace.  It has to be by imputed righteousness.  It has to be by faith. 

Now continuing verse 22, “Because I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.”  Yes, you love the laws of God.  Yes you see they are good.  Yes you agree with them.  “But I find another law within my very own being, that is warring against the law of my mind, and that is making me a prisoner to the law of sin [there he defines it clearly, the law of sin] which is within my very own being” (vs. 22-23).  As it says in the King James, “within my members.” 

Part of you, just like every cell of your body has your DNA identification on it, so you as an individual have the law of sin in you and every human being has that law of sin within them.  That’s why salvation has to be by grace.  That’s why the imputed righteousness is required unto justification, and unto eternal life.  So brethren just think of the marvelous thing that it is that we have Christ in us.  That with our mind we consent unto the law of God that it is good.

“But I find another law within my very own being, that is warring against the law of my mind, and that is making me a prisoner to the law of sin which is within my very own being. O what a wretched man I am!”  And this is the whole wretchedness of human life.  And this is the whole struggle and the twisting, and the turning and the fighting, and the warring and the overcoming that we have to go through.  And the battle within our minds.  We know what is right.  We have the Spirit of God, which is right.  But here’s the law of sin pulling us and tugging us, but remember Paul said sin is not to rule in your life.  It is not to have the dominion in your life.  It is the Spirit of God Who is going to have the dominion in your life.

Now let’s read on here.  “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”  And it is a body of death.  “I am thanking God through our Lord Jesus Christ for this salvation!  On the one hand, as a result of this inner war, I myself serve the law of God with my mind; on the other hand, with the flesh, the law of sin” (vs. 24-25).  And it’s not he that is doing it himself but sin that is in his very members and our whole continued life after baptism in growing in grace and knowledge is to come to the point of overcoming and conquering that law of sin and death within us which will…the final chapter of that takes place when we die. 

Now let’s come to chapter 8 verse 1.  And here is one of the most wonderful verses in the Bible.  Romans 8:1, “Consequently now, there is not any condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”  Do you understand that even though you have this battle going on within you, even though there is this law of sin and death pulling you down, even though it’s warring against the law of your mind that the Holy Spirit of God, that as long as you are crying out to God, looking to Christ to cover your sins, and repenting and growing, and overcoming, and letting the gift of righteousness be imputed to you, there is no condemnation.  Do you understand that?  God does not condemn you.  What God condemns is unrepentance, see.  But you see if you look to Christ for this salvation out of it, and to grow and overcome from it there is no condemnation.  You stand before God righteous.  You stand before God with the imputed righteousness of Christ, the gift of grace and the gift of righteousness by the One man Jesus Christ.  That’s how you stand before God.  Why?  Let’s read on.

“Because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has delivered me from the law of sin and death.”  You have been delivered from it though it is still in there fighting and warring against you.  And that deliverance comes from Christ.  “For what was impossible for the law to do…”  Because the law had no power.  The law only defines what sin is, and the wages of sin is death.  And the power of the law is death because of sin.  But the law has no power unto righteousness.  Do you understand that?   “For what was impossible for the law to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:2-3).  Now that’s a powerful verse there, brethren, for you to understand.  So if you’re drawing close to God, and if you are being unleavened in Christ you have no condemnation.

Now I have a question for you.  Why do you want to go around with a guilty conscience?  Why do you want to try and justify your own sins?  Now the easiest thing to do is that when you find that you have sinned, you say, “Well I’ll repent when I’m right with God.”  Well the truth is this:  You’re never right with God unless you repent.  You can’t get right with God and then go repent.  It’s incongruous.  You can only get right or be justified with God when you repent.  So the key and the thing is here like we read in the beginning, if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us all our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Now that is a daily activity.  That’s why when you have the model prayer, “Forgive us our sins…”  Now that’s a daily prayer.  “…As we forgive those who have transgressed against us.”  Now that’s another whole part of overcoming too, you see.  Because you are a sinner.  Don’t go around and condemn people in your mind because they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do.  Some of them don’t even know better.  Rather, pray for them that God may intervene in their lives and God may intervene in their minds to bring them to the point that you are.  Now that’s so very important.

Now verse 4.  Here’s why he condemns sin in the flesh.  “In order that the righteousness of the law should be fulfilled in us, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”  Now if you’re doing that then God is going to be with you.

Now let’s come back here to the book of Hebrews.  Hebrews 4, and let’s see what we are to do.  Let’s see how the intercession can be given to us through Jesus Christ so that we can always remain in this state of grace, and always have the imputed righteousness given to us and remain unleavened in Jesus Christ. 

Now let’s pick it up here in Hebrews 4:12 (KJV), because this will show you that it is the word of God and the Holy Spirit of God which is accomplishing  this to expose the inner sin within you that you may repent.  Verse 12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful [that means it’s living and powerful], and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  So God knows.  God knows what human nature is because He gave it.  And God knows the solution for human nature and sin because He sent Jesus Christ as that solution so we could be unleavened in Christ and justified by His blood and His resurrection. 

Now verse 13, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we do have to do.”  And the Greek there means “it’s laid bare.”  Now we can fool ourselves.  We may be able to fool other people, but we can never fool God.  We are laid bare before Him.  Now then, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest [this is a marvelous thing that God is doing], that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities [no He was tempted in every way like we are like it says here]; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin [therefore He knows what it’s like].”  And only He alone condemns sin in the flesh.  That’s powerful brethren.  “Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (vs. 13-16).  That you remain standing in that grace.  So you see you come boldly.  You confess your sins.  You come before God and ask Him to help you.  Ask God to just cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  Ask God to help you with your thoughts, with the way that you live, in keeping the commandments, in dealing with other people, and to overcome human nature. 

Now let’s see the kind of access that we have.  Let’s come to Hebrews 10 and let’s see this grand and glorious purpose that God has for us.  Now I know I’ve covered this leading up to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but this is very important during the Feast of Unleavened Bread we really grasp it so that we can be inspired, so that we can be uplifted, so that we can just thank God for the great and wonderful and magnificent thing that He has done to give us this kind of access.  To give us of His Holy Spirit, to give us of His truth, to give us of His grace, to give us of His gift of righteousness. 

Here’s the covenant, verse 16, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts…” That’s the inner most part of your very being, so that then you can live by those, walk by those in faith, in truth and understanding.  “…And in their minds will I write them.”  And your mind is a place that God has created so He can put His Holy Spirit and write His laws and His commandments, and His truth, and His goodness in you as part of the grace wherein you are standing, and as the imputed righteousness of Christ.

Verse 17, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”  They are completely put away.  Completely forgotten.  And every time you ask God to forgive you, you are forgiven.  That is provided you have the repentance of a contrite heart and a humble spirit.  They are forgiven.  They are not remembered, and as the Psalm says, “as far as from the east is from the west so far has He removed from us our transgressions and sins.”  Brethren, that is so great. 

Now this needs to inspire us to do this, verse 18,  “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”  There’s no more animal sacrifice that can do that.  That can accomplish that.  No, because the offering was Jesus Christ.  “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus…” (vs. 18-19). That is right into the very throne room of God.  Did you know that the throne room of God is only a knees bend away from you?  You get on your knees and say, “Our Father”, and you have direct access to the throne of God in heaven above.  That is fantastic brethren.  You need to understand that.  You need to use that.  You need to utilize that.  You need to make it a part of your every day way of living, that you can walk in righteousness, that you can live in truth, that you can keep the commandments of God, that Christ will be in you.

Paul says, “This is a new and a living way…”  New and living by faith.  New and living by the Spirit of God.  “…Which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil…”  That is through the veil unto the very holiest of holies in heaven above, “…That is to say, His flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart…”  An unleavened heart, an unleavened mind, under the grace of God with the imputed righteousness of Christ.  “…With a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)” (vs. 20-22).

So brethren, that is how you are unleavened in Christ and you are cleansed from every sin, and all unrighteousness, therefore you are unleavened in Jesus Christ.