Fresh Grapes

Or

Raisins

Fultondale First Baptist Church

Fultondale Alabama

Wednesday November 7, 2007

First Baptist church Gantt

James 1:18

18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

This verse again speaks of Birth

The new Revised Standard Version translates it to say

18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures

Birth is pure

There is no sin of a newborn baby

There is no sin of a newborn Christian

God gives us spiritual birth and at that moment are cleaned white as snow

Song,

What can Wash Away My sin  - - Nothing but the blood of Jesus

The words spoken are words that save us

We cannot be saved on our own accord

We are saved because He chose to save us

We can clearly see three aspects of God giving us new birth.

1)   It is divine

Consider John 3:3-8

3 Jesus answered and said to him,  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

5 Jesus answered,  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicademus thought He had to reenter his mother’s womb.

We cannot be born on our own.

Our relatives had some play in our first birth.

The second is by God and His divine power

That we might be first fruits

The Jews would be well aware of the practice of giving the first fruits

First-born lamb

First picking of the grain

The first picking of the grapes

All of the firsts were to be given to God

All Believers are the first fruits

2)   It is gracious

We did not deserve it on our own

God gave us spiritual birth because of His Own grace

Listen to John 1:13

    New American Standard Bible

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

We have a choice of our eternal destiny

We must decide if we follow the Will of God for our lives

We are God’s own children His first fruits of the crop of believers

Consider Romans 8:22-23

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

If we are God’s first fruits just as mentioned here:

Why do we not give our firstfruits?

He gave it all for us

We fail to give the first fruits of our time

The first fruits of our labor

The first fruits of our income

Are we very gracious in our giving back to Him.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Therefore whether you eat of drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

3)   It is through the Word of God

A human requires two parents in order to be born.

Divine birth also has two parents

1.   the Word of God

2.   The Spirit of God

Consider 1 Peter 1:23

    The Message

23 Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself!

The Spirit of God brings forth the word of God to bring about new birth

Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God is “Living and Powerful”

    Imagine what it can bring out in your life.

The letter of James could be entitled “How to live as firstfruits”

Living as first fruits is getting to the basics of becoming spiritually mature.

The message of this same verse:

18 He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

Just as raisins are dried up.  They are sweet.

Some people are sweet but not giving their first fruits to the Lord.

God desires fresh fruit like a freshly picked grape.

Give God your absolute best.

He has already given you His first fruit.