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FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

Topic: The Feast of Passover

The Obedience of Faith

by Darrel Cline
(darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)

We are taking a look at the feasts of Israel because in them is laid a foundation for the correct identification of the Christ, which will be made by comparing prophecy with fulfillment. The first such feast is Passover. In it the first major prophetic picture was drawn. That picture was of a doctrine: salvation by the blood of an innocent lamb/ram instead of salvation by good human performance.

Jesus was identified as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. (037) This was a deliberate link to the Passover imagery. Even though Jesus' physical brothers didn't believe in Him until after the resurrection, they could not, and did not, ever accuse Him of even the slightest infraction of righteousness. He never disobeyed His parents; He never created problems as a child; He never did anything selfish; He was, really, too good to be true. And even when He was in trouble with the religious establishment, He challenged them to validate their charge against Him that He had sinned--and Pilate testified that He was innocent of the charges. So, at the objective level, Jesus seems to fulfill the prophetic imagery of Passover: a guiltless Lamb of God who died in the stead of sinners. This means that salvation is available.

But, just because it is available doesn't mean that we are saved. Grace provided the guiltless Lamb. But salvation is by grace through faith. In order to be saved, one must believe in a certain truth in a certain way.

We must be careful here. Religion doesn't save. Joining a church doesn't save. Being baptized by the right kind of preacher, priest, or rabbi doesn't save. God doesn't save people on the basis of obedience they render to commands He gives, except for the obedience of faith to the promise He made. His command is: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. The reason He doesn't save on the basis of our actions is that our actions can be accomplished without our ever coming into a personal relationship with Him. But we cannot put our trust in Him without being brought into a dynamic, living, relationship to Him. God is a real Person. When He speaks, people react. But many react out of fear and seek to keep Him at a distance. Salvation is reserved for those who are willing to close the gap by trusting and not by keeping God at arm's length.

If you wish to know whether you are trusting, or keeping God at arm's length, answer this question: have you told God that you believe His promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ alone, and do you want His will in your life? If you want the life, but you don't want the will, are you really trusting?

Jesus is the fulfillment of Passover. As God's Lamb He made a sufficient payment for your sin. But, it will only become an efficient payment when you go to God in faith and accept it. Will you? Eternity is far longer than time.


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This is article #038.
If you wish, you may contact Darrel as darrelcline at this site.