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First Fruit Offering

through his plan, he brought us forth through the word of truth to the extent we exist a kind of first fruit of all he created (James 1:18)
There is so much in this verse that we could spend time on, like the phrase "through his plan." But we want to focus primarily on what it means for us to be the first fruit of all that God created.
he has made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time (Ephesians 1:9)
Paul writes one of the spiritual blessings that we receive in Christ is that God has made known to us the mystery of his will. A plan for fullness, in which he is working out according to what he purposed in Christ for our good, that we are being conformed to the image of Christ. We relate this to the phrase in our featured verse, "of all he created." 

Now God's glory was manifested through creation since the beginning of time. However, God's purpose and plan that is being manifested, in that we are a new creation in Christ, is far more glorious. There is the glory of creation and of the creator. The glory that shines in the face of Jesus is most glorious, and is is transforming us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). There is the glory of man created from dust and the glory of the Son of Man who exists as a living spirit from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:44-49). The created heavens and earth have one kind of glory and a new creation in Christ has another kind of glory.
If we have been born the image of the man of dust let us also bear the image of the one from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:49).
According to his sovereign plan and will (the difference is that God's sovereign plan, what he eternally purposed and put forth in Christ, doesn't change though man is given free will). God brought us forth to be a kind of first fruit of all that he created. The fruit lies in what God purposed, that he is working together for our good to those called according to his purpose to those he predestined; to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-30). The mystery, the plan he purposed, and the result of it; the fruit of a new creation.

Paul writes we have the "first fruit" of the Spirit within us that groans inwardly awaiting our full adoption, the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). So we are a new spiritual being, made alive in Christ, but we reside in a body that is not redeemed, where sin lies, and where the flesh is opposed to the Spirit (Romans 7:14-25; Galatians 5:16-18). We live in a corrupt body and are enticed by fleshly desires and worldly lusts. Though we are forgiven and born of the Spirit, what we sow determines the well-being of our soul, or what James calls wholeness (James 1:5). Or what Paul calls having a good conscience before God. What we sow determines the fruit we bear.
because the one sowing to his own flesh from the flesh reaps corruption, now the one sowing to the Spirit from the Spirit reaps everlasting life (Galatians 6:8)
We sow to the Spirit and from the Spirit, we reap life and peace, which implies our part and God's power at work. In the old testament, sowing was tied to the earthly reaping of a harvest and its prosperity. There were sacrifices of blood for the atonement of sin and there were offerings and tithes that were to appease God's anger against sinful man. We see in the Law the condition God made, if they loved him and were obedient to his commandments then he would bless their sowing so that they reaped an earthly harvest, earthly prosperity. But over and over, when he blessed them earthly they would turn from him (Judges). Ezekiel gives us an amazing picture of it.*

.... we exist a first fruit of all he created (James 1:18)  

It is not a coincidence that James uses the words first fruit. The first fruit offering was established by God when the people entered the land that was given to them where they would reap its harvest without having sown (Leviticus 23: 10). In the old covenant you honored God from the first of all your produce (Proverbs 3:9; Exodus 34:26; Ezekiel 44:30; Exodus 22:29). The first fruit offering became a festival given each year, except on the seventh or Sabbatical year when the land rested and there was no harvest thus no tithe. The "first fruit" offering was the first crop of the year to reap a harvest hence the first portion or fruit of a larger harvest.

In the new testament (the new covenant in Jesus's blood) the term "first fruit" refers to early converts of the church. They were truly the first fruits of a new creation in Christ. But more important is the concept of the first fruit being set apart for God. In the old the first fruit was an earthly harvest set apart for the Lord, likewise today believers are set apart for God’s glory, but the emphasis is not on earthly fruit but spiritual.
so also in Christ, all are made alive. Now each in his own order, Christ the first fruit, then the ones of Christ when he comes (1 Corinthians 15:22-23)
Adam was a living soul but Jesus was a life-giving spirit. As the word of God, he was God and is God. As the Son of Man, he was the first fruit of a new creation. And we in Christ are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). "[God] made the one not knowing sin to be sin [offering] on our behalf, so that in him we come into existence the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Now, they were first-fruits of a new creation in Christ but what God purposed from this creation was a people, like him, to bear fruit of his divine nature. We are given righteousness as a gift in Christ but it is like a seed planted which grows up to bear fruit.
... filled with the fruit of righteousness that through Jesus Christ, to the extent the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11)
God adopted us as his own, making us a new creation in Christ, "to the extent that we are the praise of his glory" (Ephesians 1:5-6). God's eternal purpose and plan that he set forth in Christ is that we are being conformed to the image of Christ, becoming the first fruits of a new creation. For this purpose, God has chosen us and given us his splendid and precious promises, every good and maturing gift from above, so that we escape the corruption that is in the world and come into existence as partakers of his divine nature (2 Peter 1:4; James 1:3-5). 
now, each person is tempted by his own desires and lured away and enticed... Do not be deceived, every good gift and perfect gift exists from above coming down from the Father of Lights... (James 1:17).
Every good gift and perfect gift from God has the purpose of giving us wisdom that brings us to maturity (James 1:3-6). So that we attain unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God and grow into adulthood, unto the measure of the stature of the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). So that we come into existence first fruits of all that God has created. Like a plant growing up into maturity bearing fruit, we become a kind of first fruit. The result of growing up into maturity in Christ is fruit.

The true meaning of sowing and reaping in the new testament is related to what we sow and what we sow into, the word of God is that which is sown and we sow into the Spirit and by the Spirit reap life and peace. We bear fruit that reflects the image of Christ, his divine nature, that of the Spirit, not the flesh, and bear fruit of righteousness, therefore we are the first fruits of a new creation. The first fruit is the pure bride of Christ, the church. Those chosen to be holy and blameless in his presence. One day our salvation will be complete but now we can be filled to the fullness of God, of his fruit. It is our purpose if we are called and justified so also are chosen for glorification.
I appeal to you brothers through the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, this is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1-2)
How do we offer to God a first fruit offering? What does that look like? If there is an offering that would bring us into fruit bearing people should not we make it to God? In this verse we see the sacrifice and offering acceptable and pleasing to God, which will bring us into maturity. We no longer need to atone for sin or make offerings to appease Him. Jesus has done all that is needed, he was a sacrifice and offering acceptable to God. His divine power is available to us (2 Peter 1:3 ), we only need to abide in Him and grow in the knowledge of Him. 

The sacrifice acceptable and offering acceptable is unto holiness, to put to death our fleshly and worldly desires and be transformed into his likeness. He chose us in love according to his good pleasure and God is working out all according to that which He purposed so that we are being conformed to the image of Christ, bearing fruit that is pleasing to God, like a sweet-smelling aroma rising up to him, giving sacrifices acceptable, praising God from our lips that he has done this new thing, filling us to his fullness, making us whole so we lack in nothing, bringing us forth through the enduring word as a kind of first fruit of all that he has created.

















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