I can’t say that it was an involuntary habit with the Apostle Paul, but he had a special word that he enjoyed. Of course, because when he wrote scriptures, or when his sermons were recorded in the Word of God, every word that he used was God-breathed – inspired by the Holy Spirit. And every time he made use of the word that I have it mind it was perfectly appropriate for the situation. Nevertheless, it was a bit unusual, and he used it in several different situations. And just as I didn’t notice that preacher’s habit of adjusting his glasses, sometimes we don’t notice Paul’s special word. It wasn’t until I was reading this chapter for the hundredth time that it jumped out at me. We “which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
Notice that Paul teaches that the children of God possess the firstfruits of the Spirit. In the Received Text – the Greek Bible which was translated into the King James, the word is “aparche” ap-ar-khay’. It isn’t overly common in the Bible, but it is always translated the same way – “firstfruit” or “firstfruits.” For example, as Romans closes Paul greeted Epaenetus, and called him “the firstfruits of Achaia,” suggesting that this man was the first of the Lord’s converts in the area of Corinth – and obviously, he was the first of many. And in I Corinthians 16 he said the same thing of Stephanas. Then in I Corinthians 15 – the great chapter on the resurrection – Paul said that Christ was the firstfruits. “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” Paul isn’t the only Apostle to use the word, but the implication is always the same. James said “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” And John in speaking of recently arrived saints in glory said, “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
We will come back to these in a few minutes, but our interest is primarily in Romans 8:23 – We “which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Let’s consider what these firstfruits ARE; what they REFLECT; and what they TEACH.
I think that we can say that the firstfruits of the Spirit are things which the Spirit produces in us. Please turn to Galatians 5:19 – “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these …” At that point in this chapter Paul begins to describe some of the things which the flesh produces in people. You could call them “fruit of the flesh,” and in some ways you could call them the firstfruits of the flesh. They speak of more things to come, and the ultimate result is the eternal judgment and wrath of God. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” The firstfruits of the flesh are these terrible sins.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.” Just as the flesh produces its evil fruit, the Holy Spirit produces His excellent fruit. And not only do we feast on this fruit, but we also live and share this fruit with others. “God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)” And – “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.” We who have received love from God and as a fruit of the Spirit are exhorted to share God’s love. And we could say the same thing with each aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” How can someone possess joy without being joyful, spilling that joy over onto others? The same is true of peace, faith, meekness, goodness and each of the other fruit of the spirit.
The firstfruits of the Spirit are all those wonderful blessings which the Holy Spirit, in particular, creates in the heart of each and every child of God.
The first time that we read the word is in Exodus 23 just after God says, “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.” One of the mandatory appearances of Israel before the Lord was at the “feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field.” At the time of the first yearly harvest, the barley harvest, the faithful in Israel were to bring some of that harvest as an offering to the Lord. This was the festival which eventually was called “Pentecost” – fifty days after the Passover. Then another yearly gathering was in the fall at the time of the wheat harvest – “the Feast of Weeks.” Exodus 34:22 – “And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.” There were also other firstfruits offerings. There were national firstfruits offerings and personal or family firstfruits. Leviticus 2:14 says, “And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.” Deuteronomy 18:4 speaks about “the firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give” to the Lord.”
Now turn to Deuteronomy 26 where we find the only specific account of how the firstfruit offering was to be presented to the Lord. ” And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us. And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God. And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression: And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God: And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.” Notice that, not only did the firstfruit offering point toward the oncoming blessings of God, but the offerers were also to look back at their history of sinfulness and waywardness before God.
We could multiply the Bible references, but these are sufficient to bring up the purpose of the firstfruit offering. No matter what the product or the livestock – the first of everything belonged to the Lord. Even the first of the children belonged to God, but they were not slain in any kind of sacrifice. The first handful of wheat or barley was to be given to the Lord and the first few cups of olive oil and wine.
Later on Ezekiel brings to light a couple of special aspects of the firstfruit offerings. For example in Ezekiel 44, in speaking about the priests he said, “And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.” The firstfruit offerings, although given to God, were enjoyed by the priests of the Lord. And then in Ezekiel 48 it is specifically stated that no aspect of the firstfruits in any of its various forms could ever be sold. These blessings were for the personal and private use of the Lord’s servants. They were not for commercial or financial gain.
I bring these things to your attention, because they were in Paul’s mind when he used the word in Romans.
Think back upon those other references that Paul makes to “firstfruits.” Stephanus and Epaenetus were the firstfruits of a great harvest of souls in Achaia. And then there are those wonderful verses from I Corinthians 15 – “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” Paul’s thesis in that chapter is that just as Christ arose from the dead so shall Christ’s saints. “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 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.” James 1 – “Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” Doesn’t this verse blend with what Paul has been teaching us here in Romans? “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” The word “firstfruits” in all their various uses testify of more to come.
And here in Romans 8:23 the implication is just the same. As I said a couple of weeks ago, the blessings of the Holy Spirit have just begun. It will take an eternity just to begin to understand all that He has done and is preparing for us. And just as the Holy Spirit is blessing us with love, joy, peace, communion, leadership and those other things, they will not only continue, but they could very like intensify.
In other words, “firstfruits” takes us into other verses and analogies which are perhaps a little easier to see. The Holy Spirit is the seal and earnest of our salvation. Ephesians 1:11 – “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The firstfruits of the Spirit are part of the reason that we can say – “being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” There are fewer sadder and more wretched creatures in this world than those who believe, than those who teach, than those who are told that they cannot ever be sure of Heaven or salvation. What a horrendous lie; what a horrible deception. The firstfruits of the Spirit are the guarantee and pledge of an abundant harvest which is still on the way. The firstfruits give us a foretaste of Heaven.
Do you remember what I said that Ezekiel 44:30 teaches about the Old Testament firstfruits offering? That was the passage which said that they were to be given to the priests of the Lord. Speaking foolishly, I can say that they were never to be given to the Philistines and Egyptians. They belonged only to the members of the Lord’s service. And this is essentially the way that it is with the firstfruits of the Spirit. How many scriptures do I need to prove that the saints of God are special priests under the Lord Jesus? I Peter 2:9 – “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” There is a benediction given to the Saviour in Revelation 1 – “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Then there is Revelations 5 – “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” There is a sense in which the firstfruits of the Spirit are given only to the Lord’s special priests.
And of course they are not for commercial or financial gain. The firstfruits of the oil and Old Testament wine were forbidden to the market place. They were for the personal blessing of the children of God whom He had chosen to receive them.
Now let’s turn the illustration in upon itself – inside-out if you like. Let’s say that Israel has been in the land, but the previous three years have been a period of drought. Because of the sins of the people, there has been no rain. The people planted their seed stock, but it didn’t germinate, or if it did, it quickly dried and died. Did the people bring their firstfruit offerings when there was no fruit? My application is that where there is no firstfruit, there is proof of no divine blessing. Where there is no firstfruit of the Spirit, it’s because there is no presence of the Spirit of God. “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” – Romans 8:9. And that raises the question – Do YOU possess the firstfruits of the Spirit? If not, then I can assuredly tell you that you are NOT a child of God – you are lost – you are hell-bound. Do you possess and enjoy the firstfruits of the Spirit.
Let me close pointing you back to Deuteronomy 26. The only way to properly enjoy the Lord’s firstfruits is to begin at the beginning. You and I – the American, the Israelite, the Canadian and the Chaldean – we all come into this world as sinful idolators. It is not until we recognize our worthlessness and our sinfulness that we can come under the blessing of the Saviour. It is not until we make a full and repentance of sin followed by faith in Christ by whom we may be reconciled to God, that we will be given these special first fruits. The command and exhortation of God is to repent – agree with the Lord about your wretched sinfulness. And then trust the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse you of that sinfulness and of all your sins. Christ died in order to deliver His people from their sins. “Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”