Become Unleavened in Christ Jesus

(1st Day of Unleavened Bread)

Fred R. Coulter—April 13, 2025

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a Holy Day. Also, it's very interesting that it falls on the first day of the week.

As we have pointed out, we have a booklet—Count to Pentecost—that shows how to count to Pentecost so we get it correctly. Now let's see how important that the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread really is, and how the deceived Christianity is—the false Christ, the false Christianity of this world—because they won't follow the things that God has said recorded in His Law! They fail to understand that there was nothing really done away.

Now, all the temple rituals and sacrifices have been replaced at a higher level with Christ, and everything else in the Bible is at a higher level:

• through Christ
• through the Holy Spirit
• through love
• through all of those things.

So, let's see here in Exo. 23 what God has to say about these days—which is right in the middle of the week--and the Lord has to say about these days, which then is right in the middle of all of the other commands of God.

Exodus 23:14: "You shall keep a Feast unto Me three times in the year." Those are the major Feasts:

• Passover/Unleavened Bread
• Pentecost
• Tabernacles

These are  the three major Holy Days seasons!

Verse 15[transcriber's correction]: "You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread…."

Why? Because as we saw, that's when God took them out of Egypt! It started on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, coming out of sin! Egypt is always a type of sin.

"…You shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib… [also renamed Nisan] …for in it you came out of Egypt. And no one shall appear before Me empty" (v 15).

Lev. 23 is very interesting from this point of view. All of the Holy Days are listed here, so let's read it; let's see what God says. There are a lot of people out there who think that if they keep the Sabbath and then they keep 'the Lord's Supper' on the 14th—as the Church of God Seventh Day, most of them, do—then everything is just fine. Well, what about all the rest? Seventh Day Adventists say:

Well since there were 'rituals' on these days, these are 'ritual days,' and we don't have to keep them.

• Did they have rituals on the Sabbath?
• Did they have morning and evening sacrifice on the Sabbath?
• Did they have bird offerings on the Sabbath?
• Yes!

So, the Sabbath Day sanctifies all the annual Holy Days of God. That's why God put it here in:

Leviticus 23:1: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them…" (vs 1-2)—which means these are the words of God!

Now then, is anyone going to reject the words of God and succeed? Of course not!

"…Concerning the appointed Feasts of the LORD… [He owns them] …which you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations, even these are My appointed Feasts" (v 2).

What does this mean? God has set an appointment time that we can come to Him, and He will come to us spiritually with His Spirit! Notice, the first one is the Sabbath:

Verse 3: "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a Holy convocation. You shall not do any work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings."

A lot of people like to read that and stop right there. Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of God Seventh Day, goes one step further into the Passover, but then rejects all the rest of it!

• Can you have a whole car if you don't have all of it?
• Can you have a whole house if you don't have all of it?
• Can you understand the Word of God IF you don't have all of it?

All of those things apply here; it's from God!

Verse 4: "These are the appointed Feasts of the LORD…"—not for anyone to decide whether they will keep them or not! God commands them to be kept!

"…Holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month, between the two evenings… [between sunset and dark, as we have shown clearly] …is the LORD'S Passover" (vs 4-5).

Now remember this: Jesus was crucified on the Passover Day. So, how can the Protestants say that they honor God with all these pagan rituals? The most blasphemous being in the spring, supposing that there's a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection called Easter, when Easter is celebrating the pagan goddess of Ishtar!

How confusing can they be and still think they're right? Well, IF they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they would understand what sin is and what to do and what not to do.

Verse 7: "On the first day you shall have a Holy convocation. You shall not do any servile work therein, but you shall offer a fire offering to the LORD seven days…." (vs 7-8)—which they did every day during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

"…In the seventh day is a Holy convocation. You shall do no servile work therein" (v 8). That's for the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

We know that God wants us to keep these Feasts and it's for our own good. Let's see a New Testament command and then we will take up an offering.

Now for all of those who say, 'We believe in the New Testament, we don't believe in the Old Testament.' what does it say in 1-Cor, 5? That's what we need to look at! This is a direct command by the Apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth about the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

Let's see it right here. They were putting up with too much sin within the members of the Church at Corinth, and one committed such terrible sins that he had to be put away (out of the Church).

1-Corinthians 5:5: "To deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good…." (vs 5-6).

I want to just stop on that for just a minute. What do they—the evangelicals—glory in? Oh, we keep Sunday and then Christmas, Easter, New Year's and all of that! They glory in it! That's glorying in sin! Paul says:

"…Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" (v 6).

So, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, leaven is a type of sin, because of its work that it does.

"…a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore, purge out the old leaven…" (vs 6-7).

That's what we did with our houses. But also we have to purge out the leaven of sin that is within us!

• we have our part
• God has His part

All of that combined is necessary for a complete understanding of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

Verse 7: "Therefore, purge out the old leaven, so that you may become a new lump… [it's a process, as we will see] …even as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us."

Passover they kept. How can you believe in Christ and His sacrifice IF you don't believe in the Passover that He was crucified on? All of these lies of Satan the devil always come to nothing!

Verse 8: "For this reason, let us keep the Feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness… [not with our old behavior] …but with the unleavened bread of Sincerity and Truth."

We will see that's the whole meaning and structure throughout the entire Bible of the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

So, at this time we'll take a pause and we'll take up and offering. We thank you for it, and we use everything to go toward preaching the Gospel, doing the literature, doing Bibles and getting all of these things out as much as we can to as many people as we can for the sake of preaching the Gospel the way that God wants us to.

So, thank you very much for the offering and we will put it to very good use.

(pause for offering)

Thank you, brethren, for the offering, and we'll continue on with services. Let's come to Heb. 12 and let's see what it tells us about our relationship with Jesus Christ and also our relationship with the whole Bible, all the Word of God, is for us!

All the sacrifices and rituals have been superseded by the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, putting it at a higher level. Not doing away with it so that it has no meaning or that it doesn't exist. But setting it aside and replacing it with the higher standard!

Heb. 12—Paul is writing concerning the faithful of the Old Testament!

Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great throng of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight…"

• every problem
• every sin
• every difficulty

Keep our minds focused on Christ!

"…and the sin that so easily entraps us…" (v 1).

Isn't that the way it does? That's why Jesus tells us to repent every day in the model prayer in Matt. 6!

"…and let us run the race… [it is a walk with God; in this case it's a run] …set before us with endurance" (v 1). That's why we have all of these every year!

Verse 2: "Having our minds fixed on Jesus…"—that's the key, everything fixed on Christ:

• His sacrifice
• what He did
• what He said
• what the apostles wrote
• what they said

Everything in the Bible is the Truth of God! Having our mind fixed on that and Christ, "lay aside every weight"—every sin that "so easily entraps us."

Verse 2: "…Who for the joy that lay ahead of Him endured the cross, although He despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God.

What are we to do with this? This is the framework on which our whole lives are to be lived!

Verse 3: "Now meditate deeply on Him Who endured such great hostility of sinners against Himself so that you do not become weary and faint in your minds."

Here is the key of the reason for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, right here:

Verse 4: "You have not yet resisted to the point of losing blood in your struggle against sin." That's what the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures:

• put out the sin/put in the righteousness.
• get rid of the leaven/bring in the unleavenedness of Christ

That's quite a thing!

Psa. 57—this is quite a Psalm, because it tells us that God has a purpose for each one of us, and what a wonderful thing that it is. It talks about God's purpose! Let's bring it down to the purpose as it is for us with Christ:

• Who is at the right hand of the Throne of God
• Who is in us through the power of the Holy Spirit
• God the Father Who is in us through the power of the Holy Spirit

How we need to change: put out the old leaven/put in the Unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth! Notice how David prayed here:

Psalm 57:1: "Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul trusts in You…"

That's what we need to do. Just like the Proverb says:

Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding." Because if you lean to your own understanding, you will be leaning into the leaven!

Psalm 57:1: "…my soul trusts in You; yea, in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge until these great troubles pass by."

So, we will have troubles, we will have difficulties, but our focus is on God!

Verse 2: "I will cry to God Most High…" Notice how particular this is and important for us as individuals. Because:

• God loves us
• God has called us
• Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins

"…to God Who fulfills His purpose for me" (v 2).

The purpose of God is this: that we attain to the first resurrection, and we are the sons and daughters of God to rule the world! That's what it's all about!

Verse 5: "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth."

Everything there is, as we have covered here recently, God is all things to everything! You need to really think on that and pray about that and look at everything that you do from that perspective.

Verse 6: "They have prepared a net for My steps…. [a prophecy of Christ] …My soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before Me; into the midst of it they have fallen themselves. Selah."

Verse 7—ties in with Heb. 12: "My heart is fixed…."

That's the whole question concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Are our hearts fixed:

• with the Word of God?
• with the Spirit of God?
• with the Truth of God?
• with determination?
• with endurance?

Verse 7: "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise."

Now then, let's come to see what human nature is like so we understand where we're coming from and where we're going to! There are quite a few things here concerning human nature that we need to get into.

Jeremiah 10:23: "O LORD, I know…" Here's Jeremiah praying to God.

• Do we know?
• Do we really, really know?

"…I know that the way of man is not in himself… [we're going to see the conundrum of that and why sin takes place] …it is not in man who walks to direct his steps" (v 23).

Let's see what it says here in Jer. 17; very interesting, indeed, and we know this one by heart.

It is not within us to understand and to do what is right on our own! You look at the world today. Look at all the problems. Absolutely true.

Jeremiah 17:5: "Thus says the LORD, 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.'"

That's exactly what Adam and Eve did, and all human beings do!

Verse 7: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose hope is the LORD." That's quite a thing!

Let's see the deception of the human mind. in relationship to itself. God has given us free moral agency, and we have to choose. But in that, free moral agency is so strong that IF we don't rely on God we're going to go our own way, and that's the way that the world has gone! Here's what happens:

Proverbs 16:2: "All the ways of a man…. [every man, woman, and child; young/old, whatever] …are clean in his own eyes…"

He or she thinks they're doing right; even when they are sinning so grossly!

"…but the LORD weighs the spirits" (v 2).

God judges things spiritually! That applies to our lives, especially under the New Covenant, because everything is spiritual. Think about this in relationship to:

• all of the mental problems that there are in the world
• all of the problems that individuals have in their lives
• all of the difficulties and problems that we have

This is why we have the Feast of Unleavened Bread after the Passover so we can come to God; so we can see what we need to do. We need to put out the leaven and put in the unleavenedness of Christ!

Notice what v 3 tells us; it's very important because when you read about the seven churches in Rev. 2 & 3, what do you find? God says, I know your works! So we need to ask the question:

• What are my works before God?
• What am I thinking of?
• What do I do?
• How do I live?
• How do I pray?
• How do I understand the way of God?

Verse 3: "Commit your works unto the LORD… [everything you do, you do in the name of Jesus Christ] …and your thoughts…"

That's what God wants; that's the whole point of Unleavened Bread! What is in your mind that are reflected in your actions?

"…and your thoughts shall be established" (v 3)

Verse 4: "The LORD has made all for His own purpose…" Quite a thing!

Verse 6: "By mercy and Truth iniquity is purged…

Did we not read that in 1-Cor. 5? Purge out the old leaven! How?

• by mercy
• by God's forgiveness
• by Truth
• by God's Word written in our heart and in our mind

"…and by the fear of the LORD men turn away from evil" (v 6). Now that's quite a thing!

Verse 17: "The way of the upright is to turn away from evil; he who keeps his way preserves his soul."

• you're walking uprightly
• you're doing what God wants
• you understand the Words of God
• you are close to God
• you're accomplishing the things that you need to do

Rom.12—we have another summary here about what it is to grow, to change and to overcome, and what it is that God wants. It also shows us that it is a process that takes place over a period of time.

• that's why we grow in grace and knowledge
• that's why we pray every day
• that's why we study every day
• that's why we have the Laws and Commandments of God written in our heart and mind (Heb. 10).

Whatever you have in your mind, that's who you are! Think about that! That's why it's so important. So, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is how your mind is converted more and more and more day-by-day, month-by-month, year-by-year.

Romans 12:1: "I exhort you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, Holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service."

That's what God wants! That you love Him with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, with all your being!

Now notice what He says; this fits right in with the Feast of Unleavened Bread: purge out the old leaven. What is that?

Verse 2: "Do not conform yourselves to this world…"—the way the world is with its everything that it does; there are many things that it does than just living daily.

• the way they think
• the way they act
• the way they believe
• the religions that they keep
• the way that they conduct their lives by living in sin

Don't be conformed to the world!

"…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…"

That's why it has to be written in our heart and in our mind:

• that renews us
• that guides us
• that's God's Spirit

"…in order that you may prove…" (v 2). God doesn't want you to just accept it!

• He wants you to prove it
• He wants you to know it
• He wants you to understand it

"…in order that you may prove what is well-pleasing and good, and the perfect will of God" (v 2).

That's a great summary of the whole Feast of Unleavened Bread, right there! That's what God wants and:

• we'll see what it is
• we'll see how that happens
• we'll see the way that that is carried out

Let's see what we are to do after we have been baptized. This is important! The whole thing with the Passover that just had shows the covenant that we have with Christ. Christ in us, the hope of glory!

And because we're under grace, doesn't mean that we do away with the Laws of God, because you can't do away with the Laws of God anymore than you can do away with the universe or the law of gravity or any other laws that God has created.

Paul says right here, and he has to remind them:

Romans 6:1: "What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? MAY IT NEVER BE!…." (vs 1-2).

We are to put it out; we are to stop doing those things, as we will see.

"…We who died to sin, how shall we live any longer We who died to sin, how shall we live any longer therein? Or are you ignorant that we, as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death?" (vs 2-3).

Therefore, our death in baptism means we want God's way and not our way! This is all part of Unleavened Bread. Just like it says, 'don't be conformed to this world.'

Verse 12: "Therefore, do not let sin rule in your mortal body by obeying it in the lusts thereof"—because it all starts with a thought!

The thought of free choice, and with the heart being deceitful above all things and with the heart being that:

• it looks good
• it sounds good
• it's something that a lot of people like to do

• that's how they justify their sins
• that'show they justify their behavior
• that's how they justify their religion rather than coming to God

They obey the lust thereof.

Verse 13: "Likewise, do not yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin"—unrighteousness; that's Law-breaking!

Psalm 119:172: "…all Your Commandments are righteousness." Unrighteousness is breaking the Laws of God!

Romans 6:13: "…rather, yield yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." Now, you do that!

• strive to do what is right
• strive to think what is right
• get rid of whatever thoughts of lust or whatever comes in your mind

That way then:

Verse 14: "For sin shall not rule over you, because you are not under Law…"—and that's under the penalty of Law for breaking it, because you've repented and have been baptized!

"…but under grace" (v 14)—which means you have direct contact with God the Father and Jesus Christ:

• through the Word of God
• through prayer
• through living God's ways

You are under grace! That's your relationship with God!

All right. So then, because we have that relationship with God, Paul asks this question:

Verse 15: "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Law, but under grace? MAY IT NEVER BE!"

You cannot live in sin and expect the righteous blessings of God! You cannot have your own carnal way and thinking that you're right—with all the sin and all the leaven of the carnal mind working and going against what God wants—and think you're right with God! MAY IT NEVER BE!

Verse 16: "Don't you realize that to whom you yield yourselves as servants to obey…"

• What is it that you obey?
• Is it Christ and God the Father in us through the power of the Holy Spirit?
• Is it with the Laws and Commandments of God written in our heart and mind?

That's putting in the unleavened bread of righteousness of the Word of God!

That's why the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because whatever you put into your body that makes your body work. Whatever you put into your mind makes your mind work that way! IF you have the Spirit of God and the Laws of God in your mind, that is the righteousness that's going to guide you!

That's the whole thing with the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Yes, at Paul writes in Rom. 7 that we have covered recently, we have the law of sin and death within us, and we have to overcome it.

It's always there to pull against us. It is always there if we do not exercise the Spirit of God and the Word of God in our minds and in our actions. It's always there to try and pull us down!

"…MAY IT NEVER BE! Don't you realize that to whom you yield yourselves as servants to obey, you are servants of the one you obey, whether it is of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (vs 15-16). It makes you wonder:

What kind of blindfolds do these evangelicals and pseudo-Christians have that they can't understand these plain words of God? So that's quite a thing there!

(break@38:44)

Let's see what God wants us to do, how that conversion is an active, working, spiritual process every day in our lives. The ultimate purpose and goal is eternal life!

In Eph. 4:12, we're told that the whole purpose of the ministry is for the perfecting of the saints, to help each one of you and ourselves, because as we grow and overcome, we need to teach you. God doesn't want us ruling over you. You are not subjects to us. You are subjects to God the Father and Jesus Christ!

We are to teach you so that you can have a relationship with God, direct through the grace of God, as it says Eph. 2. Direct contact with God the Father! So remember this: Whenever you pray, regardless of whether you're standing, sitting or kneeling, your prayer goes to God.

Ephesians 4:12: "For the perfecting of the saints…"

Now hold right here and let's see something very important from the very first teachings of Jesus Christ in Matt. 5:48. Here Jesus explains :

• the whole purpose of His ministry
• the whole purpose of conversion
• the whole purpose of His sacrifice
• the whole purpose of everything of God

Right here in one verse!

Ask the evangelicals or the Catholics or the Jews, what does this mean?

Matthew 5:48: "Therefore, you shall be perfect…" Now, that's future tense, and it is a process from here to there, or a process from here to the first resurrection!

Verse 48: "You shall be perfect… [you can't be perfect until the resurrection because]: …even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect."

That's the whole goal! That's the whole purpose! The complete unleavenness of us:

• through the power of conversion/overcoming
• through the power of our choices
• living by every Word of God
• through prayer
• through study
• through all of these things

That's an amazing thing! The world can't understand that, because the carnal mind is blinded to the Truth of God!

Verse 48: "Therefore, you shall be perfect… [or you could put there become because it's future tense] …even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect."

Then He tells us how to get there. Matt. 6 tells us how we get there.

Matthew 6:33: "But as for you, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Those two verses tell us:

• the whole purpose of God
• the whole purpose of the Bible

and what we do!

Ephesians 4:12: "For the perfecting of the saints. For the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ":

• to teach
• to uplift
• to encourage
• to help
• whatever correction needs to be.

But let me tell you something that's very important:

The best correction comes from your choices in relationship to God, for you to change your thoughts and your behavior because you choose to do so!

That is the correction that comes from God! That is called self-control guided by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the will of God in your life. An amazing thing, indeed!

Verse 13: "Until we all come into the unity of the faith… that'll be the resurrection] …and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man… [just what we read in Matt. 5 & 6, perfect] …unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

How much more can we grow in grace and knowledge? To the stature and fullness of Christ! That's why we have the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Notice what this does so that you are able to resist against sin and change your behavior.

Verse 14: "So that we no longer be children, tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men in cunning craftiness, with a view to the systematizing of the error."

That's precisely what was active during the days of the Apostle Paul. As soon as the Apostle John died—after writing the book of Revelation—the Church was attacked with a vicious attack.

That's why we have all of the fake Christianity that we have today.

Verse 15: "But speaking… [holding ] …the Truth in love…."

• you love God
• you love Christ
• you love His Word
• you love your neighbor as yourself

"…may in all things grow up… [in grace and knowledge] …into Him Who is the Head, even Christ from Whom all the Body… [the whole Body of Christ wherever it is throughout the whole world] …fitly framed and compacted together by that which every joint supplies, according to its inner working… [the inner working of God's Spirit] …in the measure of each individual part, is making the increase of the Body unto the edifying of itself in love" (vs 15-16).

So, Paul lays out the whole purpose, and then he tells them, 'Now wait a minute, there might be some things out there that you think are good, but are really not good. Then he goes on to show here:

Verse 17: "So then, I declare and testify this in the Lord that you are no longer to walk even as the rest of the Gentiles are walking, in the vanity of their minds."

Now see, they have their religion. Remember what Paul did when he went to Mars Hill, and he spoke to all the philosophers there. He said, you're all ignorant, you worship the unknown God.

So, Paul said, 'I'm here to tell you about the God you don't know anything about. And He is the One in Whom you live and move and have your being!'

Same thing we're talking about today. No one can get away from God—period! Never happened. You're either going to do what God wants, or you're going to do what you want to do, and Satan comes in and takes over. Look at the end result of that! So, he says, you're not to live that way anymore, as the rest of the Gentiles.

Verse 18: "Having their understanding… [their mind] darkened…

Now think about that! When your mind is full of sin, it is darkened to anything to do with God! We see that with all of these riots and all of these things against what President Donald Trump is trying to do to correct some of the sins of the nation. They are so bad that if those aren't corrected, we're going down and out; and he understands that!  But that has nothing to do with conversion with us!

 "…being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts" (v 18).

Isn't it true? You get a staunch Sunday-keeper, the hardness of the heart, he/she won't change:

• Christmas
• Easter
• Halloween

or any of these other pagan things that Satan has so wrapped up this society! We're not to get involved in any of those things again.

Verse 19: "They have cast off all feelings, and have given themselves up to licentiousness… [that's what the transgender thing is all about, right there] …to work every uncleanness with insatiable desire."

That's why God says, you are not to let those people be in your society. Exile them, send them out!

Verse 20: "But you have not so learned Christ; if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, according to the Truth in Jesus: That concerning your former conduct, you put off the old man…" (vs 20-22).

There it is again! Put out the sin, put out the leaven, you put off the old man!

Verse 23: "And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind"—which in the Greek is 'metamorphosis.'

It is a thing that takes place over a period of time. And you have to renew, renew and renew, because the mind is so powerful that it takes a whole lifetime of overcoming.

"…put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (vs 22-23). There it is right there!

• that's what God wants
• that is conversion
• that is unleavenedness

Verse 24: "And that you put on the new man…"

• become perfect
• become converted
• become new in your mind
  • in the way that you think
  • in the way that you act

And that comes by having the Word of God written in your heart and written in your mind. All of that comes through coming to Christ and repenting of your sins!

His blood covers your sins; you repent and you walk in the way of the Lord. That's what Unleavened Bread is all about. There it is right there.

Verse 24: "And that you put on the new man, which according to God is created in righteousness and Holiness of the Truth." What is the Word of God?

• Truth
• Righteousness
• Love
• hope
• joy
• peace
• endurance
• long-suffering,
• understanding

Verse 25: "Therefore, let each one put away lies and speak the truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another."

• Isn't that something?
• How many people just live their lies?
• Amazing!

Even in the Church, one of the big problems in the Church today for the Seventh-Day Adventist and the Church of God Seventh-Day are the Holy Days!

For the Seventh-Day Adventist, it's the Passover and Holy Days. The only things they have is the Sabbath and being nice. They know nothing about the depths of the sacrifice of Christ through the Passover. They know nothing about the true conversion, which comes with God's Spirit and God's Word. Church of God Seventh-Day goes a little bit further.

But various Churches of God have different doctrines as we see of the prophecy in Rev. 2 & 3. Those things always drag them down. One of the biggest things, as I have pointed out and we will cover, is the whole meaning of Pentecost.

The reason that they don't have it and the reason that they don't understand it is because they're not really willing to believe the Truth. They're willing to follow a man who was 'a declared apostle' in the Church of God, but never understood Pentecost. That's an amazing thing, indeed!

Christ is the First of the Firstfruits and He was resurrected on the first day of the count to Pentecost!

• Why are there seven weeks? Because there are seven Churches, and it's on the 50th day!
• What is the 50th day? The Jubilee!

The Jubilee is the release from everything:

• all debt
• all finances
• all sin

What is the resurrection? The release from everything physical! That's why Pentecost is Day 50! It starts off with day one with Christ and ends up with all the saints being resurrected on Day 50! Simple little lesson there.

Now, he says this, v 26—Paul gets right on down to our daily conduct: "When you become angry, do not sin…."

Christ was angry and healed in anger, but He didn't sin. That's righteous indignation!

"…Do not let the sun go down on your anger" (v 26). Very important thing we will see here in a minute.

IF you get your anger and it's all stirred up and you hold on to it, it festers and festers and festers:

• you're not going to sleep well
• you're not going to have good thoughts
• you're going to be all upset
• you're going to be angry
• repent of it
• get rid of it
• put it aside
• set it aside

because all it will do is tear you down! Now, the next step, IF you don't do it:

Verse 27: "Neither give place to the devil." Now, that's quite a thing!

How do we give place to the devil? By transgressing all of the things that we have just been covering! That's why we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Don't give him any place! Then he goes on to say here:

Verse 28: "Let the one who stole, steal no more; rather, let him labor with his hands, working at what is good, so that he may impart something to the one who has need."

Yes! Isn't that true? Look at what happened to the Church when the leaders stole the tithes and offerings of the brethren for their own pleasure in their own works and doing the things that they shouldn't be doing.

What did God do? Got rid of it! Spewed it out of His mouth! To learn the lesson: you don't go against God and say that you are the leaders of the Church of God! You will not succeed!

Verse 29: "Do not let any corrupt communication come out of your mouth, but that which is good and needful for edification that it may give grace to those who hear."

Quite a thing, isn't it? That's what God wants! Tie all of this together, this whole chapter, this is it.

Verse 30: "Do not vex… [frustrate or work against] …the Holy Spirit of God by which you have been sealed for the day of redemption."

That day of redemption is the resurrection! Then Paul points out that we need to get rid of all carnality.

Verse 31: "Let all bitterness, and indignation, and wrath, and clamor, and evil speaking be removed from you, together with all malice." That's quite a thing!

• human nature is there
• human nature is powerful
• Satan is there
• Satan is powerful

That's why we have the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Sabbath, all the Holy Days of God, so that we do what God wants us to do!

Verse 32—Paul sums it all up: "and be kind and tenderhearted toward one another, forgiving one another, even as God has also in Christ forgiven you."

Here is a key that Jesus brought out. You forgive those that sin against you! Now, IF you don't forgive them, THEN God doesn't forgive you! Why? Because in forgiving them, that clears your mind of:

• anger
• frustration
• accusation
• wrong thoughts

That's why put it away! Quite a thing here. Think of this:

Ephesians 5:1: "Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children." That's the whole meaning of the New Testament!

The world thinks if they give up their ways and their thoughts and use their own free moral agency to live in sin, that they don't want anything to do with God. Because they think that:

• if you love God
• if you serve God
• if you do the things that He says

you're a weak, no good, nothing! That's absolutely wrong!

• you are strong
• you are spiritual
• you have character
• you have love
• you believe in God
• you have hope
• you have peace

all of the things that the human mind wants, but cannot achieve without the Word of God and His Spirit!

Verse 1: "Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children; and walk in love To love God…." (vs 1-2)—to love the brethren!

That love of God, as we have pointed out, is the most important thing!

"…even as Christ also loved us…" (v 2). That's quite a comparison!

How did Christ love us? He gave up His life for us! Think on that!

As God—Who created everything—gave up everything that He had to become a pinpoint of life to be born of the virgin Mary. So that he could live as a human being and that He could be the Messiah that God has sent to save the world. That He would put Himself into the hands of evil men inspired of Satan the devil to be beaten and scourged and crucified on the cross FOR YOU!

That His shed blood, and only His shed blood, can forgive us our sin. "…as Christ loved us…" Paul explains it this way:

"…and gave Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor" (v 2). Quite a thing!

Then he has more things about what we should not be doing. Should not be going against!

Col. 3 is what you might say required study and reading for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We have here the whole pattern of what we need to do in keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread and living our lives after that on a continuous basis at all times.

Colossians 3:1: "Therefore IF you have been raised together with Christ… [come out of that watery grave of baptism] ….seek the things that are above…" That's what has to be on your mind:

• What does God want?
• What is His Word?
• What is His Truth?
• What is His purpose?
• What is His hope?
• What is His calling?
• How is He dealing in our lives?

Amazing! Absolutely amazing!

"…seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your affection on the things that are above, and not on the things that are on the earth" (vs 1-2).

For example: What if you had all the gold in the world and all the silver in the world? And everyone would look up to you with great admiration and say, 'This one has all the gold and all the silver.'

What does God say? All the gold and all the silver is Mine!' So, whatever we have is temporary and on loan from God to use for good. Not to aggrandize ourselves! That's what he's talking about here.

Verse 3: "For you have died…"—in the watery grave of baptism!

• so that you can overcome the human nature
• so that you can overcome the lust

"…and your life has been hid together with Christ in God" (v 3).

Notice, how many times does Paul talk about looking ahead to the resurrection? He does it again:

Verse 4: "When Christ, Who is our life, is manifested, then you also shall be manifested with Him in glory."

• this is so great
• this is so marvelous
• this is the kind of control that He wants us to have over our thoughts with God's Spirit

That's the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to get rid of sin and bring in righteousness!

Verse 5: "Therefore, put to death your members, which are on earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Put away all those things of the flesh!

Verse 6: "Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, among whom you also once walked, when you were living in these things" (vs 6-7).

• think about that
• think about what your life was like before you were converted
• think about what it was like when you had all your troubles and your sins and your doubts and everything
• Why am I here?
• Where am I going?
• What is life?

All of the evil things coming in on you to create sin:

• in your heart
• in your mind
• in your life

There it is!

Verse 8: "But now you should also put off all these things…"

So, it goes from the open great sins down to sins that are not quite as terrible, but still sins!

• a personal character
• a personal thought
• a personal salvation

You should also put off all these things:

"…wrath, indignation, malice, blasphemy, and foul language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man together with his deeds" (vs 8-9).

That's the Feast of Unleavened Bread; you put off the old man with his deeds! You put in the new one, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory! As Paul said, 'Because we're under grace, should we sin? MAY IT NEVER BE!'

Verse 10: "And have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him Who created him." Amazing! Renewing! Continually!

Verse 11: "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor free; but Christ is all things, and in all."

Now, that's what we're to put out! That's quite a chore, isn't it? That's using the Spirit of God, the Laws of God and Christ in us to overcome the sin of human nature and to serve God in Truth and in love.

Verse 12,: "Put on then… [or put in] …as the elect of God, Holy and beloved, deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another…" (vs 12-13).

That's what we need to do, and forgiveness, as we saw in Eph. 4 & 5 is the key and important thing. That's why with the model prayer, the first thing is, after looking for God's will, you say, and forgive us our sins! Because as we have shown, the law of sin and death deep within us is a constant battle always.

Verse 13: "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive. And above all these things put on love…" (vs 13-14). The love of God never fails:

• for you individually
• for you toward your neighbor
• for you toward the brethren

"…put on love, which is the bond of perfection" (v 14). And that's what God wants!

• God is love
• God is truth
• God is perfect

"…the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…" (vs 14-15). There it is, right there!

With the Spirit of God, let it rule. Let that be how you direct your life. Let that be how you think. That is the unleavenness of Christ. That is the pure Word of God written in your heart and in your mind!

"…to which you were called into one Body, and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly…" (vs 15-16)—abounding in you!

• that's what you think on
• that's how you view your life
• that's how you view everything that is in your life
• that's how you view the world

"…in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—…" (vs 16-17). That's quite a thing! Everything you do:

• that's why you pray every day
• that's why you study every day
• this is why we have services on Sabbath every week
• this is why we have the Passover every year
• this is why we have Unleavened Bread every year

and all the rest of the Feasts and Holy Days of God!

Verse 17: "And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

So, this is the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Quite a thing, indeed! Isn't it profound how that the world has missed it completely, having the Bible in their hands, saying they believe in Christ, but they reject Him!

This is for us. Let's look for that day of redemption and let's put ourselves in God's hands:

• with God's Word
• with God's Truth
• with His Spirit

and become unleavened in Jesus Christ!

Scriptural References:

• Exodus 23:14-15
• Leviticus 23;1-5, 7-8
• 1-Corinthians 5:5-8

• Hebrews 12:1-4
• Psalm 57:1
• Proverbs 3:5
• Psalm 57:1-2, 5-7
• Jeremiah 10:23
• Jeremiah 17:5, 7
• Proverbs 16:2-4, 6, 17
• Romans 12:1-2
• Romans 6:1-3, 12
• Psalm 119:172
• Romans 6:13-16
• Ephesians 4:12
• Matthew 5:48
• Matthew 6:1-2
• Ephesians 4:12-32
• Ephesians 5:1-2
• Colossians 3:1-17

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Matthew 6
• Revelation 2; 3
• Hebrews 10
• Romans 7
• Ephesians 2

Also referenced: Booklet
Count to Pentecost

FRC:bo/po
Transcribed: 3/18/25

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