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FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
BELIEFS 5, 6, 7 AND 8
BELIEF 5 – SALVATION AND STEPS TOWARDS SALVATION
Mainstream Christianity and almost all other religions believe that humans have an immortal soul that never dies. They believe that if one has done good in one’s life, one goes to heaven after death and lives forever. If one has done evil, then one still lives forever, but is tortured in hell forever. However, the Bible teaching is different.
Ezekiel 18:4, 20 tell us “The soul that sins, it shall die.” And sin is defined as “transgression of the law” or lawlessness (1 John 3:4).
Romans 3:23 says, “23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 states, “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
These two verses tell us that all humans have sinned and earned the death penalty for their sins, because the soul [being] that sins shall die. But God offers us eternal life as a gift through Jesus Christ whose sacrifice paid the death penalty on our behalf. Thus, salvation is obtaining eternal life as a gift from God.
Romans 5:8-10 tell us that we are justified by having our sins forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus Christ: “8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath [death penalty] through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Salvation according to the Bible is having our sins forgiven (which have earned us the death penalty) through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and receiving the gift of eternal life. 1 John 3:2 tells us what kind of eternal life we will have: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He [Jesus Christ] is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” In 2 Corinthians 6:18 God says, “And [I] will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Thus, salvation is receiving the gift of eternal life from God with a glorified body like that of Jesus Christ as His literal sons and daughters.
STEPS TO GAINING SALVATION
1) God does the Calling
God takes the first step to lead an individual on the road to salvation. This means, God opens the mind of the individual to understand His truth. A person cannot completely understand God’s truth on mere Bible study on his own. Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the day.”
Peter said in Acts 2:39: “39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
Paul wrote in Romans 8:28-30, “28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
This does not mean that only some will be saved whereas others will be condemned. As will be explained later, God has a plan to offer one chance for salvation to every human being ever born, which is pictured in God’s seven annual holy days. Some will be called in the first 6,000 to receive their one and only chance for salvation. Then in God’s kingdom during the millennium, all human beings living will be called. After the millennium, God will resurrect every human being who has ever lived but was not called by God during the first 6,000 years and give them their one and only chance for salvation. Thus, God will call human beings at different times.
After God calls us, He earnestly wants us to take the path to salvation. He tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that He “is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
2) Faith in God and Jesus Christ
After God calls us and opens our minds to understand His truth, we have to answer the call, which means that we have to choose to accept His way of life. That means, to gain salvation we have to have complete faith in God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, believe that they exist, have created everything and that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ paid the death penalty on behalf of all humanity.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
3) Repentance from Sin
The next vital step to gaining salvation is to repent of one’s sins, or transgressing God’s laws (1 John 3:4).
On the day of Pentecost in 31 A.D. when God’s true Church began, Peter was inspired to preach a sermon to the people gathered to celebrate the Feast. When he preached that Jesus whom they had crucified was both Lord and Christ, they were pricked in their heart and asked Peter in Acts 2:37-39, “...Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Peter told the people that they must repent of their sins. Jesus pointed out the importance of repentance to be saved when He said, "unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, Luke 13:5). God commands everyone to repent (Acts 17:30). 2 Peter 3:9 says, God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “...the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel [good news]”.
Repentance from sin does not mean only to feel sorry and show remorse for one’s past sins. It goes way beyond that. It should produce godly sorrow in us for having sinned. Paul the apostle describes what godly sorrow produces in us in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, “10 For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world [mere remorse for having sinned but doing nothing about it] works death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
True repentance produces godly sorrow for having sinned. It is followed by diligence to clear out sin in oneself with anger at having sinned and fear of God because of the consequences of continuing to sin. Then with vehement desire and zeal one works to completely turnaround one’s life from sin to stop sinning by diligently obeying God’s law.
4) Water Baptism by Immersion
After repenting from sin, the next step on the road to salvation is to make a total commitment and solemn covenant with God to live His way of life from that day forward by keeping all His commandments, obeying His Law and living by every word of God (Matthew 4:4). One demonstrates that total commitment, with never going back, by being baptized. Peter mentioned this as the next step in his sermon on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38, “38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Baptism is performed by total immersion in water because it pictures total surrender to God and completely burying the old self. An example of the baptism performed by Philip the evangelist is provided in Acts 8:35-39. When we are baptized, God forgives all our past sins.
After baptism we are dead to sin and should walk in newness of life as mentioned by Paul in Romans 6:3-6, “3 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
5) Receiving God’s Holy Spirit
In Acts 2:38, Peter said, “...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
So, the next step on the road to salvation after water baptism is receiving the gift of the holy spirit. Members of God’s true Church are those who receive God’s holy spirit. Romans 8:9, “...Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”
God gives His holy spirit to those who are baptized by the laying on of hands of a genuine minister of God’s true Church and praying for the baptized person to receive the holy spirit. Examples are given in Acts 8:17; 9:17; 19:6; 2 Timothy 1:6. Acts 8:17, “17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”
The act of immersion in water at baptism forgives all our past sins. But merely the act of baptism does not give the holy spirit to the repentant person. Acts 8:14-17 and 19:1-6 show that laying on of hands of a genuine minister is necessary to receive the holy spirit.
God’s holy spirit, the spirit not of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) helps a Christian keep all of God’s commandments and obey His Law. In the New Covenant God has not done away with His law but with the help of the holy spirit writes His laws in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:8-10). By receiving God’s holy spirit, we also become members of God’s true Church, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).
6) Grow in Grace and Knowledge
After baptism and receiving God’s holy spirit, as newly begotten children of God, we must continue to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord” (2 Peter 3:18). We must exercise living faith to produce works, which involves obeying God and doing what He says! James 2:20 tells us, “Faith without works is dead”.
God’s holy spirit begins the process of transformation in us. The transformation is not instantaneous. It requires continuous gradual change in our thinking, attitude, outlook and behavior from producing fruits of the flesh to producing fruits of the holy spirit. Galatians 5:19-25, “19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, 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.
“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
A Christian’s goal is to develop god’s holy righteous character in himself, a lifelong process by putting on the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, “...we have the mind of Christ). Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”. Our goal is to have Christ be formed in us (Galatians 4:19, “19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you”).
7) Putting on Immortality
Once a Christian has developed God’s holy and righteous character through tests and trials, he qualifies to receive the gift of eternal life from God in His kingdom through a resurrection. The final step to salvation, therefore, is to be changed from mortal to an immortal son of God with a spirit body like that of Jesus Christ (1 John 3:2).
1 Corinthians 15:47-54 tells us how this takes place, “47 The first man [Adam] is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord [Jesus Christ] from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
“50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the [seventh] trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
This change takes place at the return of Jesus Crist to earth to establish God’s kingdom as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17, “14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
BELIEF 6 – REPENTANCE AND FAITH
God’s Church believes that those who truly repent of their sins and are willing to totally surrender to God, live His way of life by obeying His laws and have faith that Jesus Christ is their Savior Who fully paid the death penalty for their sins on their behalf by sacrificing His life, will have their sins forgiven by the grace of God. Such individuals can then be pardoned from the death penalty, receive the gift of God’s holy spirit which will abide in them, imparting God’s divine love which alone can enable them to obey God’s law and produce righteousness. They receive the gift of the holy spirit by being baptized into the Body of Christ, which is the true Church of God. Those who are led by the holy spirit become Christ’s. The holy spirit then produces a change in their attitude and life leading to righteousness.
Though I explained this belief as part of “Belief 5 – Salvation and Steps Towards Salvation”, I am explaining it separately because it is a foundational belief in Christianity and those cursorily reading this eBook would be looking for it as a separate Chapter and may miss it as part of Belief 5.
SCRIPTURES
Sin is defined as “transgression of the Law” (1 John 3:4).
Jesus pointed out the importance of repentance to be saved when He said, "unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, Luke 13:5). God commands everyone to repent (Acts 17:30). 2 Peter 3:9 says, God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” When Peter preached the first sermon in the New Testament and the Jews convicted in their conscience about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ asked him and the other apostles in Acts 2:37-38, “Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul also preached "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).
Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “...the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the gospel [good news]”.
True repentance involves a recognition of our carnal nature and its opposition to God (Romans 8:7) which requires a complete turnaround from transgressing God’s law to ceasing from sin and obeying God’s law. It is not merely feeling sorry for one’s sins or showing remorse for one’s past actions but sorrowing in a godly manner that leads to being careful to not commit sin again with vehement desire and zeal to put away sins as Paul described in 2 Corinthians 7:11 (NKJV), “11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication!”
Godly repentance is not something that we can work up in ourselves. Goodness of God leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). It is a gift from God (2 Timothy 2:25; Acts 11:18). It is one of the many good things our Heavenly Father gives us (James 1:17).
We must realize that repentance must be an ongoing process. Vestiges of human nature remain in us for the rest of our lives, warring against our minds and leading to sin (Romans 7:17; Romans 7:20-21). Therefore, even a converted person will have to continue his battle with sin throughout his life and will need to repent of it (1 John 1:8-10; 1 John 2:1).
We need deep faith which is belief and trusting confidence in God to come to Him. Hebrews 11:1, 6, “1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen... 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Many examples of the deep faith and trust in God such as those of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and others are provided in Hebrews 11.
True faith leads a person to act in accordance with God’s will and produce works of righteousness (James 2:17-26).
As Peter said in Acts 2:38, after repentance, a person who wants to make a total commitment to God’s way of life is then baptized and receives the gift of God’s holy spirit by the laying on of hands by a true minister of Christ. Then an important result of having the Holy Spirit within us is the development of faith (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 9). We then live by "The faith of the Son of God" (Galatians 2:20, KJV). Those who are just (that is those who are justified or made right with God) live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).
The converted person continues through repentance and faith to rely on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ throughout his life to forgive his sins and receive help in overcoming them. With Jesus Christ living in him through the Holy Spirit, the Christian is able to grow in God's way of life, increasingly walking by faith in obedience to God's law of love (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:29).
BELIEF 7 – WATER BAPTISM AND LAYING ON OF HANDS
God’s Church believes in the requirement of water baptism by total immersion in water after repentance for an individual to make a total commitment to God’s way of life. Then through laying on of hands by a minister of God’s Church and prayer to God, the individual receives God’s holy spirit to enable him or her to obey God’s commandments and live His way of life. The individual then becomes part of the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, the Church of God. (Matthew 3:13, 16; John 3:23; Acts 2:38; 8:14-17; 19:5-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Though I explained this belief as part of “Belief 5 – Salvation and Steps Towards Salvation”, I am explaining it separately because it is a foundational belief in Christianity and those cursorily reading this eBook would be looking for it as a separate Chapter and may miss it as part of the Belief 5.
In Hebrews 6:2, Paul the apostle mentions the “doctrine of baptisms” and “laying on of hands” as two of the six foundational principles of Christ.
The concept of baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins was first introduced to Israel by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-6; Mark 1:4-5). Jesus, who needed no repentance from sin because He never sinned, set an example for God’s Church to follow by Himself being baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-17).
The English word baptize is derived from the Greek word baptizo which means “to immerse.” Therefore, by definition, to baptize means to completely immerse in water. Complete immersion in water, therefore, is the only acceptable form of baptism, and not sprinkling or partial immersion. John the Baptist baptized in a particular place in the Jordan river because there was much water there (John 3:23).
For a Christian, the importance of baptism is that it pictures the death and burial of his old self with its sins in a “watery grave” to be resurrected as a new person to walk in newness of life as stated in Romans 6:3-7, “3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.” (See also Colossians 2:12-13).
After baptism, the individual’s sins are washed away, all past sins forgiven, has been freed of the death penalty. He must now live a new life in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:21-24, “ 21 if indeed you have heard Him [Jesus Christ] and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
The process of baptism was explained by Peter the apostle in Acts 2:37-38, “37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Baptism, therefore, must be preceded by acknowledgement of our guilt for sins, the consequence of which is the death penalty and the need to be saved from the death penalty through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That means we have faith that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will wash away our sins, deeply repented of them, have had a complete change of heart and no longer wish to live that old way of life. We want to “bury” the old sinful life (Romans 6:11), make a total commitment to God the Father and Jesus Christ and live the way Jesus lived (Colossians 2:12, Luke 14:25-33).
These scriptures clearly show that baptism is not appropriate for children. The bible provides no example of children being baptized. Only individuals mature enough to understand their old sinful self, the need to change and able to make a total lifelong commitment to God the Father and Jesus Christ should be baptized.
God castigated ancient Israel for disobeying his commandments, statutes and judgments and prophesied through Ezekiel the prophet that when He gathers them from all nations back to the land of Israel, He will put a new spirit, his holy spirit, within them to enable them to obey His Law.
Ezekiel 11:17-20, “17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ 18 And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19 Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” The same promise is repeated in Ezekiel 36:26-28.
Therefore, a person who has repented of his sins, has decided to make a total commitment to live God’s way by obeying His commandments, must receive God’s holy spirit that will enable him to keep the commandments, statutes and judgments. This is all part of the process for receiving God’s holy spirit mentioned by Peter in Acts 2:38, “38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The process for receiving God holy spirit is mentioned in Acts 8:17, “17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”
Other examples of being baptized and receiving the holy spirit are mentioned in Acts 9:17; 19:6 and 2 Timothy 1:6. God’s holy spirit, the spirit not of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) helps a Christian keep all of God’s commandments and obey His Law. In the New Covenant God has not done away with His law but with the help of the holy spirit writes it in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:8-10).
It is through the indwelling Holy Spirit that Christ lives within the Christian (John 14:16-17, 23; Galatians 2:20). By receiving God’s holy spirit, we also become members of God’s true Church, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).
BELIEF 8 – GOD’S HOLY DAY PLAN OF SALVATION FOR MANKIND
This belief of God’s Church is described in detail in my eBook “God’s Plan of Salvation for Mankind”available free on my religion website (http://www.churchofgodmessage.com/whygodcreatedmankind.html) - On this website in the Literature Section.
Leviticus 23 describes the weekly sabbath and the seven annual holy days ancient Israel was required to keep.
The weekly sabbath (Leviticus 23:1-3) broadly pictures God’s 7,000-year plan of salvation for mankind in which God has allotted 6,000 for mankind to labor and develop its own civilization, systems of government and education, but subject to Satan’s influence. During this time, God will call only a few people in a relationship with Him by giving them His holy spirit so that they can develop His holy righteous character with His help and qualify to receive the gift of eternal life at the return of Jesus Christ as His immortal sons and daughters. The seventh day Sabbath as day of rest (Hebrews 4:4-9) pictures God’s kingdom for 1,000 years (Revelation 5:10; 11:15; 20:4-6) when mankind will rest from its labors. There will be no war, God’s saints now made immortal sons of God will rule over all nations with Jesus Christ to usher in peace, justice, happiness, joy, abundance and prosperity for all. Only God’s way will be taught and all of mankind will be called and will receive God’s holy spirit, making salvation available to all.
The seven annual holy days then depict God’s plan of salvation for mankind in greater detail.
First annual holy day during the spring early harvest or holy day season (in March or April of the calendar year) is the Passover which pictures the sacrifice of the sinless Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God without blemish, to pay the death penalty on behalf of every human being for their sins (1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Romans 3:25).
Passover is observed the way Jesus kept the last Passover with His disciples which included foot-washing and the partaking of unleavened bread and wine as symbolic of Christ's body and shed blood offered as sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.
The second feast during the early spring harvest season is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, observed for seven days immediately following the Passover in which we put all leaven out of our homes (Exodus 12:19). Leaven symbolizes sin. Therefore, this festival teaches and reminds us annually that after our sins have been forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are not to remain in sin, but to work diligently to put all sinful thoughts, attitudes and actions out of our lives (1 Corinthians 5:7-8, Matthew 4:4).
The only annual feast during the late spring harvest season, is called the Feast of Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Firstfruits, celebrated in May-June of the calendar year. On this day in 31 A.D., God's holy spirit was first given to a group of disciples to begin God’s New Testament Church (Acts 2:1-4). Without the holy spirit, we cannot belong to God and Christ (verse 9) and cannot be a part of God's Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).
The Firstfruits are the first agricultural products that mature and ripen. This feast, therefore, pictures the calling out by God of a few people during the first 6,000 years of man’s history, granting His holy spirit to enable them to understand His laws and live a righteous life to qualify to receive eternal life through a resurrection at Jesus Christ's second coming (Exodus 23:16; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:37-39; James 1:18; Romans 8:23). Jesus Christ is the first of the firstfruits as pictured by the waive sheaf ceremony during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:9-14, 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). It pictured the resurrection of Jesus Christ to eternal life, the first human being to be resurrected as first of the firstfruits.
Pentecost teaches us that this is not the only time for salvation. Most of humanity will be called later, as pictured by the much greater autumn harvest.
The remaining four holy days come in the autumn season. The first of these holy days is the Feast of Trumpets. It pictures a time of unprecedented global wars and catastrophes and God’s intervention in affairs of mankind with the return of Jesus Christ to earth at the sounding of the “last (seventh) trumpet” (Revelation 11:15) to save mankind from annihilating all life on earth, establishment of God’s kingdom and resurrection of the firstfruits to eternal life (Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) to reign with Christ for 1000 years as priests of God and kings (Revelation 5:10, 20:4, 6).
The fifth holy day is called the Day of Atonement which pictures the putting away of Satan, the primary cause of sin as ruler of the earth and the demons who constantly tempt human beings to sin, so that they can no longer influence mankind. Satan will be bound for a thousand years (Leviticus 16:29-30, 20-22; Revelation 20:1-3). Once Satan and his deception are out of the way, all mankind can be reconciled (become at one) with God.
The Day of Atonement is observed by fasting for 24 hours without food or water which enables us to draw closer to God and be reconciled to Him. It also pictures Jesus Christ as our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; Hebrews 5:4-5, 10) making atonement for the sins of all mankind (Hebrews (9:8-14, 10:19-20).
The sixth holy day is called the Feast of Tabernacles, also called the Feast of Ingathering, celebrated in September-October in the modern calendar year. It pictures the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ and the saints in God’s kingdom on earth (Leviticus 23:39-43, Revelation 19:11-16, 20:4.) Christ’s rule will start at Jerusalem and spread throughout the world to usher in unprecedented thousand years of peace, prosperity, happiness and joy (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 2:35, 44; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14). It also pictures God harvesting the greater part of humanity for salvation which is eternal life in His kingdom (John 4:35-36; Isaiah 11:9, Habakkuk 2:14).
This festival is observed for seven days by members of God’s Church gathering throughout the world at regional feast sites and living in temporary dwellings for the entire period such as in hotels or camp sites.
The seventh holy day is called the Last Great Day, which is the eighth day following seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36-39). It depicts the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-13. It pictures the resurrection to physical life of all the estimated 100-120 billion human beings who have ever lived (Ezekiel 37:1-14) but died without receiving knowledge of God’s ways and their human potential. Almost all will truly repent of their sins, will be taught God’s ways and will receive their one and only chance for salvation to qualify to receive the free gift of eternal life as God’s literal immortal sons and daughters (Romans 11:25-27; Luke 11:31-32).
God’s seventh day Sabbath and the seven annual holy days depicting God’s plan of salvation for all mankind show how merciful God is to forgive sins, give ALL of mankind an opportunity to qualify to receive the gift of eternal life and become His sons and daughters in His universe-ruling kingdom. Vast majority of mankind will qualify to receive God’s gift.
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