The Sigh of the Firstfruits

The Sigh of the Firstfruits

“But we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” Rom. 8:23.

This sigh is clearly manifested by Paul in Romans 7:21-24: “O wretched man that I am!” The Spirit cannot work with everyone in the same way. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, but He sanctifies us who have the firstfruits of the Spirit so we can obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:13-14. During this work of the Spirit with us, we, too, have to learn obedience by the things we suffer. Heb. 5:8.

There are many sighs here in this world, and we are exhorted not to sigh against one another. Jas. 5:9. People also sigh because of a lack of earthly goods or because of sickness in their corruptible bodies. Yet all these sighs are not “the sigh of the firstfruits.” They are more the sighs of the self-life.

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am!” This is a sighing because we are not able to fulfill God’s law as we would like. This is the sigh of the firstfruits. If we have this sigh, the Spirit works with us; there is growth and development. The angels of the churches in Sardis and in Laodicea had lost this sigh; therefore it had gone backwards with them.

When a person does not have victory over sin and his conscience judges him, it is natural for him to sigh, but it is not the sigh about which Paul writes in Romans 7. He had died to what had held him and was serving in the newness of the Spirit. Vs. 5-6. Nevertheless, this was not sufficient for him. He delighted in the law of God, and what you delight in never gets done as perfectly as you want. Every artist experiences this as he struggles against that other law in his hand.

Most people are satisfied with gaining victory over sin so that they are not judged by their conscience. They rejoice in this glory and in this liberty, and they can speak powerfully about victory over sin, but they lack the “sigh of the firstfruits,” and their message becomes somewhat hard and hollow. They lack this goal which Paul set before Timothy: “That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3:16-17.

If a person thinks and acts on the basis of this scripture, he will become aware of the other law in his members; and as long as we are in this body of death whose members harbor the law of sin, we must also suffer under our insufficiency. Paul says, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”—in other words, so I can perform every good work without being aware of this insufficiency. He longed for his adoption, the redemption of his body, and he answered this question himself: “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” When He descends from heaven with a shout, the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thess. 4:16-17. He will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body. Phil. 3:20-21. Then we will not sigh anymore. Then our body will no longer be limited, nor will our desire for perfection in doing every good work be hindered by our body. What a glorious redemption, and what a glorious expectation this is! Then we will have obtained perfection.

However, now we are in the race toward perfection and live with this sigh for perfection. All of us love exhortations, and we come together in order to exhort each other and encourage each other to love and good works. Timothy was Paul’s most excellent co-worker. He had the victory. He had died with Christ, and he loved Paul’s exhortations: “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them.” “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.”

May we also be in this race until we draw our last breath, living with this sigh of the firstfruits of the Spirit and loving exhortations.