first fruits

"In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of  first fruits among His creatures."  James 1:18

The Means...

God brought us forth by exercising His will.  This suggests a deliberate, premeditated, and purposeful action on His part.  Wherever He has brought you today, it was not the result of an afterthought, a mistake, or simply a lack of action on His part.  He has a will, and He never hesitates to exercise it.

God also brought us forth by the word of truth.  1 Peter 1:23 goes further to say we have been "born again...through the living and enduring word of God."  He spoke the world into existence, and He spoke you into existence.  His loving words not only brought us into this physical realm, but also into a lasting, amazing relationship with Him if we accept His outstretched hand and invitation.

...to the End.

What does it mean to be part of God's first fruits?  Based on Jeremiah 2:3 and Revelations 14:4 (scriptures that were footnotes for this verse in my bible), I think it means to be set apart as holy to the Lord.   In the Jeremiah scripture, the prophet states that anyone who "devours" Israel will be overtaken by disaster.  So not only does God set us apart as holy, He also provides a hedge of protection around us to help keep us holy.

Additionally, being a first fruit is living your life as your sacrifice to God.  First fruits of the harvest were always set aside and offered up to God as a sacrifice of thanks, a humble way of thanking Him for protecting the crops and for His sovereignty.

The verse from Revelation that's referenced above describes "chaste" followers of God following the Lamb wherever He goes, and that they "have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb" (14:4).  So being a first fruit means you follow Jesus....wherever He goes and wherever He takes you.  It means that you have been bought with a price, and as a result your overwhelming gratitude becomes one of the many reasons why all you want to do is follow Him.

I'm a far way away from really appreciating what it means to be one of God's first fruits.  Since these first fruits are described as "among men" or "among His creatures," that means, of course, that these first fruits are set apart and certainly do not include all of God's creation.  So with the many labels I'm continually adding to my identity (Chosen.  Royal.  Loved.  Saved.), I'm adding another one to the list:  First Fruit.  May I continue to delve further into this part of my identity as His child.