Finding God

Recently, a question came up as to how a person can really get to know God. With more than 24,000 denominations around, where do you go to find truth? How do you know it is true? Usually, in the groups that I have been involved with through the years, I have found differences in doctrine and beliefs. The lack of unity among Christians can be quite discouraging. God, however, is far from discouraging.

It is not hard to see God's imprint on one's life. By imprint, I mean things like peace, joy and love that have completely bypassed understanding.  God is definitely a God of miracles and signs, things we can see, but He really inserts Himself much deeper in our hearts than we can see by our five senses.

I used to think finding truth was an insurmountable task. It is not really, but I think the culture around us might make it seem that way. The minute we start on a truth quest, God is quick to open his heart and we begin to start developing trust in who He is. When there is even a little bit of trust we can have patience as we are spurred on to learn more.

But where and how do we learn about Him?  For myself, I have look backed to the different teachers and groups that I have been involved in. In hind sight, I can see thankfully what some organizations contributed and also why at a certain point I got to a place in each where it was time, for a lot of different reasons, to  move on. 

For me there have been two constant companions in loving God: the Word and the gift of holy spirit. In these two entities lie the open door to truth. The Word is the story of God's heart and though we can't see God because He is spirit, the main topic of the Bible is the the revealing of His human son and what that means for a person who believes. Jesus Christ is the way to God. There is an Old Testament (before the birth of Jesus Christ) and a New Testament (after his birth and resurrection). God remains the same throughout the Bible. The birth of Jesus Christ brought a new dynamic to man's relationship to God. The gift of holy spirit (God is The Holy Spirit, holy spirit is His gift) unites all those who believe. Jesus Christ is the head of this group. He is Lord.  The words 'lord' and  'god' are titles indicating authority. He is the authority to the church. This means he has authority over his sphere of influence, the people who have responded to God and are connected through the spirit.

So where do you start? In order to understand anything about God, you have to take a look at His Words. You go directly to the source.  I think there are great people who teach the Bible, but our faith should not be based on an organization, or people. God will bring people across your path to help for the purpose of building up and equipping you with the skills to function in the church of Christ. We have a leader in Jesus Christ and we personally have God's word and communication through holy spirit. That's the New Testament! 

The Bible is not just printed pages. With a humble approach to its contents, it is a source of life! People I have talked with claim that there are too many versions and translations for it to be right. Actually, I read the King James Version and that probably the hardest one to read. I'm no genius but through trusting in God and staying at it, the spirit of God enlivens that book like no other. Having the King James Version incredibly inspire me is a testimony in and of itself!

It is obvious that God created the heavens and the earth.  We can see that everywhere we look! So why not start in Genesis chapter 1 and start reading. Ask God questions and be patient. If you don't understand it, don't worry about it, let Him work in your heart.  The Old Testament is chock full of men and women who stood for God and yet had many flaws and indiscretions. They did great things. So don't let guilt, shame and condemnation stop your search either.

There is a God of this universe that created the beautiful blue sky, sunsets, sunrises, trees, flowers, stars and the human body.  When you look at a tree you don't see all the magnificent things going on inside it until you start examining it closely and asking questions like: "why are the leaves flat like they are?" If you start looking at the Word in the same way, you will be amazed! It is the most important thing you'll ever do.

Drawn Because of Our Love For God

The fact that David is called 'a man after God's own heart' indicates that David's nature had a God-centered personality. This would draw people to him for different reasons. After the defeat of Goliath, David got a lot of attention, including the King of Israel, Saul:

58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. 18 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. I Samuel 17:58 - I Samuel 18:1

Jonathan, the son of Saul, was also drawn to David. A further read into the depth of these relationships shows different reasons. Jonathan and David's relationship is later describe as having a 'covenant of the Lord' (I Samuel 20:8).  Jonathan was drawn spiritually to David as a man who loved God. Saul's relationship moved in another direction toward viewing David as a competitor after seeing how people reacted to David:

9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God (it wasn't from God, but because Saul had waded into the spiritual mud so to speak and he was getting dirty)  came upon Saul, and he prophesied  in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. 11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.

Jonathan's recognition of who David was protected David from Saul.  The love of God was involved.
Saul had become senses orientated and was looking at what David was doing to his reputation. He allowed evil to dominate his thinking.

As people who love God, the same thing happens in our lives. Some people will like us and some people won't. We have been equipped with holy spirit to  recognize the difference so that we can still operate in love toward all and not let evil control our relationship with God.  Evil will always try to do this so sometimes we have to draw the line and be wise in the way we handle our relationships with the love of God.


Note:
This section  in John came to mind in regards to Jesus Christ's life in light of how some are drawn to Jesus Christ and not others:

61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can (dunamis -stored power) come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father (with the revelation of the word and the gift of holy spirit). 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. John 6:61-66

Thankfulness IS Believing

A good yardstick for believing is one's degree of thankfulness. Being thankful to God means there is a good amount of believing going on. There is so much around us to remind us of God's goodness.  Just as no amount of darkness can ever cover light, God's love always outshines the evil that exists in this world.

As I read through chapter by chapter and book by book (I and II Samuel, Chronicles, Psalms and several more) of David's life and his heart for God, thankfulness pops up everywhere. David got it done for God. He was able to get through all the hard things and do big things, because he really acknowledged the goodness of God in his life. His worship was not a religious exercise, it was heart-felt devotion and true.

The world is in dire need of a good dose of thankful living. It is the greatest thing we can teach to our kids. The way we teach it not necessarily by telling them to be thankful, but by reminding them of the great things God has done, and teaching them to remember all the ways in which God has poured his heart out, and how God loves them and shows his love everyday. There are plenty of things to point out. God's handiwork is everywhere.  Sometimes I think we do too much for our kids and don't leave room for God to bless them himself.

I think we can do that to ourselves too. We go out roaring to take on the world's pressures sometimes, and all we really need to do is stand still and wait on God. The Israelites in the Old Testament faced off against many enemies. In one such battle God told them he was going to handle it:

17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.2 Chronicles 20:17

When we see God step in like this it is mind blowing! It says in Romans that it is the goodness of God that leads a heart to God. We learn to love God not by being told we should love God, we love God in response to his love. I John puts it very simply:

We love God, because he first loved us! (I John 4:19)

I am so thankful to God for this very reason.  Even on bad days, he is even more lavish with his love if I let him. That is, of course, unless on that particular day I like being miserable. Usually when that happens I start wondering who turned out the lights because miserableness is just plain miserable. Many times when I'm having a rough day, he leads me into a giving situation and that fires me up and out of the mud.

God has got a lot of love up his sleeve to help out. We just have to get rid of the condemnation, guilt and shame and access righteousness, which he gave us long ago in Christ. That is what believing is all about! When we see the results of this powerful love over and over we build more and more thankfulness into our heart which insulates us against the next negative that comes along. Hey, if he raised Christ from the dead; how simple it must be to rescue us from the negative mind doldrums with the word!

After God's Own Heart - Offer Righteous Sacrifices-Psalm 4:5

In I Samuel 9-15 is the record of the rise and fall of Israel's first king, Saul.  Israel had demanded a king to rule them. God was not all too excited about the idea, but knowing where their heads and hearts were at, he had Samuel anoint Saul. Samuel reminded the people about what it was like when God was recognized as the king in chapter 12. He reminded them of all God had done to take care of them in the face of enemies and he pointed out the fallacy of appointed a king instead of having God as their ruler:

And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you. 14 If ye will fear (reverence) the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God:. I Samuel 12:12-14

In chapter 13, the heart of Saul was exposed when he did not wait for Samuel to come to make offerings to God as Samuel had instructed him(I Samuel 10:8). Instead he made the offerings himself. His foolishness in doing this was not about him making the offerings instead of Samuel. Instead of trusting God in the escalation of pressure that was surrounding him, he decided to handle his anxiety through his own urgency instead of trusting God.

12 therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee. I Samuel 13:12-14

The word 'forced' is indicative of his mindset that Saul had. God was looking for a man after his own heart. David has been called a man after God's own heart. Throughout the 70 Psalms that David wrote, there are wonderful examples of that kind of heart such as in Psalm 4:4-5.

4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

Sometimes it is hard for us to stand still in the righteousness that God has given us, but that is where trust takes abode.  It is in righteousness we can effectually serve our God, not in dead, ineffectual  religious zealous works which we feel forced to do to be right.  Rightness is given by grace, it is ours for the trusting.

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons in life that we can learn is not to push too hard and learn to enter into the rest that God has provided us.

Do We Really Believe This?

Ephesians 2:18 is a remarkable verse when we really think about what it means!  I have heard many quote this 'access stuff' often. I've heard it quoted in churches, conversations, small group gatherings, families and read it in books.

The living of this thinking is actually less often seen.  It is an amazing concept and privilege. We should repeat it over and over and plaster it everywhere. This verse represents security, confidence, boldness, peace, freedom, power, satisfaction, soundness and ultimately the real kind of love! It eradicates blame, false judgment, shame, angst, conflict, dissonance, the stinky kind of pride, arrogance and any other type of controlling behavior that jumps up with the pressures of this world.

Spiritual authority comes from God and God chose to make access to his authority available to everyone who chooses to believe. Even though we get older and older and grow in wisdom, we may have sagacity but it has to be accurately applied with meekness to the source. The greatest sages I have ever known are the quietest, most patient and also are continually learning and listening themselves. I have seen bible believing, pure-hearted children say wise, timely, and breathtaking comments that encourage and amaze arising from inherent spontaneous meekness. The implications of Ephesians 2:18 and its context go far beyond our own limited thinking.

The more we recognize and see God working in others, the more we can learn ourselves. This builds respect and promotes relationships that thrive and flourish with spiritual impact. It keeps us out of the oh so! damaging and ignorant, busybody category that promulgates gossip and ill-feelings.

The greatest thing we can do for others is to help them see the 'access stuff'. It is the apex of the grace administration in which we live. The great David lived in a time that only certain individuals had access.  Out of his lineage came another man, a mediator who eventually through his function as The Messiah, ushered in the new age of access for anyone who believes.  One man believing God had a larger widespread responsibility (which may be too much) than everyman believing God in his own easily defined sphere of influence. Yes, we ought to plaster this verse everywhere and maybe even re-nail it to the Wittenberg door as a reminder of the  re-form-u-lation of the New Testament grace administration. Failure to see this keeps the grace administration in a box. Grace is free.

Context:
Ephesians 2:13-22

After God's Own Heart

In the first book of Samuel, we begin to learn about David. David succeeded Saul in ruling over Israel as the king o Israel:

22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Acts 13:22

David was not perfect. He was human and made several mistakes in his life, some of which had major consequences. Nevertheless, God called him a man after his own heart. David is referred to throughout the Word of God and he is someone we can learn from.

David is first mentioned at the end of the book of Ruth specifically referring to his lineage. Naomi was Ruth's daughter-in-law and she eventually married Boaz. They begot Obed who begot Jesse who was David's father. David's lineage was important as it was part of the Christ line.

In I Samuel 16, the record of David starts with some of the events that led up to his replacement of Saul as King of Israel. In chapter 16, David was young still, but the scene was set up for him to move towards God's intended place for him.

We all know the story of David and Goliath. The heart of David is shown vividly in the record.  Two key components of his thinking separated him from all those dealing with the problem of Goliath.

First, he believed in his authority to remedy the situation:

45 Then said David to the Philistine (Goliath), Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.1 Samuel 17:45

Second, he believed he had the power to accomplish what he had to do:

38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. I Samuel 17:38-40

 Authority comes from the kingdom of God and power is what an individual has internally to carry that authority out. Jesus Christ amazed people when he performed great miracles:

36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. Luke 4:36

As believers today, we have the same authority and power to carry out the works of God:

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12

Notice the repetition of the word 'verily' (or in other words truly, truly!).  God calls our attention to what he is about to say. Believing is the key to the heart.  We can have authority from God and we have the power to carry out whatever God sets before us.  Whatever 'Goliath' stands in our way, no matter what, God will support us to deal with it effectively without heavy amour and with simple confidence just as David did.

Head and Heart

God summarized the law by focusing on two simple truths : love God and love your neighbor. These two concepts pretty much cover everything else. The how of love is from God. It involves the heart, mind, soul and strength. The heart is composed of both the feeling and the thinking center of the will in connection with the activities of the soul(life) and strength. We are to love ourselves and our neighbor as ourselves.

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:28-31 (Matthew 22:35-40, Luke 10:25-28, Deuteronomy 6:4-6

True love should always involve the love of God. We love others by being truthful, honest and encouraging. Love is spiritual and rises way above the human version of benevolent humanism. Love has power and it is involves the commitment and discipline of our feelings and thinking. It takes commitment to love, it is not just a whimsical affectation which is here one moment and gone the next minute when we don't feel like being loving.

God's love in any situation is the right answer. It cannot be dumbed down to human speculation. True acts of love always glorify God. True acts of love lift people out of the quicksand of the negative dramas of life.

By loving God, we are loving ourselves and then can do the same for others. This is a genuine type of self-love that overflows to others. Our actions toward others should come from a heart filled with the love of God not by man's definition and expectation of a good heart. We need to remember that we hurt people when we try to take God's place or glory in their lives. The greatest action toward those around us is to provide a springboard for them to get to know God and encourage them to trust his love to help them.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Maimonides

One to Another Relationships

'Submission' occurs in all relationships whether it be with a spouse, friend, mere acquaintance or  family member.  A simple example might involve any type of conversation between two people. If you are involved in a conversation with someone else there should be submission on both sides. One person talks and then the other. Each person takes turns listening otherwise it is not a conversation. Another example could involve the simple task of walking through a door. Two people cannot walk through a door together (with most size doors). Someone has to go first and the other follow. There's a logical arrangement.

Another consideration in a relationship centers on opinion. We don't always agree but our motives involving opinions should not center on who's right and who's wrong. The conversations in such relationships can accelerate higher and higher until someone gets plowed down. No matter who is right or wrong, arguments can be a battle of egos, pride, self-righteousness

and the relationship becomes unbalanced and doomed. There is no service, there is no unity, there is no good outcome.

We should respect the rights of others to have a different opinion. Free-will choice is a right. At the same time, we are not expected to respect an opinion another holds that is contrary to the word of God. If there is an opportunity to help someone understand God's word better we can influence the outcome of a relationship challenge. God has asked us to serve one another. Our respect and love for God motivates us to do just that.  Having God's authority enables us to accomplish the will of God. It is based on godly love.

21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear (respect, reverence and love) of God. Ephesians 5:21

This is not easy and may be oversimplified because human nature would have us look sideways instead of up first for answers. Accusation, competition, pride, indignation and other things start to take root which only send relationships south. The only way to look is up by looking at what the word says about a particular situation, praying and listening to God in patient trust on how to handle it and remembering that nothing is earth-shattering.  This is how we can respect others and love them the way God wants us to love them. When we react on what God asks us to do, we don't have to worry, the outcome will ultimately be the way it needs to be.

3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

Dominion

The word 'dominion'  used in Genesis 1:26 and 28 is an interesting word. Words in our culture such as leadership, control, domination, and authority come to mind and relate  to what we perceive the word 'dominion' to mean.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

God always wanted man to have dominion over this world. But, alas, man surrendered that dominion even after God had provided a beautiful, idyllic environment to enjoy. We got "dominion" back with Jesus Christ. As you look at 'dominion' in the word, it is quite a bit different from the world's view of 'dominion'. A study of this word tells a beautiful reality.

Man needs the help of God to overcome the pressures and negatives that the world has to offer. However, throughout the historical accounts in the Old Testament, we can read about man establishing his own way. Even religious leaders had problems.  The same is true today what Jeremiah referred to in Jeremiah 5:31 (24th use of the the same word for dominion or rule):

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means;
and my people love to have it so:and what will ye do in the end thereof?
Jeremiah 5:31 

Why do people 'love to have it so' ?   People have a tendency toward 'spiritual co-dependency' in two ways.  One is that they'd rather not think about it. Second, they are willing to let someone else think for them in this category. They give over control to someone else. Genesis 3 all over again!

The seventh use of the word for dominion is in Numbers 24:19a:

Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion,

19 

This is reference to the coming of Jesus Christ who is the source of the dominion we can have today :

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

 Jesus Christ does not lord over us, he IS the Lord and he helps us. In the four gospels his authority is recognized throughout, but he really did not display authoritarian behavior. He presented the truth in a powerful way and gave people a choice.

5 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. I Peter 5:1-3

We are not to lord over one another either (see Leviticus, 25:43,46, 53, the 3rd, 4th and 5th uses of the word for dominion). We serve each other as we believe God for ourselves. As we mature in the application of the word in our own lives we really have something to share because we learn a thing or two about God because we've seen a thing or two spiritually.

Godly Jealousy

Recently I listened to a popular TV preacher who compared godly jealousy to human self-orientated jealously.  As I went to check scriptures about his statements about godly jealousy, his comments really healed my heart.

For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Exodus 34:14

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy:  2 Corinthians 11:2a

 I can honestly say I have experienced the godly jealousy in regards to my family and people I love. When someone or some false ideology starts hanging around, alarms go off in my head. Handling it the right way keeps the godly emotion in the 'godly' category. There is nothing wrong with sharing the truth in love.

Godly jealousy should be construed as love and not considered a product of a negative heart.  It is not the same as human jealousy that arises out of self-interest that produces negative emotions like envy (I haven't found any references to God being an envious God), ungodly anger (to see what is said about godly anger look in the Bible-Ephesians 4:26) and pride (there may be a godly pride-Galatians 6:4) to name a few.

Jealousy can be a positive feeling about what is the best benefit of living according God's wisdom. We, as believers, are going to feel that same godly jealousy in response to things that misdirect people.  It is not something to be ashamed of.  Our culture, our ceremonies, celebrations, holidays and entertainment are loaded with subtle and not so subtle pagan substitutions for truth. Lack of truth has its effects. Its substitute practices drag people away from the beautiful joyful reality of God's peace and his love.

We need to be mindful that the Bible says the evil in the world will wax worse and worse. Just turn on the news and negative emotion and clouds of deception are everywhere:

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation (deliverance) through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:13-17

True godly love furnishes us with the tools to handle life. Chaos and drama swirls around constantly and tries to cut these tools out of our lives.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God for the purpose that those who love God can be furnished with the right tools! 💗

First Fruits of the Spirit

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 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. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Romans 8:20-23

Romans 8 is a great chapter as it magnifies the great significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in our lives. It starts out comparing the walk after the flesh to the walk after the spirit. The word 'flesh' represents our human qualities; the walk after the spirit reflects the holy spirit as it works in our lives. When Jesus said he had come that people might have life more than abundant (John 10:10). the spiritual walk is what is at the root of this abundant life.

Many people do not understand the effect of holy spirit in our lives and probably wouldn't have any concept of what is meant by  'first fruits' of the spirit.  'First fruits' refers to the  the earnest (partial down payment) of the of our full inheritance from God:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 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, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:12-14

One thing implied in the word 'first fruits' is that there is more coming  Depending on the context of how it is used it can refer to people (Romans 11:16, I Corinthians 15:20,23, I Corinthians 16:15, James 1:8, Romans 14:4), and first fruits of the spirit in Romans 8:23 as the new initial qualities that come with the spirit that are the earnest until the full manifestation of the redemption. This word is used 8 times in the New Testament (new beginning)

'First fruits of Achaia' indicate that there would be more of Achaia that would believe. Christ as the 'first fruit' of them that slept (I Corinthians 15:20) indicating that more resurrections would follow.

As far as the the first fruits of the spirit and its benefits, we don't exactly have the whole enchilada now as we are not living in the evil-free world of eternity. We have the expectation of eternal life which is what hope is more accurately. Now what we have  is power in the nine manifestations of holy spirit (I Corinthians 12:7-11), righteousness, sonship, justification, fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-24) and we are set apart from this world in not allowing it to effect our lives. We still live in this world and that's why 'groaning' occurs. Things are not perfect now but we look to the expectation that someday it will be:

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. I Corinthians 13:9-10

In the meantime, we have the first fruits of the spirit that enable us with power, love and a sound mind! (II Timothy 1:7).