Are you a LIVING Sacrifice
Today we don't worship God by slaying a bull or a goat and
offering it as a sacrifice. The sacrifice Christians are to offer
is a living one. But what does that mean?
In Romans 12:1 the apostle Paul wrote that we should present our bodies "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God."
A "Living Sacrifice?" What.was Paul talking about? Aren't sacrifices killed?
Well, they were
in Old Testament times. Back then the slaying of an animal
foreshadowed the time when the Lamb of God would be offered for the
sins of the World. Since the death of Jesus we no longer need to offer
animal sacrifices as part of our religious worship.
Even under the
Old Covenant, though, animal sacrifices were only substitutes for
what God really wanted. It wasn't that He needed animals offered to
Him. He owns every thing. "For every beast of the forest is mine
and the cattle upon a thousand hills," He declares (Ps. 50:10).
Samuel put his
finger on what God really desires; "Hath the Lord as great delight in
burnt offering and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?" He
asked, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams (I Sam. 15:22).
The prophet
Micah inquired: ''Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself
before the high God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with
calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for
my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" (Mic.
6:6-7).
Would these actions satisfy God?
Here is the
answer; "he hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the
Lord require of thee but to do Justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?" (verse 8).
That's what God WANTS!
The sacrifice's
that truly please Him involve genuine repentance, '"For thou desirest
not [animal] sacrifices else would I give it," David stated. "Thou
delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit: a broken and a contrite heart O God, thou wilt not despise.''
(Ps. 51:16-17)
The problem was
that without the Holy spirit, carnal human beings, could not fulfill
the requirements for Conversion. So the physical Levitical System was
set up, by witch sin was acknowledged (but not paid for) by various
sacrifices. Physical substitutions and profound ceremonial symbols were
used to foreshadow, the spiritual administration under the New
Testament, when the Holy Spirit would be given to those God called.
Physical Types
Physical Israel
had a physical priesthood serving in a physical tabernacle or temple.
Today the church is spiritual Israel. And the Church is the Temple. The
church in one sense is also a priesthood, as the apostle Peter pointed
out in I Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as lively [living] stones, are built up a
spiritual house [not a physical temple], an holy priesthood, to offer
up spiritual sacrifices." Agajn in verse 9 he staled, "But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation."
Of course, for we are training to be kings and priests in the coming government of God (Rev. 1:6, 5:10."
"Blessed and
holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection... they shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand
years" (Rev. 20:6). What an awesome calling!
In view of that
calling, one cannot help but notice many parallels between various
aspects of the Old Testament priesthood and what our spiritual lives
should be like.
Take, for
example, the clothing the priests wore. It was to be made of fine linen
garments "for glory and for beauty" (Ex. 28:40-43, 39:27-31).
Revelation 19:8
tells us that "fine linen is the righteousness of saints," Fine white
linen represents God's righteousness - the keeping of commandments (Ps.
119:172). David exclaimed, "Let thy priests be clothed with
righteousness" (Ps, 1329).
The priests'
clothing was given to them. They had to put off their own. In the same
way we must get rid of our own righteousness, which Is as filthy rags,
(Isa. 64:6), and let God clothe us with His righteousness (Is. 61:10).
Jesus - The
Eternal- is our righteousness (Jer. 23:6). That's why we are told to
"put off" the deeds of the flesh and to "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ
(Rom. 13:14, Gal. 3:27).
God's Spirit is Unique
Some mistakenly
think I there are other churches similar to God's Church. Actually,
there is no such thing AS being almost God's Church. Either it is God's
Church with God's Spirit, or it is as far from it as death is from
life. The Holy Spirit makes the difference. There is no substitute for
God's Spirit.
This is made
clear by the Holy anointing oil …symbol of the Holy Spirit with
which the Levitical priests were anointed, it was a special bled
of prize spices and oil, not to be duplicated for any other use
(Ex. 30: 22-33).
If you have
received the Holy Spirit and are letting it lead you, stop and think
how very different it makes you from those who do not have it. The way
you think and act and react, the fruits borne in your life; We are
different. GOD'S Spirit sets us apart and makes us holy. We are "holy
brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling," "partakers OF the. Holy
Spirit" (Heb. 3:1, 6:4), for we have been anointed by the Holy One" (I
John 2:20, Revised Standard Version).
Not just
everybody could be a priest. No one else could "join" the priesthood;
only those chosen by God, the descendants of Aaron in the tribe of Levi.
When God told
Moses to anoint Aaron and his sons, He pointed out that "their
anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their
generations" (Ex. 40:15). We too, have been anointed to serve God
forever throughout all eternity. The priests in ancient Israel had to
be totally familiar with God's laws, statutes and judgments so they
could teach others, the right way (Deut. 17:9-12, Lev. 10:10-11).
In the
government of the world tomorrow, the church and state will not be
separate. One government will enforce both civil and religious laws,
Because the principles overlap. That's whywe will be kings and priests.
Do you know God's spiritual and, physical laws well enough that you
will be able to teach the world in that day?
God told Moses
"Aaron and his sons, thou shall bring unto the door of the
tabernacle… and shall wash them with water" (Ex. 29:4). They had
to be clean to be consecrated to God, just us we must he cleansed by
the waters of baptism. Not only that, they had to continually cleanse
themselves when they appeared before God! Otherwise they would die
(Ex.30:19-21).
"Be ye clean,
that bear the vessels of the Lord" (Isaiah 52:11 admonishes. "Let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7:1).
Spiritual Sacrifices
What about the "spiritual sacrifices" we are offer. (1 Pet. 2:5)? Here, too, Old Testament types are instructive.
The offerings
performed by the Levitical priests particularly foreshadowed facets of'
Jesus Christ's life and death. Of special interest to us here is the
burnt offering.
In this
sacrifice the entire animal (except the skin of the larger animals) was
burned upon the altar. It was not classified as an offering for sin; it
had a different spiritual significance. It was a voluntary offering of
a sweet savor to God (Lev. 1:3, 9), sweet because God loves voluntary
serving. Not all sacrifices were voluntary. Not all were of a sweet
savor (Lev. 4-6:7).
Jesus was the
perfect fulfillment of the burnt offering. He was without blemish (Lev.
1:3). He gave Himself completely to God. He was completely consumed in
dedication to God. We are to follow His example.
Notice, in
Leviticus 1:8-9, how the different parts of a burnt offering are
listed: the head (having the eyes, ears and mouth, as well as the mind
and thoughts), the fat (the health and well-being), the innards (the
feelings, emotions and affections) and the legs (the path or way of
walking). The total being - this is what we must offer to God when we
"present our bodies" to Him (Rom 12:l).
We are expected
to give our lives; emotions, thoughts, desires, plans - all that make
up us - as a voluntary offering to God, to be totally burned up in
service to Him.
When the
brethren at Philippi performed a good work bv sending help to the
apostle Paul, he wrote back "I have received all, and abound: I
am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from
you, an odour of sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to
God" (Phil. 4:18).
Of course, we
are not ''without blemish'' as burnt offerings were supposed to be and
as Christ was. But God has provided for that. Jesus our great High
Priest, typified Aaron (Ex. 28), appears before God on our behalf. On
him is the divine seal of approval that he is "Holiness to the Lord"
(verses 36-37).
As far as we are
concerned, even our best efforts are often imperfect. But God looks on
the heart. And Jesus, is as Aaron was, before God to bear the iniquity
[the imperfection] of the Holy things, which the children of Israel
shall hallow in all their holy gifts… that they may be accepted
before the Lord" (verse 38).
That is how our spiritual, sacrifices are "acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 2:5).
The "GIVE" Way of Life
Voluntary
sacrifices such as those even under the Old Covenant, typified the way
of life called the way of giving, to take a choice, spotless animal
from one's herd or flock and slay it was, an expensive proposition. It
was indeed a sacrifice.
Voluntarily giving the best to God - that is the kind of offering God wants.
Obeying God has a price. There is a sacrifice: We must lay down our own lives. And - not just once - we must do it repeatedly;
God commanded
that the fire on the sacrificial altar was never to go out. The priests
had to keep it burning constantly (Lev. 6:12-13). There was to be a
"continual burnt offering" - a sacrifice totally consumed twice a day,
evening and morning, day in .and day out (Ex. 29:38-42).
Our prayers
ascend before God's throne as ceremonial incense once did. David
prayed, "let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and evening
sacrifice" (Ps. 141:2). How sweet smelling and pleasing it is to, God
when a human being sincerely offers himself totally to God, daily.
Or why not even twice a day, as the evening and morning sacrifices were offered?
An animal
sacrifice died once and that was that. We are to be living sacrifices,
offered anew every day. And if we are ever called on to give up even
these physical lives for God, we, like the apostle Paul, must be "ready
to be offered" (II Tim. 4:6) in that manner also.
Notice what
Jesus is recorded as saying to God: "Sacrifice and offering [of
animals] thou wouldest not [that's not what God is really after], but a
body hast thou prepared me [a human body in which he could do the Work
of God, giving himself daily in service, fulfilling God's will in
everything and finally laying down His life for the sins of mankind]:
In [animal] burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no
pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come [and here is what really matters]...
to do thy will, O God (Heb. 10:5-7).
Our lives are
made up of time. It takes time to visit the sick. It takes time to pray
for others. It takes time to help those who need help. A Christian life
is a life of outgoing giving - sacrificing selfish, personal desires.
Not that we
should go around looking at everything we do for God, as a painful
exercise in sacrificing, feeling sorry for ourselves us though life
should be a bed of nails. Our sacrifices, should be "sacrifices of
joy"(Ps. 27:6), "sacrifices of thanksgiving" (Ps, 107:22, 116:17) and
"sacrifices of praise" (Heb. 13:15).
It is an honor
and privilege to sacrifice anything for the One who gave more to us
than we can ever give to Him. David asked, "what shall I render unto
the Lord for all His benefits toward me'?'' (Ps 116:12).
God wants us to serve Him "with joyfulness and with gladness of heart" (Deut. 28:47) - not begrudgingly.
A Christian
should totally offer himself to God every day, seeking to obey Him and
to live a life based an the principles of the way of give, ''for there
is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all
the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul and
with all the strength, and to love [one's] neighbor as himself, is more
than all whole [ceremonial] burnt offerings and sacrifices" (Mark
12:32-33).
Yes, it is a living sacrifice!.
Janurary 1982 Good News Magazine Article reprint by Clayton Stoop
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