My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in the previous days we
meditated regarding giving God his offerings. Our Lord Jesus Christ says - Fools
and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the
gift? From this what we need to understand is that, we and our heart is that
altar. Only if the altar is sanctified (made holy) whatever offering we may
offer it will be holy. Only offerings that are holy pleases God and can enter
the kingdom of God.
Revelation 21: 27 - But there shall by no means enter it
anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who
are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
If we want to be made holy, we have to submit ourselves and
everything that belongs to us to God. If we will empty ourselves and give
ourselves to God, He will make us holy. God’s words will continually make us
holy. As an example, think of how Abraham submitted himself to God.
God tested Abraham. Now it came to pass after these things that
God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Genesis 22: 2, 3 says - Then He said, “Take now your son, your
only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him
there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and
took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood
for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told
him.
Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place
that God had told him afar off. That
place is Mount Moriah.
When Abraham was taking his son Isaac and going - Isaac spoke to
Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then
he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering?”
Then the father told the son God will take care of the
situation. When Abraham stretched out his hand to slay his son
Genesis 22: 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from
heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So, he said, “Here I am.”
And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to
him; for now, I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son,
your only son, from Me.”
Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him
was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So,
Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead
of his son.
And Abraham called the name of the place, Jehovah Jireh;
as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
First of all we must submit our body, soul and spirit completely
to God and when we become a sacrifice God will save us through the blood of the
Lamb and give us a sure sign by showing Abraham’s eyes a ram caught in a
thicket by its horns. He is bringing that ram and sacrificing it instead of his
son. In order to offer this as a sin offering, burnt offering, peace offering, sacrificial
burnt offering our Lord Jesus Christ has become a propitiation for us. Our
sacrificed Christ rose again for us. He is God’s holy mountain. He will provide
everything for us. This type of faith should grow in all our souls. That is why
in Galatians 3: 7 - Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of
Abraham.
Romans 3: 20, 21 - Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh
will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed,
being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets
even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus
Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus
In this manner, through faith Christ in us and above us is a
sacrifice. That sacrifice who is our Lord Jesus Christ is the righteousness
through Christ.
This manifests on those who believe as deeds. May the Lord bless
you all.
Let us pray.
- To be continued