CAN YOU MAKE THE SACRIFICE? Part 2, No. 668
CAN YOU MAKE THE SACRIFICE? Part 2
“Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house,
a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesu s Christ.”
(1 Peter 2:5).
We continue to discover the sacrifices God was us to walk in.
SACRIFICE OF A HUMBLE HEART
Psalm 51:17 (NET): “The sacrifices of God desires are a humble spirit – O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” David is repenting from his sin in this psalm. He is totally broken and humbled. God will never turn away from a broken and repentant heart. We must seek to always keep a soft and repentant heart before the Lord.
Psalm 34:18: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Again God speaks in Isaiah 66:2: “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
If we want God’s presence in our lives, we must keep our hearts soft and attentive toward the Lord. We must take heed to every word we read in the Bible, even trembling at the words we read. Do ever tremble when you read God’s word? I often do. God’s word is so powerful and we dare not read it without obeying it.
Sometimes it is a sacrifice to take the humble way rather than hang on to our own rights and demand our own way, but this is also a sacrifice that God desires. The King James Version calls it “a broken and contrite spirit” which is a very soft and humble spirit. No pride and hardness there!
I read this quote from Charles Spurgeon the other day: “There will be three effects of nearness to Jesus—humility, happiness, and holiness.” Do you want the presence of Jesus to fill your home? Keep your heart oft and humble and you will be blessed with happiness.
SACRIFICE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Psalm 4:5: “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 51:19: “Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness . . .” Do you notice once again that the word “sacrifices” is plural? These sacrifices are not a one time thing. They should be our lifestyle.
It often takes sacrifice to choose the right way which is usually the opposite way of the spirit of this world. We must stand against the tide rather than to take the easy road which and fall into the groove of our humanistic society.
SACRIFICE OF DELIGHT
In Psalm 40:6-8 we read a prophetic passage of Jesus coming into this world to sacrifice His life and take upon Himself our sin and the sins of the world:
“Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire . . . burnt offering and sing offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God.”
When Jesus came, they no longer needed daily burnt offerings. Jesus became the burnt offering ONCE AND FOR ALL. He was the perfect sacrifice, and none was ever needed again. But oh, at what cost! We will never, even in the eons of eternity, understand the cost of our redemption. Jesus, Son of God, and Creator of the universe was willing to become the sacrificial Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. As He sweat GREAT drops of blood down His face He was willing to say, “Not my will but Thine be done.” He was willing to say: “I come . . . I DELIGHT to do Thy will, O my God.” This is repeated again in the New Testament in Hebrews 10:4-10.
The phrase “sacrifice of delight” seems a paradox. It makes me think of some mothers who say, “I sacrificed my career to come home to care for my children.” Those words are not literally true. They have come home to their greater career. To the perfect will of God. And shouldn’t we DELIGHT to do God’s will? May we come to the place n our lives when to say “Not my will, but Thine be done” is the GREATEST DELIGHT of our lives. Can you say, Amen?
One more thing. Remember that these six sacrifices we have shared together are not a one time sacrifice. They are to be CONTINUAL sacrifices. The burnt offering in the Old Testament was called the “continual” sacrifice which was performed every day, morning and evening. We are also exhorted in the New Testament, Hebrews 13:15, to make continual sacrifices.
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
PRAYER:
“Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You with all my heart for being willing to leave the glory of Heaven and come to this earth and give up Your life to redeem my life. I can never thank You and praise You enough. Thank You for saying, ‘Not my will, but Thine by done.’ Please help me to have this attitude when I want to do things my way. Please give me a humble heart to say Your words, ‘Not my will, but Thine by done.’ Please help me to always delight in Your will. Amen.”
AFFIRMATION:
I want my confessions to be: I DELIGHT TO DO GOD’S WILL.