Who Is The Sacrifice?

The scripture is packed with priceless gems, relevant and true to this day.  The Law gives us insightful glimpses of realities enjoyed under the New Covenant through Jesus Christ.  One instance is seen in Leviticus 6:12-13:  "And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. ¹³ A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out."  One role of the high priest and his sons was to stoke the fire of the altar so it burned perpetually, a fire sparked by the divine presence of God Himself.  In addition to the morning and evening offerings, the people brought free-will offerings, tithes, and sacrifices for atonement.

Here is the point:  God provided the fire, the priests stoked the flames with fuel, and the people brought the animals for sacrifice.  When a person repents and chooses to place their faith in Jesus Christ for atonement and eternal salvation, God sends the Holy Spirit to indwell us even as pure oil was placed within the candlesticks in the Holy Place.  Jesus is our High Priest, and we have been made kings and priests unto God (Rev. 1:6).  God supplies the fire, Jesus stokes the flames, and we are called to bring the sacrifice.  Written to Christians Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."  Jesus is the Lamb of God supplied to atone for the sins of the world, and we are to present ourselves humbly to receive His life, light, and sustaining power.  This is an intentional act prompted by love and sincere desire.

No one ends up on top of a burning altar accidentally.  Isaac submitted to being bound by Abraham and laid atop an altar, and his will was laid down before his father.  He noticed there was fire and wood, but questioned where the offering would be found?  Even as Isaac's life was spared by the God who searches the hearts and minds of all men and a substitute ram supplied, Jesus was sent as the Lamb of God.  As He lived we are to follow His example of self-sacrifice.  There is no one more "on fire" for the glory of God than Jesus, and the same Spirit who empowered Him dwells within us!  No one need suffer burnout when it is God who supplies both fire and fuel.  We are burned out when we are no longer willing to climb up on that altar in faith and obedience, at every opportunity presenting ourselves as living sacrifices unto God as we ought.

Allow me to conclude with a passage I was challenged with this morning written by William Law in his book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life:  "Here, therefore, let us judge ourselves sincerely; let us not vainly content ourselves with the common folly of our diversions, the pride of our habits, the idleness of our lives, and the wasting of our time, fancying that these are such imperfections as we fall into through the unavoidable weakness and frailty of our natures; but let us be assured, that these disorders of our common life are owing to this, that we have not so much Christianity as to intend to please God in all the actions of our life, as the best and happiest thing in the world.  So that we must not look upon ourselves in a state of common and pardonable imperfection, but in such a state as wants the first and most fundamental principle of Christianity, viz., an intention to please God in all our actions...the reason why you see no real mortification of self-denial, no eminent charity, no profound humility, no heavenly affection, no true contempt of the world, no Christian meekness, no sincere zeal, no eminent piety in the common lives of Christians, is this, because they do not so much as intend to exact and exemplary in these virtues." (Law, William. A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. [3rd ed.] London: J.M. Dent, 1902. 18-19. Print.)