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.)

The Pure Source

James 3:11-12 puts forth rhetorical questions:  "Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh."  God is holy, pure, and righteous, yet that does not mean all those who believe in Him will always reflect His perfect attributes.  Springs of water gush pure from their subterranean sources and grow increasingly muddy and fouled as they flow.  The point James was making is a spring is either salty or fresh, not both.  A fig tree cannot bear olives because by nature it is a fig tree.

In a similar way, the outward behaviour and speech of a person indicates their inner nature.  A person whose speech is salted with cursing ought not imagine themselves to be pure in heart.  From a biblical perspective, none are pure or perfect before God because of sin.  We are all corrupted and are also corruptors.  The selfish nature and tendencies of men are as base and depraved as they have ever been.  But even as a caterpillar through metamorphosis transforms into a moth or butterfly capable of flight, so God is able to transform men - not through the outer keeping of a Law, but through an inner change by being born again through faith in Christ.  For all those who have been born again, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit for our thoughts, words, and deeds to display in greater degree the purity and goodness of God who now lives in us.

During my recent trip to Tasmania, I had many silent walks along beautiful paths and streams.  There were plenty of opportunities to consider explanations given by our guides and zoologists.  "Evolution" was often credited for the unique "adaptations" seen among many native Australian animals.  What I find very interesting is Darwinian Evolution is not held in high regard by many of the great scientific minds of today.  His musings and theories seemed bizarre to people in his day and in many cases have been disproved without question.  But in the case of evolution, people have been fine to throw out the details and keep the basic structure, the concept that slowly over time natural processes led to slight, successive changes which explains the diversity of animal life we see today - without the need for a Creator.  Darwin's theory has led to countless other theories, and new discoveries prove without a doubt it is not a foundation worthy to build upon.

That is one thing I love about God:  He does not change.  He is an everlasting, worthy foundation who is more solid than the planet underfoot.  His truth endures for all time and before Him every knee will bow.  Water can be filthy and polluted, but God is always absolutely pure and righteous.  Men have their reasons to deny the truth, yet God has revealed Himself for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear.  The unchanging I AM is my God - yes, I worship a God - THE God, the Creator of heaven and earth.  He is the pure, inexhaustible source of true wisdom.  I love Him because He first loved me.  May His love be revealed through me for His glory with increasingly purity.

Holiday in Tasmania

As my lack of recent posting may suggest, I have been away from my desk for a week.  My family and I enjoyed a holiday in Tasmania.  We were blessed with uncharacteristically warm and dry weather during our stay.  As I walked through the beautiful country, I found it impossible to fathom how a person could give glory to dead men who cut a path through a living forest, yet not glorify the God who created the forest and all the animals therein!  Hope you enjoy a sampling of photos!

The oldest bridge in Australia is still in use in Richmond.

The old church at Port Arthur

Scenic view at Donaghys lookout

Dove lake with Cradle Mountain

 

Binalong Bay

The memorial carvings at Legerwood

Montezuma Falls

St. Clair lake

 You know I had to include one of these little devils from Nature World...

Merciful and Mighty

During a night of prayer and praise we enjoyed recently at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we sang the famous hymn "Holy Holy Holy" by Heber and Dykes.  A line in the song stood out to me powerfully in a fresh way, affirming God is merciful and mighty.  These characteristics are in no way contradictory, but from a worldly perspective the two rarely coincide.  To be merciful is not viewed as mighty, and the mighty do not need to be merciful.  Yet the mercy and might of the Almighty God is praiseworthy, and I relish this constant reality of God's eternal nature.

Psalm 103:8 says, "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy."  God does not only show mercy, but He is merciful.  To be merciful is to be compassionate and kind, especially when there is ample justification to be otherwise.  The Webster's 1828 edition Dictionary defines "merciful" as, "having or exercising mercy; compassionate; tender; disposed to pity offenders and to forgive their offenses; unwilling to punish for injuries; applied appropriately to the Supreme being."  Though God is absolutely just, the psalmist affirmed concerning God in Psalm 103:9-11, "He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him."  God's mercy should not be incorrectly interpreted as weakness or indifference.  He is full of mercy, but He is also mighty.

Because God is Almighty He is also merciful.  There is great power demonstrated in restraint and self-control as well as by the righteous execution of justice.  Concerning their enemies, Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 7:21, "Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible." The psalmist Asaph also sang in Psalm 50:1-4: "The Mighty One, God the LORD, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down. ² Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. ³ Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. ⁴ He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people."  To be "mighty" has the connotation of strength, power, vastness and greatness.  God is mighty and nothing He has created has the right even to question Him, even as a clay vessel cannot rightly question the potter who formed it.

God is merciful and mighty, and I love these attributes of God like the countless others revealed through scripture and His wondrous works.  One who loves God cannot accept His mercy without affirming His might.  His might magnifies His mercy towards sinful men.  He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, though ultimately He will.  All who die in their sins without atonement will be judged according to to perfect law, and the wages of sin is death.  His might is seen both in restraint and judgment, and is to be greatly feared.  His mercy should not overshadow His might, and His might will never trample His mercy.  Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty!