Genuine Sacrifice

February 28, 2010

Genuine Sacrifice  "...for with such sacrifices God is well please."  Hebrews 13:16

How can I give anything to God? Is it possible to make a sacrifice to God?  God, who has given us everything, needs nothing.  And I have no gift worthy to bring.  There is no article of value worthy of the Pearl of Great Price.  There is no life so important that it is worthy of the Living One. For, He is the great God. He is worthy of our worship.  He alone is worthy.  No one else, nothing else is worthy of our worship.  He is the Lord God Almighty. 

The hymn says it well, “Nothing in my hands I bring, only to Thy Cross I cling.” And yet, from the beginning, Scripture records the efforts made to bring a worthy sacrifice to God.  The whole of these efforts of sacrifice was to remind all people of their utter inability to improve their standing before God through their own efforts.  The psalmist rightly declares, “No man can by any means redeem his brother or give God a ransom for him.” Psalm 49:7.  David, the insightful worshiper of God, wrote, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not reject.” Psalm 51:17.  Hosea [6:6] further taught, “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”  When confronting the arrogant religious thinking of the Pharisees, the Lord Jesus said, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13  Jesus once and for all declared that there is no sacrifice that a person can bring to make them right before God. The hands of humanity are incapable of carrying such a sacrifice.  But while there is no sacrifice we can bring to God, there is something we can do.  We can declare that we are not worthy to give Him a gift.  In our confession of lack and our emptiness of hands, we can give Him our love that is in response to His love.  In His love, He has come for us and the only thing we can give in return is our love to His love. 

We may not have taken the mark of the Cross on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday, but we can take the mark of His love on our lives and offer Him our lives this season.  God desires not a sacrifice, but our love in response to His love.  The heart of genuine sacrifice knows that there is no sacrifice worthy of our God.  We can only open our hearts to say, “Thank You, God, we receive Your love by giving You ours.”  Open your hands and life to God and receive the imprint of His love.  Go to www.covenantlife.net and press the “Easter Preparation” key and worship the Great God Almighty as you listen to the “Revelation Song.”  Worship Him, Praise Him and then “Do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16