"Spiritual
Sacrifices"
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T |
here
are many words in the scriptures which are offensive. Perhaps, the word
"sacrifice," causes the most difficulties. For one thing, we have
been conditioned to believe that any sacrifice that we make will cause us to suffer as opposed to prosper.
The
difference between a natural and a spiritual sacrifice is great. The twain have nothing in common and as such, can never coexist.
It is impossible for anything that is
natural to "be" or to ever offer a spiritual sacrifice.
The
fact that the preaching of the word of God has so little effect upon people is
explained by the lack of "spiritual sacrifices." One remains
unaffected by all that the Lord does
when we are unwilling to offer any part of ourselves to Him for His use. If he
is unwilling to see things God's way, what will His word really mean? Gaining
humility will mean nothing to us; growing as a spiritual being will have no
effect upon us; being an example for anyone
will be of no interest to us.
It
is impossible to access the knowledge
of God as long as one thinks naturally. Nothing He offers, mandates or requests
will make any sense to the mind which sees things from only one point of view—that
of the world. You see, this world is so diametrically opposed to the Lord that
what is right is perceived as wrong
and that which is wrong
, is perceived as being right.
Throughout
the centuries and in our own personal lives, many reasons have been advanced as
to God's purpose for creating
All
that God does in the natural is to mirror a spiritual point. All of life
mirrors a greater spiritual truth. You see, as a natural being, man has to be
tended and nurtured until he is able to function on his own. Unfortunately,
when we come to salvation, we make the mistake of thinking that because we are
chronologically "grown," in like manner, we are spiritually grown, as well. This is a mistake in perception that
causes us to make many mistakes.
Too
often, we try to get the Lord to be satisfied with what we choose to give Him, as opposed to giving Him what He requires . Because
of our fleshly nature, we have no choice
but to spiritually sacrifice ourselves to the Lord. Not only is this what He
expects—He deserves it!
So,
what is the "spiritual
sacrifice" of which the Lord is so worthy? The sacrifice
of our denial of self. Denying ourselves means giving in to God and
allowing Him control. Our minds are so "warped" by the dictates of
this world that we often look at God being "in control" as our being out of control.
The
primary reason that we are brought to the Lord is that we might be a sacrifice
for Him. You see, in order for something to grow, that "thing" must
die. This is an essential part of nature. What does this mean for us? It means
that the
The
will of God is able to be carried out
only under His direction. In that His direction is contained within His word,
one who would serve Him must be obedient to His word.
Essential
to being able to receive from the Lord is being free of all things that would
impede our progress. An admonition that too many have a tendency to ignore is
that of being free from all malice and guile. It would seem as if all
identifying themselves with the Spirit of Love would automatically "steer
clear" of any such emotions, yet, the redeemed are often the worst when it
comes to the things that we harbor against and how we feel about, others.
How
important do we really consider the admonition against "evil
speaking?" You know, all too often, "evil" is just what we take it to be. Therefore, what
someone says to me,
may be evil, but what I have said is
simply truth.
Would
we not all acknowledge that this world is in need of "change?" Well,
the most interesting thing about change is that the only change worth having
comes through the Holy Ghost. And guess what? The only way that the Word is
able to help is that it must be accepted!
If
we intend to help anyone about anything, we must live our lives to glorify God.
This is how we get others to accept
the truth of the word of God. This is
how we are able to help our brothers and our sisters. Only those who learn to
hold their peace will be able to be effective for the Lord. What is the
significance of holding one's peace? This is what trials and tests are to teach
us; this is what enables us to master our trials and tests. So, you see, one is
not without the other. The Lord never intended for any trial nor
test to become the focal point of one's life. Once the specific test is over
and mastered, we are to go on to other things. Granted, testing will always be
a part of the saved life, but the only question is if one will get the point of
the specific test, or will he be forced to keep repeating the same one?
What
is the spiritual sacrifice that is the most pleasing to the Lord? The sacrifice of praise. This is a "spiritual sacrifice" because in order to be found
praising the Lord in all things, one will have
to be spiritual. In fact, if one is
found praising the Lord in all things, it is a foregone conclusion that he is spiritual.
Being
able to make "spiritual sacrifices" of praise is what really shows
who and where we are in the Lord. If you find that this is difficult for you or
simply not a part of your "nature," you need to be willing to change—and
then do so. Yes, we live in a world that wants to believe and tries to convince
us to believe that whatever we do is "alright." Don't be
fooled." Things" don't change and people don't change because change
involves "sacrifice." Someone
has got to be willing to give something up. Jesus has already given all that He
has, so, guess who's turn it is? n