The Best Sacrifice
In Bible times, animal sacrifices were made at the altar to worship God and to atone for sin. The animal they brought to the altar was spotless or without defect. They didn’t bring the scrawniest lamb they could find, or the sick doves, they didn’t bring the next to nicest calf they owned, and they didn’t bring their neighbor’s goat – they brought their best acceptable animal to God.
Because Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, became the perfect sacrifice for our sin, we no longer make animal sacrifices; we receive our forgiveness of sin by directly talking to Jesus and repenting. But we do still bring our best to God. Our heart’s desire should be to praise God with all of our being, to serve Him with all of our heart, and to give Him our best in private as well as in public.
When you read in your Bible or are challenged at church to give the “sacrifice of praise” or to “come to the altar”, remember to bring your best to God. Singing the lyrics of a song in your church worship service without musing on the meaning of the song and upon God himself, just isn’t your best – it isn’t an acceptable sacrifice. Walking to the front of the church to pray at the altar, but getting up and returning to your seat before you have finished your talk with God just because the person next to you returned to their seat, just isn’t your best. It’s time for God’s people to stop being apathetic and lazy in their “sacrifice to God” – it’s time for us to go all out for our Savior and give our best. Our best is what God demands, and when we give it, we will reap the rewards and God will receive the glory.
Hebrews 13:15“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name.”Romans 12:1,2“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”