An Acceptable Sacrifice
Today’s reading: Leviticus 7-9; Matthew 25:31-46
23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Leviticus 9:23-24
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46
In offering sacrifices to the Lord, Aaron was careful to do exactly as God, through Moses, had instructed him. It must have been a relief and thrill when God showed His acceptance by sending fire to consume the sacrifice.
Jesus taught that in the final judgment there would be sheep and goats, separated as acceptable and not acceptable to God. The righteous would enter into eternal life but the unrighteous to eternal punishment.
Is your sacrifice to God acceptable?
It can be acceptable and you can know that it is.
See Romans 12:1-2. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
But remember, verse 1 says “therefore” which means it is written in light of the previous 11 chapters of this letter of Paul. We are called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice because we have been justified by faith through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ not in order to earn acceptability before God. This is what the Christian life is all about.
Share this:
#Biblereading #Spiritualgrowth #Forgiveness #discipleship #Grace #salvation