Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me……and others had trial of cruel mocking and scourging, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Philippians 1:17 – 18. Hebrews 11: 37 – 40.
Our God is glorious in holiness and his measure, expectation and standard of holiness is not cheap as he demonstrated this in the execution of the redemptive work by the sacrifice and the giving up of his only begotten and beloved son who was delivered for our offenses and was raised for our justification that Christ might shed his unblemished– precious blood to obtain the precious faith to make us his precious and peculiar children that we might serve him in righteousness and holiness for the precious kingdom of heaven which he has promised and gone to prepare for them that love and obeys him.
Do you know that you are bought with a price according to the scriptures, and you are to be glorifying God in your body and spirit which are God’s? How do you glorify God in your body and spirit which belongs to God? It is by your constant offering of the sacrifices of faith and righteousness. What is it costing you to serve the Lord, because you cannot serve God at no expense? Christ died to condemn sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in them that is no more walking in the flesh (by obeying and fulfilling its lusts and passions) but in the spirit that their body might become as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. We cannot be walking with God without letting go of certain things, howsoever few or many in our lives which is of the world, flesh and the devil. We cannot serve God without giving up all things to follow him in total surrender.
In Psalms 18 verses 23; David said, I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my sin. We should not dodge from our sin, rather than to face it now, deal with it in the place of prayer and fasting to sacrifice it to the Lord, if we do not want it to find us out in times to come and to bring us to shame and reproach as the spirit of adultery found David where he was hiding by the time the kings went to battle and dealt a terrible and unforgettable devastated blow to the king. None of the Amalekites sheep which are destined to be destroyed and wasted before the Lord should be kept in the battle for our soul and heaven, lest their presence and bleating in our lives becomes a distraction and defilements and rejection against our soul. We are not living for Christ when we are holding back what ought to be sacrificed unto him and are not careful to separate completely from that sin, whatever it be, which most easily besets us, and to mortify (kill or destroy) the habit of it, to forsake and abandon it– for the love of Christ constraints us, that we thus judged, that if one died, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them and rose again –thus should the life of a believer be lived by sacrificing his selfish, self-​willed, sinful, worldly and carnal pleasures for the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:14.
Self– deceptive people just want to be at the receiving end from God and remaining ‘just take me as I am’ for the rest of their lives without giving up and sacrificing things in their lives to the Lord. Such is not Christ gospel’s life, but another gospel of deception and destruction from the pit of hell. Christ life is selfless and sacrificial as he learnt obedience by the things he suffered and his children and true followers are to have the same mind to suffer in the flesh, for he that suffer in the flesh has ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
The sacrifices of faith are the denouncing and renouncing and destruction of anything that stands in our lives and ways of pure worship, relationship and consecrated life to God. We must come out of our Egypt (world) and be separated from the Egyptians (be not un-​equally yoked together with unbelievers – two cannot walk together except they be agreed) to sacrifice to the Lord the abominations (renouncing and denouncing of disgusting, worldly, carnal, sensual, abominable idolatries and corruptible lifestyles) of the Egyptians. Exodus 8: 25 – 26. 1 Peter 4: 1 – 6.
The abominations of the Egyptians are many in their higher and ethical spiritual meaning and they should not be found in our lives if we are to make heaven as we sacrifice their loathsome and abominable lifestyles-​even the corruptible lifestyles which we received from our ancestors and parents to the Lord…If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:13.1 Corinthians 6:9)…The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing. (Deuteronomy 7:25 – 26)……There shall not be found among you any one that make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shall be prefect with the Lord thy God. (Deuteronomy 18: 10 – 13)…. The woman shall not wear that which pertained unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. (Deuteronomy 22:5)…. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore (prostitution gain or money) or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God. (Deuteronomy 23:18)….thou shall not have in your house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shall have perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shall thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrightoeusly, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God. (Deuteronomy 25: 13 – 16)…. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16 – 19)….He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. Isaiah 66:3.
The new life ought to be lived in a selfless– sacrificial life of service and love to God and man, which means the first thing to give up is our ego-​pride, while we are keeping an eye, not in personal interest upon just our own matters, but also in personal interest upon those of the others. The ‘I AM’ in us should be crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) as the first and most urgent sacrifice to God if we are endeavour to have a successful journey to heaven. It was the first self– sacrifice of Christ when he came to the earth as he considered not himself to be God in the flesh but put on the form of a servant and humble himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross. It is unfortunate that many never succeed to offer or give up their pride till they leave this world. Sacrifices of faith is the renunciations of whatever will hinder our smooth fellowship and relationship with God in the face of the excellency of his knowledge. It is the denial of carnal indulgences or worldly associations which may jeopardises our acceptance before him and our attendance to him without distraction. It is to sacrifice (give up) the world and its lusts and its pride for the Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof (don’t feed the flesh with its passion and lusts, but waste it pleasure for the Lord) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. In other words, the apostle Paul is saying, sacrifice, mortify or kill your members which are upon the earth such as fornication, adultery, uncleanness, inordinate affection (such as masturbation or pornography) evil concupiscence, covetousness and every other works of the flesh as listed in Galatians chapter 5 verses 19 – 21 unto the Lord: but when we do not comply, it means we are enjoying the pleasure of sin which ought to be killed and sacrificed to the Lord to remain unholy (sinner) though called to be saint and whatever sacrifice or substance we bring along to worship in his presence is abomination before him because the vessel (our body) is not cleansed. Romans 6:12 – 13.
Faith is not only confessional but has a sacrificial principles, attitudes and actions. Why Abraham was made the father of faith? Was it not because of the attitude and action of faith he demonstrated to the point of slaying Isaac upon the altar, figured and concluded that God will raise him back to life, though he will sacrificed him upon the altar as commanded? God was moved to swear by himself saying: surely in blessing, I will bless you, and in multiplying, I will multiply you? Now I know that you truly loved me because you have not withhold your only begotten son from me. Says the Lord. Why did the harlot (Rabab) perished not with them that believed not? Was it not because she put her life on the line for the spies and for the whole nation of Israel that they might possessed the land, even Jericho? Such attitude of sacrifice of faith was too great to be despised before God and she was included among the heroes of faith. God’s yoke is easy and his burden is light…. whatsoever he demands of us to let go should not be withheld back from the possessor of heaven and earth. He has the father as well as the son; the father as well the mother; the master as well as the servant in his hand. Nothing should be too dear or precious to us to let go for the Lord who is able to give us much more of greater worth and value comparable to whatever are giving up to fulfil his will, purposes and the scriptures in our lives….by faith Moses, when he grown up, refused to be called the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a while: because he esteemed the reproach of Christ as richer greater than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured in his walk with God, as seeing the One who is invisible. Hebrews 11:24 – 27.
Moses separation and self –imposed exiled and removal from the conveniences of palace life and attractiveness of pleasures of sin which might be tempting to comprise his stand between God and Egypt and between himself and the children of Israel was an attitude and sacrifice of faith in his identification with the plights of the children of Israel in affliction. His action was motivated by his discernment and spiritual foresight in the expectations of greater future glory and reward awaiting the faithful in heaven. We must conquer the temptation to worldly pleasure and preferment. The treasure of Egypt and the best of the world should not be allowed to dull or blind our understanding and actions to the reality of the better and enduring substance reserved in heaven for us as to be ungodly carried away by the endless pursuits of that which is profitless –solely reserved for fire to be burnt. Moses knew that the temptation and possibility to compromise is inevitable if he chose to stay or remain in the palace, so he made the choice to forsake the company of the ungodly and to deny himself of whatever facilities and privileges he might be receiving from and enjoying with his adopted noble family — if we also suffer with Christ, we shall reign with him and if we deny him, he will also deny us and if we believed not, yet he abides faithful because he will not deny himself.
The sacrifices of faith are the enduring (giving no offence in anything…. blessed is he, whosoever that shall not be offended in me…. but they loved not their lives as to shrink from death) sufferings and persecutions in righteousness and trails of faith for the love of God and of his Christ…. troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; suffered but threatened not any to court action or any retaliation whatsoever…. beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God rested upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4: 12 – 19.
Time would not suffice us to speak of the courage, faithfulness to God and steadfastness and integrity of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the presence of king Nebuchadnezzar, his nobles and the whole nation of Babylon which has bowed down and worshipped the golden image to escape the furnace of fire as they quenched the violence of the same fire: and not just an ordinary fire, but one that is seven times heated according to the commandment of the king for the defiance of the Hebrews boys to bow and worship the golden image. They gave their lives as they yielded (sacrificed, gave up) their bodies to be burnt instead of bowing down to the golden image of the king. Though they were in a strange land and in the position of honour; yet, they frankly and boldly responded the king who gave them the opportunity for a second chance to re-​consider their position and decision to bow or not to bow to his golden image. They are willing to lose everything for the honour of God’s word. They never second-​thought their response and open defiant to the king who has honoured them and has preferred and promoted them over his princes and lords, that they might honour the God who has given them wisdom and favour before the king which is asking them to dishonour their greatest benefactor — God. They will not only sanctified God in their hearts, but with their actions and their lives, they will sanctified him and would not call a confederacy that which the people called confederacy. They will not fear the king that can kill the body and not the soul, but would rather reverence God that is above all, who has power to deliver from physical and second death……O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer you in this matter, our God is able to save and deliver us from your fire; and if not, we are not ready to bow down to your golden image. What a slap on the king’s face and what a deliverance from the God that answered by fire and delivered from the same. Has he not promised, when you passed through fire, the fire shall not burn you; and the flame shall not kindle against you? The fire in Isaiah’s promise signifies divers’ kinds of troubles and problems meant to cause us to compromise and deny, sin or go back from God….but call to remembrance the former days, in which after ye were illuminated, ye endured great fight of afflictions, partly while you were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly while you become the companion of them that were so used….and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing that you have in heaven a better and enduring substance.
We should not seek to follow and serve the living God like Rachael did when she stole the images of the gods of her father (Laban) while going to Bethel to worship God with her husband. We cannot serve the God of heaven and the gods of the land – we must sacrifice the gods of the lands, our family and ancestors gods and the gods in our hearts for the sacrifice of the God of heaven and earth. The scripture is clear that our sinful and fruitless old life was a shameful one that we should never desire again nor be proud of: moreover, there should be no physical or spiritual souvenir of sinful materials with us than to renounce, burn and destroy them as we come to the Lord and to count the loss of them as dung for our saviour. …. For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.…. if God has forgiven our sins and will not remember them again, we should separate completely from anything that might bound or link us with our past sins. It is evil not to detest the sinful garlic and the pots we ate and drank from in our memory and conversation when we were in Egypt. Worldly and sinful materials in our possessions such as erotic pictures, novels, movies, rubber or iron male sexual organ for personal and private arousal and masturbation for pleasure, worldly music and videos and albums, satanic horror videos and violent films, diabolical chains, amulets, rings, bangles and whatever material, object or image not glorifying God, Christ and the Spirit of the living God should be wasted as sacrifice unto the Lord. Whatsoever we have spent on the flesh (make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof) and for the devil, is not comparable to the blessings we have now and for that which is awaiting us hereafter…and many of them who used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. Romans 6:20 – 21. Acts19:19. Genesis 31:32 – 34.
“I gave my life for thee, what hast thou done for Me?”
Frances R. Havergal. 1858.
I gave My life for thee, my precious blood I shed, that thou might ransomed be, and raised up from the dead
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me? I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?
My Father’s house of light, my glory circled throne, I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me? I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?
I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell, of bitterest agony, to rescue thee from hell.
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me? I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?
And I have brought to thee, down from My home above, salvation full and free, My pardon and My love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me? I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?