September 22, 2010

A LIVING SACRIFICE
by Charlene Manning

I still remember about 40 years ago when I first heard about 'giving it all to Jesus.' A friend remarked, "That guy is just not totally sold out to Jesus." I puzzled about that. Not long after, somebody else said, "God doesn't want just ten percent, He wants it all." I knew I didn't understand that either, but suspected I was destined to find out.

The Lord Himself taught me in so many ways over the years. The first lesson came when I saw that Jesus told people to follow Him and they just got up and went. They left their fish nets, their job with the IRS, their homes, their families and followed Him. He told one wealthy young man, Sell all your have and join my merry band." But his money got in the man's way of being "totally sold out to Jesus."

There are so many Scriptures that illustrate the truth concerning living sacrifices. David prayed "bind me to the horns of the altar." Research told me that this was a reference to how sacrifice was made in that day. The altar was a raised bench thing, big enough to hold a large animal for burning. A sort of giant barbecue grill. On each corner there was a projection, a horn, for tying and securing the animal in place. David was picturing himself as the animal being sacrificed, in need of being held on the altar by restraints. He asked the Lord to tie him on the altar so he could not escape. (The problem with living sacrifices is they are able to get up and run off. David knew that.)

Being a living sacrifice means we hold nothing back. It really is an all or nothing situation. Many of us do not believe this, and hold our Christian experience in a pigeon hole of our compartmentalized life. It is separated so it does not spill over into other areas of living. We who live this way are not totally sold out. When Abraham took Isaac up on Mt. Moriah to make a sacrifice [Genesis 22], God provided a ram for the occasion. But it was actually Abraham who went away sacrificed. He held nothing back from God, not even His only son. He was totally sold out. When Jesus prayed in Gethsemene "Not my will, but Thine be done," He was totally sold out, and went on to become the ultimate sacrifice: the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

When playing poker, being "all in" means you bet everything you have at one time. You hold nothing back. If you don't win, you lose everything. How many of us are loathe to be "all in" with our bet on Jesus? Do we have something in reserve that we depend on more than God, or something we can rely on in case He lets us down.

You have longed for God's peace and for faith to increase, and have earnestly, fervently prayed; But you cannot have rest or be perfectly blessed until all on the altar is laid.
Would you walk with the Lord in the light of His word, and have peace and contentment alway?
You must do His sweet will to be free from all ill, on the altar your all you must lay.
Oh we never can know what the Lord will bestow of the blessings for which we have prayed, Of the fellowship sweet we shall share at His feet when our all on the altar is laid.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blessed and have peace and sweet rest as you yield to Him body and soul.

-----Hymn by Elisha A. Hoffman (1839-1929)

I was crucified with Christ, so I died, and yet, Christ lives in me. And this life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Charlene Reams Manning,
Believer in the Lord Jesus Messiah