A
Pure Offering
Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 John 2:15-16
The concept
of a pure offering is roundly depicted and afforded in Scripture, and God
rejects any offering of the wrong qualities or nature. This can be seen in Abel
and Cain’s offerings in Genesis chapter 4 with God’s acceptance of Abel’s blood
sacrifice and His rejection of Cain’s formidable efforts. In Revelation chapter
21 we witness the perfect New Jerusalem ornamented in the astounding beauty of holiness
prepared for the Lord God descending from Heaven. God rejects wrong worship,
and He accepts worship that aligns with His values.
It is in Ephesians
5 we find Christ’s example and the following encouragements,
Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, 27 That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
We see
this illustrates that the church, as a glorious spotless pure bride, is to be
presented to Christ without even a wrinkle, denoting complete holiness and
purity. Such commitment models this love to husbands for their wives,
reflecting the Lord’s self-sacrificing, altruistic, and transformative impact on
such relationships. Our work as minister of Christ is thus outlined and our
task toward the church is given design and purpose. We are also smitten with
the fact that Christ desires a holy virgin for a permeant wife.
Clearly,
God prizes holiness, purity, cleanness, and spotlessness in His people and
their services; any believer who presumes to make an offering to Him must
undertake to ensure it is free of any contaminations. This is at the very least
an expression of Christ’s transformative work in us. With a measure of confidence
in Christ, we can so present ourselves to Christ to execute any aspect of His
will. This is the standard though…we are so accustomed to hurrying to say, ‘but
we are not perfect yet’ or that we are ‘extremely flawed at our best.’ While these
observations are true of us, the standard expectations of God are not reduced
or eliminated in light of our imperfections. He really wants and deserves a ‘pure
offering.’ Great is our need to live and serve in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Much else can be said about either of these passages, but the striking emphasizes
of a pure offering is worth pondering further.
From God’s
perspective purity is a state of being free from sin and moral corruption; this
is a tell-tale sign of real holiness and sanctity. Purity encompasses both our
outward actions and the conditions of our hearts and minds. We can see this
clearly depicted in, Matthew 5:8, where God stipulates, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Therefore, God calls believers to pursue purity in thoughts, actions, and
intentions, reflecting His own holiness and righteousness in our endeavors. God
is obviously doing a transformative work in such lives and services. In
addition, these believers are roundly assured of seeing God! Beloved, not just
‘any old thing’ is ‘good enough’ for God!
Then Romans
12:1, is so encouraging saying, “I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service.”
Our Lord
emphasizes the importance of dedicating ourselves as a form of worship…this is
how we do acceptable worship to our Lord. God calls us to present our bodies as
“living sacrifices”, which is living according
to methods and conditions that honors Him and reflects His gracious mercies. Not
merely a worship service or a song, but a lifestyle of devotion to Him. Our
minds and bodies must be pleasing to the Lord as we make offerings and
sacrifices of ourselves and our substance to Him. He mandates a transformation
of the mind, urging us to reject worldly patterns and discern His “good, acceptable, and perfect will” (Rom. 12:2). Such
transformation is essential for living a life that fall in line with God’s
purposes and offering sacrifices expressive of His values.
Again, as
Christ’s people, the only satisfactory worship is to offer ourselves wholly and
entirely to the Lord. We are to be under God’s control, our yet-unredeemed bodies
can and must be yielded to Him as “instruments of
righteousness” (Romans 6:12-13; 8:11-13). Reflecting on the incredible ultimate
sacrifice of Jesus for us and our sins, a complete self-sacrifice is only “reasonable.”
Beloved,
we should live…breath in, exist, function, serve, and offer ourselves in the eternal
flames of a “living sacrifice.” It is here that
right motives are embraced, the pursuit of God-honoring purposes are
incorporated, actions that mirror Christ once-and-for-all sacrifice of Himself
for our sins are followed, and we afford precisely what God requires as He has
need of us or it. We afford God a platform for His fire and offerings! It is in
this space we realize our great purpose, true freedom, real power, and the kingdom
of God over us! We sustain brilliant testimonies to His love, sacrifice, salvation,
and faithfulness. We blend our motivations with His; we become whatever He
requires; we donate and render anything He would use. We live for such sacrifices
unto Him!
So, what exactly
does a ‘living sacrifice’ look like anyway? Well
Romans 12:2, explains, we are not to ‘conform’
to this world’s expectations. This ‘world’ (1
John 2:15-16) consists of the “lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” So, the “lust of the flesh” stemming from our fallen sinful
nature, includes anything that appeals to our appetites. These very strong,
inordinate desires are often associated with sinful behaviors and cravings that
draw us away from a godly life. They may involve excessive desires for food,
drink, sex, and anything else that gratifies our physical needs. It encompasses
not only sexual lust but also other sinful desires such as jealousy, pride, and
idolatry. This is the struggle between earthly wants and spiritual living.
Ultimately, it represents the conflict between following our base instincts and
obeying God’s higher morality.
The “lust of the eyes” refers to our covetous desires or
longings for things that we see, often leading to sinful thoughts or actions. “Lust of the eyes” certainly involves materialism,
coveting whatever we see that we don’t have and envying those who have what we
want. It implies a craving that goes beyond mere approval, turning into a godless
fixation on material assets, physical attractions, or prohibited wants. This is
a temptation to desire what belongs to others or to indulge in visual pleasures
that are not morally acceptable.
Then there
is the “pride of life” which is any ambition
that feeds our pride, puffs us up on a pedestal, and puts us on the throne of
our own lives. This is the temptation and desire for power, personal
recognition, self-aggrandizement, and personal glory. It encompasses a
self-centered opinion of our life, identity, and achievements, often leading to
arrogance and a sense of superiority based on material possessions and social
status. God sees such persons as opposing Him as they emphasize worldly values
over spiritual ideas. Beloved, we are not to permit the world to press us into
its mode!
Furthermore,
purity certainly involves parting with uncleanness and comprehensive consecration
to God (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). We are to be holy “in all
manner of conversation [behavior],” so that everything we do reflects
the holy character of God. To such dedicated believers, there is no such thing
as ‘secular’ and ‘sacred.’ All of life is holy as we live in pursuit of glorifying
God. Even such ordinary activities as eating and drinking can be done to the
glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). If something cannot be done to the glory of God,
then we can be sure it must be out of the will of God. You see holiness and
purity address every area of our existence without exceptions.
Beloved, casual…unholy
attitudes and lifestyles dominate the ‘Christian’ scene anymore. There is
little regard for truly holy purity. We water down the requirements of God to
avoid offending mere people! Though there are deeply committed followers of
Christ, so many remain halfhearted in their pursuits for personal holiness. It
is disturbing how there seems to be little interest in understanding holiness
from a Bible-based perspective. Thank God there are those willing to stand on
God’s promises, share their faith with the unsaved, worship God consistently,
and serve others sacrificially. However, so many professing believers want
God’s blessings, but they care little for his holiness or anything regarding
His plan. Furthermore, many folks seem to be more concern with what they can
get away with…is this okay or is that permissible? The interest is not on how
much closer we can get to godliness, but how much closer we can get to
worldliness.
Titus
1:15-16, says, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but
unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their
mind and conscience is defiled. [16] They profess that they know God; but
in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good
work reprobate.”
I am merely repeating what God already said,
and I am immensely humbled by this opportunity! There is a serious problem with
such carelessness about God and the things pertaining to the Lord. Disrespectful
attitudes toward God and a lifestyle devoted to Him can be seen in every sector
of our culture. Oh, this fallen Adamic dismissive spirit in me! It’s a major
mistake invading into politics, entertainment, sports, fashion, the internet, science,
music, and even in modern ‘Christianity.’ Let me be the first to admit that I
find these ideas extremely challenging and even intimidating. I confess myself
unworthy and grossly unqualified in myself…no matter what my status is or my
accomplishments are! A holy reverence has been erected in my very soul, and I
will not deny it! Repentance…though it is necessary will take some serious courage
to be truly counter-cultural, but God calls us to do just that. I am supremely
thankful for Christ Jesus my Lord.
Yes, as a
perceptive believer you understand this is a peerless opportunity afforded us.
Before we can proceed though, we must examine ourselves to ensure we are ready
to act. Ask yourself these searching questions. Do I regularly under-value the freedoms
of knowing, approaching, and serving God? Do I take holy opportunities for
granted or possibly disrespect them frequently? Do I casually dismiss
responsibilities God considers vital? Would I be comfortable with God treating
me, the way I routinely treat Him? Obviously, faithful devotion and purity of
heart are roundly important to our great God, but are such pure sacrifices
something I cherish?
