Understanding True Sacrifice in Faith

You must be born again.

In the tabernacle that Moses built, only priests from Aaron's family could perform sacrifices in the inner court. The Holy of Holies was a no-go area. It was a sacred part of the Temple where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, hidden by a thick veil. Only the High Priest could enter this space, and only once a year on Yom Kippur. This rule showed how holy it was to be close to God.

If anyone broke these rules, they died immediately. This happened to Nadab and Abihu when they offered strange fire in the temple. Priests going into the inner court and the Holy of Holies wore a rope tied to their waist. If they died from being unclean or from disobedience, they were pulled out using the rope.

Access By Faith

But what seems impossible to man can happen through faith in God.

Jesus says:

“Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt 17:20).

Because of this, Abel was able to offer a sacrifice that pleased God even before the Law of Moses. He did it by faith.

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it, he being dead still speaks.” (Heb 11:4).

The Tabernacle of David

By God's grace, David, the man after God’s heart, also found a way around God’s rules. He was not from Aaron’s family, nor was he a Levite. He came from the tribe of Judah. Still, his faith in God allowed him to present an acceptable sacrifice.

David says:

“Enter into (God’s) gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” (Psa 100:4).

Rebuilding the Tabernacle of David

God sent me to pray for a man with cancer. After I prayed, he didn’t get better. His parents called me back. They said he got worse after my prayer. Could I come again?

God told me to return. I struggled with this. I asked, “If You wanted to heal him, why didn’t You do it the first time?” “Why must I pray again?” “If You want to take his life, just do it.”

God then instructed me: “Don’t pray again. Just show him a video.” He told me to go to the shelf, and He would show me which video.

When I got there, He asked me to take a video. I picked one titled, “If Satan Can’t Steal Your Joy, He Can’t Keep Your Goods.”

I watched it and understood its importance. Jesus says:

“Therefore, you now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” (John 16:22).

I copied the video and took it to the man on his sickbed. But when I played it, the power cut after just 10 minutes. I didn’t worry. I shared the video's message: “Rejoice.” Then, I spent two hours singing praises to God with him and his family.

Two weeks later, the man died. After that, I changed my approach with God. I told Him it doesn’t matter if those I pray for live or die. He can heal or take them as He wishes. My job is to pray; healing is His responsibility.

Sacrifice of Praise

At that moment, God told me to sing a song:

“I will enter His presence with thanksgiving in my heart,

I will enter His courts with praise.

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made.

I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”

When I sang that song, everything became clear. I was sent to heal the sick man, but his healing was spiritual. God was taking him home. His message was to enter His heavenly gates with praise.

What God wanted from him was a sacrifice of praise.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Again there shall be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is desolate, without man and without beast”, in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: “Praise the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever”, and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,’ says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 33:10-11).

The sacrifice of praise is acceptable to God. It should be given joyfully even in tough times. God does not accept praise that isn’t joyful.

The psalmist asks:

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” (Psa 43:5).

Regardless of life’s troubles, God wants us to offer Him joyful praise:

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” (Psa 63:3-5).

“My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed.” (Psa 71:23).

“Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.” (Psa 43:4).

Women love to dance. But remember to dance with joy inside.

Building a Temple

David wanted to build a house for God. He thought God deserved more than a tabernacle. But God told David he could not build Him a temple because he had blood on his hands from too many battles.

Yet, God said through Isaiah that He does not want a temple made by human hands.

“Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isa 66:1-2).

God sent men to destroy all temples made by humans.

Spiritual Houses

Jesus told the Samaritan woman:

“Believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24).

Temples Built Inside Men

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 2:4-5).

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Cor 3:16-17).

Useless Sacrifices

God also cannot accept sacrifices from sinful people. What He wants from us is love and mercy. That is the first and greatest commandment.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matt 22:37).

But you cannot love God unless you are born again.

God says in Hosea:

“I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hos 6:6).

Jesus repeats this:

“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matt 9:13). **CONTINUED.