Scripture Reference: Deuteronomy 15:21, Leviticus 9:24, 1 Kings 18:36-39, Malachi 1:6-14, Romans 12:1
The altar is a holy and sacred place - it is the place upon which sacrifices are to be offered up to God, honoring Him and making atonement for sin. The offering is to be without spot or blemish - the best that we have to offer in reverence. When an offering is placed upon the altar, it becomes a sacrifice when it is killed by the shedding of blood; if the sacrifice is accepted by God, it is consumed by His Fire of Righteousness to where nothing is left.
How is it then that we have come to treat the altar as the place to leave your problems? We bring the worst of us to the altar, attempting to leave our problems and burdens there, hoping God will take care of it. In doing so, we are out of order. Are we not supposed to be offering ourselves? Are we not to be “…a living sacrifice - holy and acceptable unto God…”? By grace, we are allowed to approach the throne to obtain mercy. By grace, we are allowed to cast our cares and concerns upon the Lord, with the hope and expectation of His assistance. We are not, however, permitted to defile the Altar of the Lord by incorrectly using it as a trash can to dump our issues, expecting God to honor what we have done.
Our issues are not an appropriate sacrifice unto the Lord; in fact, they are not a sacrifice at all! Nevertheless, we treat them as such. In our error, our sacrifice is rejected, as Cain's offering was rejected. In our ignorance and selfishness, we defile the altar and rob God of the offering due Him, as we hold on to our lives while offering only the blemished portions of ourselves to satisfy a religious paradigm. The altar call is such a religious practice that is in error. The altar is not the place to ask for deliverance from reoccurring sin, troubles borne of unrighteousness, or a place to release guilt; it is the place to offer a holy sacrifice.
As Christians, we are to die to self, offering ourselves a living sacrifice! The blood of Christ was shed for the atonement of sin; His blood covers that portion of the sacrifice. The consumption of the sacrifice by fire is through holiness, as symbolized by a consuming fire; we are consumed, such that we walk in righteousness. To be righteous is to be in right-standing with God; our actions cannot be right if we defile the altar by presenting to him an offering that is anything less than our ourselves, treating the altar like a container to burn trash (i.e. guilt) in.
The altar is a holy and sacred place - it is the place upon which sacrifices are to be offered up to God, honoring Him and making atonement for sin. The offering is to be without spot or blemish - the best that we have to offer in reverence. When an offering is placed upon the altar, it becomes a sacrifice when it is killed by the shedding of blood; if the sacrifice is accepted by God, it is consumed by His Fire of Righteousness to where nothing is left.
How is it then that we have come to treat the altar as the place to leave your problems? We bring the worst of us to the altar, attempting to leave our problems and burdens there, hoping God will take care of it. In doing so, we are out of order. Are we not supposed to be offering ourselves? Are we not to be “…a living sacrifice - holy and acceptable unto God…”? By grace, we are allowed to approach the throne to obtain mercy. By grace, we are allowed to cast our cares and concerns upon the Lord, with the hope and expectation of His assistance. We are not, however, permitted to defile the Altar of the Lord by incorrectly using it as a trash can to dump our issues, expecting God to honor what we have done.
Our issues are not an appropriate sacrifice unto the Lord; in fact, they are not a sacrifice at all! Nevertheless, we treat them as such. In our error, our sacrifice is rejected, as Cain's offering was rejected. In our ignorance and selfishness, we defile the altar and rob God of the offering due Him, as we hold on to our lives while offering only the blemished portions of ourselves to satisfy a religious paradigm. The altar call is such a religious practice that is in error. The altar is not the place to ask for deliverance from reoccurring sin, troubles borne of unrighteousness, or a place to release guilt; it is the place to offer a holy sacrifice.
As Christians, we are to die to self, offering ourselves a living sacrifice! The blood of Christ was shed for the atonement of sin; His blood covers that portion of the sacrifice. The consumption of the sacrifice by fire is through holiness, as symbolized by a consuming fire; we are consumed, such that we walk in righteousness. To be righteous is to be in right-standing with God; our actions cannot be right if we defile the altar by presenting to him an offering that is anything less than our ourselves, treating the altar like a container to burn trash (i.e. guilt) in.
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