What Jesus Did Not Do on the Cross

Have you every stopped to consider what Jesus could have done, but didn't do during his passion and crucifixion? Let's look at that together, and let's broaden the scope of this to include all that happened from the night he was betrayed until his death on the cross.

He Did Not Exclude Judas
Although Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him, He didn't exclude him from the Passover Meal in the upper room. He still washed the feet of Judas, still ate the Last Supper with him, and still handed Judas a piece of bread after he had dipped it in the sop. There was a Hebrew tradition whereby a host gave the bread he had dipped to an honored guest as a sign of affection. After the bread was dipped, it was supposed to be given to someone you love.

Here is the gospel record:

Washing Judas' Feet
"Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (Joh 13:1-5)

"Jesus said to him, 'He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.' For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, 'Not all of you are clean.'" (Joh 13:10-11)

Handing Judas the Morsel of Bread

"When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.' The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, 'Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.' He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, 'Lord, who is it?' Jesus then answered, 'That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.' So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, 'What you do, do quickly.'" (Joh 13:21-27)

"...it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'" (Jn 13:18).

He Did Not Prevent Judas from Betrayal

During the Passover meal, Jesus did not prevent Judas from going out and betraying Him to the chief priests. On the contrary, He told him, 'What you do, do quickly.'" (Joh 13:27)

He Did Not Sleep Nor Fail to Pray
After the Passover meal, once they had gone to the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus did not take His ease and catch some needed sleep, knowing He was going to have to be up all night on trial before the high priest and Sanhedrin, and then endure flogging, and be forced to carry a heavy cross all the way to Calvary. He did not succumb to drowsiness as the disciples did, although He probably had every bit as much a reason to do so as they did. He did not sink into depression, but prayed fervently. Scripture says:

Matthew's Gospel
"Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.' And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, 'My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.' And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.' And He 'came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, 'So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.' He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.' Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!'" (Mat 26:36-46)

Luke's Gospel

"When He arrived at the place, He said to them, 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation.' And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, 'Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.' Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, 'Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.'" (Luk 22:40-46)

He Did Not Refuse to Drink the Cup
As I have just highlighted, Jesus did not refuse to drink the bitter cup the Father gave Him to drink. Rather He said, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."(Lk 22:42).

He Did Not Prevent His Arrest
When Judas came into the garden of Gethsemane, guiding a detachment of soldiers, along with the chief priests and Pharisees, Jesus didn't make a break for it and start running. He didn't call on His disciples to strike with their swords. He did not call on His Father to send more than twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. Rather He courageously asked who they were looking for and identified Himself as the One they were seeking to arrest. And when Peter struck with his sword, Jesus ordered him to put it back into its sheath. He was determined to drink the cup the Father had given Him to drink. Scripture states:

John's Gospel
"When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, 'Whom do you seek?' They answered Him, 'Jesus the Nazarene.' He said to them, 'I am He.' And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, 'I am He,' they drew back and fell to the ground. Therefore He again asked them, 'Whom do you seek?' And they said, 'Jesus the Nazarene.' Jesus answered, 'I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,' to fulfill the word which He spoke, 'Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.' Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, 'Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?'" (Joh 18:1-11)

Matthew's Gospel

"While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, 'Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.' Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, 'Hail, Rabbi!' and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, 'Friend, do what you have come for.' Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?'" (Mat 26:47-54)

He Did Not Fail to Testify to His Identity
If anyone does not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, they should consider that He did not fail to testify to this fact during his mock trial, even when He knew it would ensure His death at the hands of his accusers. Likewise, He did not fail to testify to being the Messiah and the King of the Jews. Scripture states:

He Did Not Fail to Testify to His Divinity
"And they all said, 'Are You the Son of God, then?' And He said to them, 'Yes, I am.' Then they said, 'What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.'" (Luk 22:70-71)

He Did Not Fail to Testify to Being the Messiah

"Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" And Jesus said, 'I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.' Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, 'What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?' And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death." (Mar 14:60-64)

He Did Not Fail to Testify to Being King of the Jews

"Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, 'Are You the King of the Jews?' And Jesus said to him, 'It is as you say.'" (Mat 27:11)

He Did Not Defend Himself
Although He could have easily defended against the false charges brought against Him, He did not do so.

Before the Chief Priests and Council
"For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent. Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, 'We heard Him say, "I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands."' Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent. The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, 'Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?' But He kept silent and did not answer." (Mar 14:56-61)

Before Pilate
"And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate said to Him, 'Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?' And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed." (Mat 27:12-14)

Before Herod
"Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently." (Luk 23:8-10)

He Did Not Retaliate
The Lord had plenty of opportunities to retaliate and hurl curses or profanities at his enemies, but he didn't do so, not even a single word. They mocked Him, beat Him, flogged Him, cursed Him, spit in His face, and hurled insults at Him. Yet He did not revile them, not did He utter a single threat. Peter states: "When they hurled their insults at him, He did not retaliate; when he suffered, He made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 Pe 2:23, NIV).

Caviezel in the Roman flogging scene

James Caviezel, who played the part of Jesus in Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ, described what he went through during the production of the movie. When the actors playing the Roman soldiers were flogging him at the post, he had a special shield on his back to protect him from their whips that had sharp objects tied to the end of the cords. But as one of them lunged forward and whipped him, one of the cords came around and the sharp object dug into his back and ripped it open*. He said that at that moment he uttered a curse word at them for doing that. If we admit it, we are all capable of doing the very same thing James Caviezel did at the flogging post. But the Lord Jesus didn't utter a single profanity or insult at His tormentors.

He Did Not Hold a Grudge
The Lord could have held a grudge against His enemies, but He didn't do that. Rather He forgave them and prayed for them. Scripture states: "When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.' And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves." (Luk 23:33-34)

He Did Not Harbor Hatred
The Lord did not harbor any hatred toward anyone, but He loved them. He said prior to His crucifixion, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (Jn 15:13).

The apostle Paul wrote, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8, NIV). The apostle John wrote: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." (1 Jn 3:16).

He Did Not Sin
We know for certain that the Lord did not commit any sin on the cross, because the Bible tells us so. It says:

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth." (1Pe 2:21-22)

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." (Heb 4:15)

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2Co 5:21)

He Did Not Save Himself
While Jesus hung on the cross, many people taunted Him to save Himself and prove that He was the Christ as He claimed to be. Although He could have called upon the Father to save Him and come down from the cross, He did not do so. He willingly gave His life for us, so that we could be saved. Scripture states:

"And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, 'He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.' The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, 'If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!' Now there was also an inscription above Him, 'THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.' One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, 'Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!'" (Luk 23:35-39)

He Did Not Fail to Save Sinners

When the one criminal beside Him was hurling abuse at Him, the other one rebuked him and declared that they as criminals were suffering justly and receiving their deserved sentence, and proclaimed the Lord's innocence. He also acknowledged the Lordship of Christ when he asked Jesus to remember him when He would come into His kingdom. The Lord did not fail to forgive that sinner and save His soul, giving him assurance that he would be with Him in Paradise that very day.

"But the other answered, and rebuking him said, 'Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.' And he was saying, 'Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!' And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.'" (Luk 23:40-43)

The reason He died on the cross was to save sinners. The criminal on the cross represented you and me. He died to save us. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (Joh 3:16)

He Did Not Accept Pity

Although there was a crowd of women who were mourning and weeping for Him, He did not allow them to do so. He told them not to weep for Him, but for themselves. He refused to accept pity. Luke's gospel states:

"And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But Jesus turning to them said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, "Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed." Then they will begin to say to the mountains, "fall on us," and to the hills, "cover us." For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?'" (Luk 23:27-31)

He Did Not Weep or Cry
You won't find a single verse of Scripture that says Jesus cried or even wept on the cross. Have you ever considered that? Anyone else would have been crying from all the pain, rejection, sorrow, and suffering. But not the Lord! He didn't cry one tear for Himself. He knew that would only entertain the enemy and give the devil an opportunity. Rather He bravely took the punishment that we deserved and suffered in our place.

The apostle does say, "During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." (Heb 5:7, NIV). This refers to His prayers offered up with loud crying and tears, which I believe refers to His anguished prayers in the garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. He won the victory in prayer the night before He went to the cross, and He certainly cried out loudly with tears in His private prayer time in the garden. But there is no evidence that he was weeping or sobbing or crying for Himself on the cross.

He Did Not Complain
Not only did He not cry, but never once did He complain about the injustice, pain, and hostility He was experiencing. Rather He endured it. Our shame and reproach He gladly bore. He endured the cross.

The apostle wrote, "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Heb 12:2-3)

He Did Not Receive Any Encouragement
As discouraging and depressing as His circumstances on the cross would be to anyone, as He hung there in death's dark veil, He did not receive any encouragement in the midst of it. Nobody there offered Him any. Nobody was there to say, "Praise You, Jesus! You're doing a great job! Hang in there! I love you and I'm praying for you."

He Did Not Take Pain Killers
Although He was offered wine mixed with myrrh, which meant that it was drugged with bitter narcotics that would stupefy Him and dull the pain, He did not drink it. Afterward He was offered something to drink without the drugs and He did accept it. But Jesus had determined to drink the bitter cup of suffering that the Father had given Him to drink, and He refused to accept anything that would lessen its full effects by reducing the pain or numbing His senses in order to forget His troubles.

"Then they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it." (Mk 15:23, NIV)

"There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it." (Mt 27:34, NIV)

He Did Not Receive Any Medical Attention
No only did the Lord refuse drugs to dull the pain, He did not receive medical attention of any kind during His passion and crucifixion. Although He had life threatening wounds, no one washed them, cleansed them, applied any kind of balm or ointment to them, nor did anyone bandage them or try to stop the bleeding. He did not receive even basic first aid.

He Did Not Give Up or Give In
As Jesus hung there on the cross for about six hours, one thing that is reasonably safe to assume is that the demons were there all around Him to taunt Him and try to get Him to give up and curse God. Their work in the invisible realm was quite evident by the things people were saying and doing to Him as He hung there. But He did not give up, He did not give in, and He did not give over to the enemy. He endured the cross!

He Did Not Fail to Lay Down His Life

The Lord Jesus was very clear that nobody took His life away from Him, not even on the cross. He was not a victim in the sense that anyone did anything to Him against His will. Rather, He laid down His life willingly.

He said, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (Joh 10:17-18)

Notice how His death occurred: "It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' Having said this, He breathed His last." (Luk 23:44-46)

"Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (Joh 19:30)

When all the work of atonement that the Father gave Him to do was finished, then He yielded His spirit into the Father's hands and breathed His last.

Putting it All Together
Therefore, based on Scripture, we have learned what Jesus did not do at any point on the night He was betrayed or during his passion and crucifixion. He did not exclude Judas His betrayer from the Passover meal, but washed his feet and handed him the morsel of bread as a show of affection. He did not prevent Judas from betraying Him, but ordered him to go and do what he had in mind to do. He did not sleep nor fail to pray nor refuse to drink the bitter cup of suffering that the Father gave Him to drink. He did not prevent His arrest. He did not fail to testify to His identity as God's Son, Messiah, and King. He did not defend Himself before the chief priests and Council, before Pilate, nor before Herod. He did not retaliate. He did not hold a grudge or harbor hatred. He committed no sin, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. He did not at any time seek to save Himself. He did not fail to save sinners, but ministered to the thief on the cross beside Him. He did not accept pity. He did not weep or cry. He did not complain, even though He did not receive any encouragement. He did not receive any medical attention, nor did He take any pain killers. He did not give up or give in. And finally He did not fail to lay down His life.

Who would not love Him after all that? Who would not worship and adore Him? This is your God, O Israel! So great is the love of God for us! So great and marvelous are all His deeds.

In all things, Jesus Christ is our perfect example. May we follow in His steps, as the apostle Peter said in his epistle. Likewise, as the apostle John said, "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." (1 Jn 2:6).

Footnotes: 1) Actor James Caviezel was actually struck by the whip twice. The first instance knocked the wind out of him, and the second instance caused him to jerk his hands out of the shackles, scraping his hands up pretty badly. The laceration from the second whip lash that struck him left a 14-inch scar on his back. 2) This does not mean it is necessarily a sin to receive medical attention or take medicine. For more on this, please see Is it a Sin to Take Medicine?

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Image may be subject to copyright, used according to Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the sequel to it called Following in His Steps, as well as the following related articles: Crucified with Christ, Aim for Perfection, The Obedience of Faith, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, For the Glory of God Alone, Restored Truth, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Pleasing the Lord, Clean Hands and a Pure Heart, Salvation with Fear and Trembling, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, The Ways of Life, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Having a Servant's Heart, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Divorce -- Three Divine Revelations, Separation from the World, and Standing in the Gap. My daughter has also written a lovely poem called Cross Bearing. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Crucified with Christ

The Lord Jesus said there would be many who claim Him as Lord, but do not do the will of the Father. He taught that such people would not enter the kingdom of God, regardless of their profession of Him as Lord. Rather they would be shut out as evildoers.

The apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Ephesians, said Christ’s purpose for both Jews and Gentiles was “…In this one Body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross…” (Eph 2:16, NIV).

There is one Body of Christ.  This one Body has been crucified on the cross and raised from the dead. His purpose was to reconcile us (both Jews and Gentiles) to God in this Body on the cross. Anyone who becomes a part of this Body must also be crucified with Christ in order to do so. Otherwise they cannot be a member of this Body, nor can they be reconciled to God. They cannot have access to the Father by one Spirit (Eph 2:18), nor can they be sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:16).

We must truly say with the apostle, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal 2:20)

To claim membership in the Body of Christ without being crucified with Him is to abuse the grace of God, which insults the Spirit of grace. Regarding those who live this way, the apostle Paul wrote, “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:29-31)

This is just as Jesus taught: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" (Mat 7:21-23). Jesus doesn't know those who claim to belong to Him, but who do not do the will of His Father in heaven. Since they practice lawlessness, He will tell them to depart from Him.

Being crucified with Christ is not a static thing. It's not a one-time historical thing that happened to you one day when you got saved. Jesus was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." (Luk 9:23). If you wish to come after Jesus, you must deny yourself, daily take up your cross, and follow Him.

Have you been crucified with Christ? Are you daily denying yourself, taking up your cross daily, and following Jesus?

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. "Your Move" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like What Jesus Did Not Do on the Cross, Restored Truth, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Pleasing the Lord, Clean Hands and a Pure Heart, Salvation with Fear and Trembling, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, The Ways of Life, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Is Tithing Required for Christians?, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Having a Servant's Heart, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Divorce -- Three Divine Revelations, A Warning for Married Christian Couples, The Obedience of Faith, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, For the Glory of God Alone, Rescue Souls!, Separation from the World, and Standing in the Gap. My daughter has also written a lovely poem called Cross Bearing. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Pleasing the Lord

Thou Art Worthy by C.V. Lacroix

What are you willing to do to please the Lord? Jesus always did the things that were pleasing to the Father.

He said, "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."  (Joh 8:29).

The Father confirmed this at the Lord's baptism, when He came up out of the water. The Scripture says, "Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'" (Mat 3:17)

He was willing to do anything to please the Father. Even when it was the Father's will to crush Him, He said, "Not My will, but Yours be done." (Lk 22:42). That's love!

Not only does it require love, but it also requires faith to please God. The apostle Paul said, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Heb 11:6)

The apostle John wrote about having confidence when we pray, and receiving answers to prayer from God. He wrote: “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” (1Jn 3:21-22).  John taught that the reason we receive whatever we ask from Him is because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

Speaking of obedience, Paul admonished the Philippians to always obey, when he wrote to them, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Php 2:12-13).  We, too, as disciples of Christ, must always obey, whether or not anyone is watching. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, since God is the One at work within us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. He desires to accomplish His will in us and do that which is pleasing to Him.  However, we must surrender to His will and obey Him for that to be fulfilled. That requires daily self-denial and cross-bearing.

Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luk 9:23-25). If you want to find life, you must lose your life for Christ's sake.

When you come to know Jesus, your whole life belongs to Him. Paul said, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." (2Co 5:14-15).  That means that since Christ died for you, and rose again on your behalf, you must no longer live for yourself but for Him. Your life is not your own any more, but you are crucified with Christ.

You can tell whether a person's whole life is surrendered to the Lord by the words of their mouth, as well as their actions. David prayed, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psa 19:14, NIV 1984). Let it be our prayer, too! David wanted not only his actions, but even his thoughts and words, to be holy. He wanted the Lord to govern every part of his life, in order to make it pleasing to Him.

Let the Lord control every aspect of your life. That includes your finances, which means your tithes and offerings (Mal 3:10; Lk 6:38). It also includes how you spend your time on the Lord’s Day, which is Sunday (Ex 20:8; Ac 20:7-8). The Holy Spirit spoke through the prophet Isaiah, "If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word, Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isa 58:13-14).

The Lord’s Day each week is holy, and we must keep it holy. It’s not a day to do profane, common, secular things, such as working, shopping, spending money, and recreational activities. That means you must turn your foot from doing your own pleasure, honor the Lord's Day, cease from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word. Then you will take delight in the Lord, live a victorious life, and the Lord will feed you both now in this life and hereafter in the kingdom of God.

Paul prayed for the Colossians, so that they might please the Lord in every way. He said, "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." (Col 1:9-10, NIV). My brother or sister in Christ, are you living a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing Him in every way? In order to do so, you need to be filled with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.

Paul said, “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”  (2Co 5:9).  So whether we are at home in the body and absent from the Lord, or absent from the body and at home with the Lord, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.  In fact, we are zealous to do so!

He wrote to the Thessalonians, urging them, "As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more." (1 Thes 4:1, NIV)

He also admonished the Ephesians to “Find out what pleases the Lord.” (Eph 5:10. NIV).  That's what we should do also. The Holy Spirit teaches us what pleases the Lord, and He does through various means. He does so through His Word, His conviction, His leading, His guidance, and His gifts, as well as through visions and revelations from the Lord.  But regardless of how He shows us, it will always agree with the Word of God.

In my other articles, I have taught that love, faith, and humility are pleasing to Him, as well as godliness, holiness and righteousness.  Some specific examples of what pleases Him are having a servant's heart, refusing to compromise, separation from the world, refusing to conform to the world, being transformed by the renewing of your mind, keeping Sundays holy, tithing, godly attire and adornment, sobriety, faithfulness to your marriage partner, keeping the marital bed holy, intercession, obedience, walking in His perfect will, following His ways, doing everything for the glory of God, having clean hands and a pure heart, purging the evil from among you, and evangelizing the lost.

Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Then any changes you make in your life should be out of total love for Jesus, understanding Who He is and who you are in Him. Your attitude should be that because you love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will do whatever pleases Him by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit.




Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. "Thou Art Worthy" illustration by my seventeen-year old daughter, C.V.  You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Restored Truth, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Clean Hands and a Pure Heart, Salvation with Fear and Trembling, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, The Ways of Life, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Is Tithing Required for Christians?, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Having a Servant's Heart, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Divorce -- Three Divine Revelations, A Warning for Married Christian Couples, The Obedience of Faith, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, For the Glory of God Alone, Rescue Souls!, Separation from the World, Led by the Spirit, and Standing in the Gap. My daughter has also written a lovely poem called Cross Bearing., as well as a short article called Be Willing to do Anything God Asks. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

A Continual Sacrifice Without Defect

"Communion with the Lord"

I'd like to share with you what the Law says about the continual burnt offering and how it applies to our lives today as followers of Jesus Christ.

“Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall present them with their drink offerings. They shall be without defect.” (Num 28:31, NASB).

In this verse, the expression “without defect” comes from the Hebrew word “tamiym”, which means “entire (literally, figuratively or morally); without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole. Also (as a noun) integrity, truth:” (Strongs).

There were two types of offerings required by God in this chapter – burnt offerings and sin offerings. Both types of offerings had to be without defect. The sin offering is, of course, a type of Christ, who was to become a sin offering for us.  As the Scripture says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Co 5:21, NIV). The expression "sin for us" is “peri hamartias” in the Greek, which is the way the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) translates "sin offering." He was without defect, without blemish, without spot, undefiled, upright, complete, and perfect.

Likewise, the burnt offering is typical of us as followers of Christ, as we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:1-2, NASB).

Matthew Henry said that “…burnt-offerings were purely for the honour of God, were confessions of his dominion…” According to the Law, these burnt offerings had to be offered daily in the morning and evening. They were called “continual burnt offerings” (Num 28:31), which meant that they were daily and perpetual. These were a pleasing aroma to the Lord, just as our lives are a pleasing aroma to Him when we offer them up to Him continually in holiness on the altar, consumed by His holy fire.

We are holy first of all because God has reconciled us by Christ’s body. Paul said, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Col 1:22, NIV).  We also must pursue holiness, without which no man will see God (Heb 12:14).  Then as we present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, they are holy and acceptable to Him.

Then we can say with the apostle Paul, “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.” (2 Cor 4:10-11, NIV).  Being a continual burnt offering will require that we carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that His life may be revealed in others whose lives we touch for Christ.

This kind of sacrifice requires the holy fire of His love. “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Cor 5:14-15). In this way, we no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died for us and was raised again.

Those who would like to be united with Him in his resurrection and eternal life must also be united with Him in His death (Rom 6:5).

All of this is only possible through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” (Heb 13:15).  And as the Scripture also says, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1Th 5:16-18).  This is the kind of sacrifice that is pleasing to God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. "Communion with the Lord" illustration by my sixteen-year old daughter, C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note:  Also see my daughter's poem called A Pleasing Sacrifice. If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy Holy Fire Baptism, The Burning Ones, Aim for Perfection, The Highest Form of Slavery, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Ask for the Ancient Paths, The Knowledge of the Holy, Restored Truth , and The Sacrifices of God. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Sacrifices of God

Today I would like to take a look in Scripture at the sacrifices that please God and those that don’t, as well as the perfect sacrifice that God Himself offered and what that means for us today.

The Sacrifices That Please God and Those That Don’t
There are some sacrifices that do not please God and others that do.  For example, bringing animal sacrifices to God without the right heart is not pleasing to Him, but thanksgiving is a pleasing sacrifice.

“May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him, And it is very tempestuous around Him. He summons the heavens above, And the earth, to judge His people: ‘Gather My godly ones to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.’ And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge. Selah. "Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God. I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me. I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink the blood of male goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me."  (Psa 50:3-15)

Sincere thanksgiving is preserved in heaven for eternal benefit. It will last. Therefore, incorporate thanksgiving into your lifestyle. Animals are something God already has. But when you give Him thanks, it's like a gift. He doesn't already have that from you personally.

“For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psa 51:16-17)

If you are broken and contrite, God will not despise you. Jesus is looking at the heart. It is possible to be repentant without being broken.  When a person is broken-hearted, they're not all in one piece.  When you are broken over your sin, that's the kind of broken heart God is pleased with.

To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice
We read in 1Sa 15:1-23 that King Saul did not obey God, who instructed him to destroy all the Amalekites, including every man, woman, and child, along with all the animals. Instead, Saul rebelled against God, rejected the Word of the Lord, and spared King Agag and the best of the cattle and sheep.  When Samuel the prophet met him, he claimed to have obeyed God.  When Samuel challenged him, asking, "Then what is this bleating of sheep I hear and this lowing of cattle?" Saul replied that his men had brought the best of the animals to sacrifice to God.

Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."  (1Sa 15:22-23)

God won't take 99%. Nothing less than 100% will do. 

The Sacrifices of the Wicked Are Detestable
“The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.” (Prov 15:8)

“So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?’” (Gen 4:3-6)

“For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.”  (1Jn 3:11-12)

Our Sacrifices Must Be by Faith
The difference between Cain and Abel was that Cain was evil and had no faith or love, but Abel was a righteous man with faith.  That is why the Lord had regard for Abel’s sacrifice but not for Cain’s. Abel brought a better sacrifice by faith.

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.” (Heb 11:4)

"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, 'IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.' He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. (Heb 11:17-19)

"But someone may well say, 'You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.' You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."  (Jas 2:18-24)

God’s Lamb
In the fullness of time, at the end of the ages, God offered a sacrifice.  He brought forth His Lamb and offered Him up on the altar of the cross.  That Lamb was His only begotten Son. 

“Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’" (Joh 1:35-36)

The prophet Isaiah prophesied by the Holy Spirit about the Lamb of God seven hundred years before Christ.  He spoke of Him being like a lamb led to the slaughter to be cut off from the land of the living for the peoples' sin.  He spoke of Him being a guilt offering, and how the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief.

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.” (Isa 53:7-10)

God did not have any sin that needed to be forgiven and neither did His Son, Jesus.  God offered the sacrifice for sinful mankind out of love for us to save us.

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Co 5:21)

This is love! No greater love has any man than this!

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 Jn 4:9-10)

He was offered as a sacrifice once to bear the sins of many.

“For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Heb 9:24-28)

God did not desire sacrifice and offering, although the Law required it.  He prepared a body for Jesus to offer to God on the cross for the sins of mankind.  He offered that one sacrifice for sins for all time, and by that one offering, He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. "THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'" After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them" (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.  (Heb 10:1-14)

That was the one sacrifice for sin for all time.

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says, "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. (Heb 10:14-18)

Christ was sacrificed at the beginning of the End of the Age, and now we're at the culmination of the End of the Age.  Since there is no longer any sacrifice or offering for sin, we must trust in the one perfect sacrifice that God made.  God's sacrifice was sufficient once for all, and never needs to be repeated again.

Offer Your Life as a Sacrifice to God
Any sacrifice we make is simply a loving response to His mercy, not a payment for sin. What is our response to the mercy God has shown in offering His Lamb as a sacrifice for us?  We must offer our own bodies as a living sacrifice to God.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Rom 12:1)

"And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  (Mar 8:34-37)

If you lose your life, that's a sacrifice.

"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (Heb 13:15-17)

Obedience is Required by God
Jesus said:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." (Mat 7:21-27)

Putting it All Together
Always remember that to obey is better than sacrifice.  Your rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, which was worthy of the death penalty under God's Law.  Many people think, just as I once did, that you can live the way you want to live, and as long as you go to church and do good deeds like giving money away, God will be pleased.  Or perhaps you think that if you lead many people to Christ, and you are used mightily by God to heal the sick and cast out demons, you are headed for heaven.  Don't make that mistake of thinking that just because God uses you that you are going to heaven.  Don't think God is pleased with your sacrifice when you are not even obeying Him and when you are rejecting the Word of the Lord.

Don't think you can bring sacrifices to God and that He will be pleased, when your heart is wicked and you have not repented of your sin.  The sacrifices of the wicked are detestable to God.  Realize your mistakes and repent.  Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Lamb, whom He gave as a perfect sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Those who repent of their sin, and trust in Him will be saved.

In view of God's great mercy in doing this for us, we all must offer our own bodies as living sacrifices to God.  That is holy and pleasing to Him.  Offer to Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving for what He has done -- not for what you can do -- and the sacrifice of praise.  That will honor God and He'll be pleased.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. "I Love You" and "Because I Love You" paintings © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see my daughter's poem called A Pleasing Sacrifice. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Jesus Sent Peter and John to be Sacrificed

As I was reading God’s Word today, I misread a couple verses due to my tiredness. The verses actually read: “Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it." (Luk 22:7-8). However, because of the position of the words on the page and my fatigue, I read, “Jesus sent Peter and John to be sacrificed.”

Obviously Jesus was the Passover Lamb who was sacrificed and not Peter and John. But it’s something to meditate on that after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, these disciples were sacrificed for the Lord. Just consider the way Peter and John were sacrificed.

The apostle John was sacrificed
According to Foxe's Book of Martyrs: “From Ephesus [John] was ordered to be sent to Rome, where it is affirmed he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped by miracle, without injury. Domitian afterwards banished him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation.”

The apostle Peter was sacrificed
On the night He was betrayed, Peter said to Jesus, "I will lay down my life for You." (Joh 13:37b). Jesus then asked Peter, "Will you lay down your life for Me?" (Joh 13:38). Later after he denied Christ, when Jesus reinstated him, He told him: "'Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.' Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, 'Follow Me!'" (Joh 21:18-19).

And Fox records of Peter: “Among many other saints, the blessed apostle Peter was condemned to death, and crucified…Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.” So Jesus did send both Peter and John to be sacrificed.

But Peter and John were not the only ones to suffer for Christ. Phillip, Andrew, Jude and Simon were also crucified for the Lord. In fact, all of the early apostles were put to death, except John.

The apostle Paul was sacrificed
When Jesus spoke to Ananias to go and lay hands on him to receive his sight back, “The Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." (Act 9:15-16).

Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.” (Col 1:24). Paul suffered for the sake of Christ’s Body and on behalf of His Body. In doing so, Paul indicated that this was a continuation of Christ’s afflictions. This is in line with Jesus own teaching that if they hated Him they would hate us, and that we would be persecuted for His sake.

The Church
Just as Peter, John, Paul, and the rest of the early apostles were sacrificed, the same is true of the rest of Christ’s Body, the Church. Consider the words Jesus spoke to the Jewish rabbi named Saul of Tarsus, when He appeared to him on the Road to Damascus. “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.’”(Act 9:1-5).

Whenever someone persecutes the Lord’s disciples, they are persecuting Jesus. That is how Jesus could say to Paul, who was persecuting the Lord’s disciples, “Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Paul later went on to write to the church in Rome, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Rom 12:1). So we are living sacrifices, according to God’s Word.

Putting it All Together
We know that most of the first apostles were put to death. You can read about it in Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Perhaps John is the only one who lived to an old age, but not without much suffering for the sake of Christ. So in fact, Jesus did send Peter and John to be sacrificed.

It pleased the Heavenly Father to crush his Son (Isaiah 53:10). And that sacrifice was made once for all (Ro 6:10; Heb 7:27; 10:10; 1 Pet 3:8). Never again will Jesus ever be sacrificed! It is finished, as He cried from the cross.

But it also pleased the Father to continue the afflictions of Christ in His Body, as long as it remains on earth until the day Christ returns physically to this world for His chosen ones. This is our portion as disciples of Christ. It was true of even the prophets before Christ. All of them were persecuted and most were put to death.

This world is not our home. We are looking for an enduring city whose Builder and Maker is God. And as Jesus taught us to do, we will rejoice and be glad. He said, "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Mat 5:11-12)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  Also see my daughter's poem called A Pleasing Sacrifice. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Unselfish Hearts

Sacrifices are always costly. Some of our military servicemen have sacrificed time away from their loved ones, others have sacrificed their health. Some have sacrificed their limbs and other parts of their bodies like my own father did.

Sometimes parents sacrifice for their child to go to college, or workers sacrifice for their company in order to please their boss. In the religious sense, people often make ritual or ceremonial sacrifices.

Yet what kind of sacrifices is God pleased with? What kind of sacrifices is He not pleased with?

Sacrifices God is Not Pleased with
First of all, the sacrifices in the Law were only a shadow or type of what we now experience in Christ. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.” (Heb 10:1). Priests continually, year after year offered these Old Testament sacrifices. Yet they could never make anyone perfect.

According to the Law, these had to be offered daily. “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” (Heb 5:1). “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Heb 10:11). But these could never remove sin.

And these sacrifices could never clear anyone’s conscience. “Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? (Heb 10:2). “Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience.” (Heb 9:9). If these sacrifices had cleansed anyone’s conscience, then the worshipers would no longer feel guilty and there would be no need to keep repeating the sacrifices endlessly.

Those sacrifices could never make anyone perfect. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.” (Heb 10:1).

So then, if these sacrifices could never remove sin, clear anyone’s conscience, or make anyone perfect, what was the purpose of offering them? One thing those sacrifices did was remind the people of their sins. “But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.” (Heb 10:3). So that was a primary function of the sacrifices, but it was not to please the Lord. In another place it says, “In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have taken no pleasure.” (Heb 10:6). Not even a very costly whole animal offered as a burnt offering could please the Lord.

Another function of these sacrifices was to cleanse the place of worship. “Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” (Heb 9:23)

While these were offered according to God’s Law, He never desired them at all. “’Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them’ (which are offered according to the Law).” (Heb 10:8).

A Perfect Sacrifice
It’s very clear from Scripture that all of the animal sacrifices in the world could never take away anyone’s sin or please God. So God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world as our great High Priest. “For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.” (Heb 8:3). You see it was necessary for Jesus to have something to offer.

But He never sinned. Unlike every other priest, He lived a perfect life. He “does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.” (Heb 7:27). Rather than offer up animal sacrifices that God was never pleased with, Jesus offered up Himself. His body and his blood was sacrificed for your sins and mine.

This is the one blood sacrifice that pleased God. It’s the only one that God desired. It’s the only one that can take away sin. It’s the only one that can clear your guilty conscience. It’s the only one that can make you perfect. And it was so powerful, so effective that it only had to be offered one time for all people. “This He did once for all.” (Heb 7:27)

Some people think that the sacrifice of Jesus’ Body needs to be offered over and over again, on a daily basis. But this is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus entered the holy place, the heavenly sanctuary once for all. “And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” (Heb 9:12)

If this were not so, then Jesus would in fact have to suffer often. “Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb 9:26).

Make no mistake about it: the sacrifice of Jesus was a one-time event. “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Heb 9:27,28). The next time he comes, it will not be to suffer. It will be to save those who are waiting for Him.

This one perfect sacrifice put away sin. It makes holy and perfect those who put their faith in Jesus. “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb 10:10). It’s absolutely clear that it was once for all.

“But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.” (Heb 10:12).

And Jesus’ sacrifice was not offered in any man-made temple. It was offered in the temple of His body. Jesus once stood in the temple and responded to those who challenged His authority and asked for a sign. Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. (Joh 2:19-21). It’s important to see that the perfect sacrifice was not a ritual one or a ceremonial one offered to God in a temple made with hands. The sacrifice that pleased God was made in the temple of Jesus’ body.

So once you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, you no longer need to offer blood sacrifices over and over. You no longer need to carry your sins. They are taken away completely. You no longer need to feel like you have to sacrifice to God in order to receive forgiveness. Your sins have been forgiven. He paid the price for them in full! He died in your place. Just accept it by faith.

When you truly give your life to Jesus, you change the way you’re living. That’s called repentance. If you have put your trust in Jesus, then your life will certainly change. You will stop living in willful sin. It doesn’t mean you will never sin again. The difference is that before you know Jesus, you are running after sin, but after you come to know Him, you are running from sin.

The Scripture says, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” (Heb 10:26). You see, if you receive the knowledge of the truth about Jesus and His loving sacrifice for you, and you just go on sinning willfully anyway, this is a dangerous place to be. What sacrifice is left for you after that? The one sacrifice Jesus made for all is finished. It will never be made again. There will never be another better sacrifice. Never! So if you have received this knowledge and go on sinning willfully, then there is no longer any sacrifice that can be made for your sins.

When Jesus hung on the cross and completed His perfect sacrifice, He said, “It is finished!” There is no other sacrifice for Him to make. And there is no other sacrifice that you or anyone else can make for your sins.

Sacrifices God is Pleased with
So then if we no longer need to make sacrifices for sin, what sacrifices does God desire from those of us who have put our faith in Jesus?

The first sacrifice we need to offer is our own bodies. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Rom 12:1). God is not interested in a ritual sacrifice from you. He doesn’t desire you to offer something to Him in a man-made temple. Just as the sacrifice of Jesus was not a ritual or religious one, but a loving one made in the temple of His body, so should your sacrifices be made in the temple of your body.

If you consider what Jesus has done for you and you accept His sacrifice as perfect and complete payment for your sins, you should be very grateful. Your response should be to present you body to God as a living sacrifice. This is a holy sacrifice. It’s your spiritual act of worship to your Creator. In doing so, your body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Another kind of sacrifice we should make is doing good to people and sharing with them. “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Heb 13:16). This is not a sacrifice for your sin. But it is a sacrifice that God is pleased with. Duguet said, "The smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention."

When you have faith in Jesus Christ, you will certainly make sacrifices and you will serve, as the Philippians did. Paul wrote to them saying, “But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” (Phi 2:17)

Loving God and other people pleases God more than all sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jesus commended the scribe who said to Him, “To Love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mar 12:33).

“And walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph 5:2). Love is not a feeling. When Jesus loved you, He gave Himself up for you through a painful death on the cross, and that sacrifice to God was like a sweet aroma to Him. Loving is giving or it’s not love at all.

Yet even in your sacrificial giving of your possessions and in offering your body to God as a living sacrifice, if you don’t do it in love, it will be of no value to you. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. (1Co 13:3)

Jesus put it like this: "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mat 9:13). He was speaking to people who were really into making sacrifices. They thought God was pleased with their sacrifices, so the more the better. It makes sense right? But they were wrong. Jesus said that God desired for us to have compassion on others. He does not desire sacrifices.

If we really understand what this means, it will transform our lives. When you have compassion on someone, you will not stand by doing nothing. You will see their need and do something. The Lord may have you pray for the person, give to them, or help them. But He desires compassion on your part. That’s why Jesus said to go and learn what this means. It is not apparent on the surface. But if you will go and learn what it means, and ask the Heavenly Father to show you what it means, He will teach you by His Spirit.

It’s so easy to judge and condemn others. Often those who are religious may look at others who are serving the Lord in righteousness, and pass judgment on them, because it doesn’t look the way they think service to God should look. The religious people of Jesus day did exactly this to Him. He was innocent, but they condemned Him. He said to them, "But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent.” (Mat 12:7). It’s easy to be religious like they were and yet have no compassion. But the Lord desires compassion, not sacrifice.

Another pleasing sacrifice to the Lord is giving financial gifts to help those who are bringing the gospel to the nations. Paul wrote to the Philippians about the gift they sent to him through Epaphroditus. “But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.” (Phi 4:18). As Leo Buscaglia once said, "Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of gain, can we truly know what love means."

Another sacrifice that’s pleasing to God is giving praise and thanks to Him. “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” (Heb 13:15). Be a thankful person. Sing praise to the Lord. This is not something to reserve for Sundays or holidays. The Scripture says, “let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.” It’s continual, so make it a way of life. Give thanks to Him for all the blessings He has poured out in your life, especially the sacrifice He made for you at the cross.

Putting it All Together
So we can see clearly that animal sacrifices for sin could never make anyone perfect, never clear anyone’s conscience and never remove sin. Jesus Christ in His love for us made the perfect sacrifice of His own life by dying on the cross, and shedding His own blood. It was not a ritual sacrifice offered in a man-made temple, but a loving one offered in the temple of His body. It pleased God. This was done once for all, and will never be repeated again. If you put your trust in Him, you are forgiven, your sins are removed, you are cleansed, and you are made perfect.

But then you should want to make sacrifices to God out of gratitude for all He has done. Just forget about making sacrifices for sin. Start by offering your own body as a sacrifice. Ask Him to take your body and use it for His glory in any way He chooses. Let Him consume it the way that the animal sacrifices were consumed on the altar in flames. But you are a living sacrifice, not a dead one. So when it gets painful or difficult, you will want to get up and remove yourself from the altar. I’ve done this myself. But let me encourage you to get back on the altar, and offer yourself again and again each time you worship. Give God permission to use you however he wishes.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanks to Him. Offer sacrifices out of love for others. Share with others your time, talents, money, food, property, or whatever the Lord asks of you. Give the sacrifice of financial gifts to your leaders, to those who are carrying the gospel message to the nations, and to the poor. This is a sweet smelling fragrance to God. And most importantly is compassion for people -- go and learn what this means. God desires these sacrifices more than any ceremonial sacrifices you could ever offer.

If you have not yet put your faith in Christ, I urge you to do that today. He loves you and wants you to know Him personally.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  Also see my daughter's poem called A Pleasing Sacrifice. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.