Five Operations of the Holy Spirit Part 9
Another difficulty is that God requires a "living sacrifice." If the Lord would just allow us to become robots, to flee from reality, enter a state of passivity, and let Him use us as He will, it would be easier. We then could "go into neutral" and forget everything.
God requires a "living sacrifice." We must continue in the full power of our lives, allowing the Lord to blunt our motives as He chooses. We must "cooperate with the doctor during the operation."
There were five kinds of animal sacrifices used in the Jewish Divine service, and they are set forth in the first seven chapters of Leviticus. Of these five, the first one mentioned is the burnt offering. The burnt offering is the offering of consecration to the Lord's purpose for our life. The bronze altar on which all animals were sacrificed derived its name from the first type of offering—the Altar of Burnt Offering.
Twice daily throughout the Jewish year a lamb was offered—the morning and the evening Lamb. The daily lambs were a whole burnt offering, a portrayal of the consecration of Christ to the will of the Father.
We are to present our bodies to God as a whole burnt offering, seeking His will for each of our motives, imaginations, words and deeds. We are to present ourselves every minute of every hour, seven days of every week of the year. This kind of offering of our body is the basis of the Christian discipleship and the source of all acceptable ministry. It also is one of the principal means by which we determine what our ministry is and how and when to exercise our ministry.
Laying on of hands and prophecy compose another important means that God has given for determining the role of a believer.
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. (I Timothy 4:14)
Then too there are personal visitations such as dreams and visions.
Sometimes a saint just "falls" into his ministry, so to speak, in the course of seeking the Lord's will on a daily basis, other Christians bearing witness that the person is in the ministry that the Holy Spirit has assigned to him or her.
It is our point of view, nevertheless, that the most important factor in bringing a saint into his gifts and ministry is the offering of himself as a whole burnt offering to God after the manner announced in Romans 12:1. It requires much strength on the part of our new nature in Christ in order to keep on holding up our body a living sacrifice. The strength comes to us as God "weaves bars of bronze" in our soul.
The Altar of Burnt Offering was a hollow wooden box covered with bronze and probably filled with earth. In order to strengthen it, a grating of bronze was added to it on the four sides, starting at the top just under the ledge and proceeding halfway down the sides, as we understand the Hebrew text in Exodus 27:4,5.
Our interpretation of the grating of bronze straps is that it portrays the strength of the believer that is fashioned in him as he learns to work with God in rejecting evil and embracing righteousness, holiness, and obedience.
The stronger and tougher the saint becomes the better able he is to hold up his own kicking, squirming, struggling body as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. If the saint weakens, the "altar collapses" and the "animal" comes down before the fire of the Lord is able to consume the sacrifice.
Are you spiritually tough enough to hold up your body to the Lord as a whole burnt offering? Or is your altar collapsing and your body coming down so that the self-life may be nourished for a while longer?
If we consistently and continually maintain our body before the Holy Spirit as a whole burnt offering we remain in the place where we can receive from the Holy Spirit the knowledge of what, when, and how to minister. The ministry of our life flows naturally from our consecration to the Lord. Christian "ministry" that does not proceed from a crucified life is contrived and without eternal profit.
. . . and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. (Leviticus 1:9)
When we hold ourselves steady as a whole burnt offering, consecrated to the Lord, a "sweet savour" arises to the Lord. Acceptable, rational, intelligent ministry proceeds from the believer who remains subject to the will of Christ every moment of every day.
There may be cheaper, easier routes to the exercising of gifts and ministries. There is no other way that will bring about the long-lasting, satisfying Presence of the Lord Jesus. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints"; and when we are willing to be offered to the Lord as a living sacrifice, God is well pleased with our service to Him.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
We Christians are not to be shaped and fashioned according to the image of the people of the world. Worldly "believers" never can determine the will of God, never are able to serve God acceptably. We are to be changed from the world's image by the renewing of our mind. Our mind is renewed by the Word of God as it comes to us through our study of the Scriptures, through the Christian ministry, and through every other channel God has provided.
The fleshly, sinful natural mind is the enemy of God and never can please God. The Holy Spirit is at war with our natural mind. If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring to our mind the Word of God our fleshly thoughts will begin to disappear, being replaced by the thoughts of Christ. The mind of Christ loves the ways of God and is quick to perceive the will of God.