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A More Excellent Sacrifice Hebrews 11:4 ¶ By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God slew an animal to clothe them. I’m sure God explained to them that the skin that covered their nakedness was symbolic of the covering for sin that would be provided by the coming Redeemer. As God cursed the serpent, He foretold of the Redeemer to come who would crush Satan’s head and render the powers of evil impotent. Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. I have no doubt that God explained just what He required for a sacrifice, just as he does for us today. Abel, took heed and expressed His faith in the unseen by complying with God’s instructions to bring a blood sacrifice. We also place our faith in the atoning blood of Jesus. Atonement simply means to be set “at one” with God. Cain ignored God’s instructions and brought the fruit of the ground. Perhaps their was some sibling rivalry going on and Cain couldn’t bear to go to Abel to obtain an animal for sacrifice. Regardless of the reason, Cain in effect told God, “My was is just as good as your way.” Do you remember the popular song, “I did it my way?” We can’t do it our way in regard to our soul’s salvation. There is only one way and that is by the shed blood of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God. Scripture tells us that there is a way that seems right to man , but the end thereof is death (Pr.16;25). I can’t conceive of approaching God on judgment day and saying, “I really didn’t like all of that blood stuff, I did it my way.” Proverbs 21:27 ¶ The sacrifice of the wicked [is] abomination: how much more, [when] he bringeth it with a wicked mind? Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. Romans 12:1-3 tells us that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is our reasonable service. Verse 3 says that we do this by the measure of faith that God has given us. Abel showed his faith in things unseen and hard to comprehend by offering the sacrifice that God required, and we must do likewise. Hebrews 10:5-10 gives us some insight into offering our bodies as a living sacrifice. To paraphrase: When Jesus came into the world, He said, “Lord I know that you don’t delight in the sacrifice of bulls and goats. You have prepared a body for me and I have come to do your will. I willingly offer my body as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.” This is a perfect example to follow. No, we can never replace or exceed the sacrifice of Jesus, but if Jesus gave His all, it is my reasonable service to give my all. God won’t settle for part of us, He demands all of us. God desires our unconditional love. He said in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 that we were to love Him with all of our heart, soul and might. Try as we might, this is impossible in our natural unregenerated condition. But God supplied the remedy, He loved us first and shed His own blood for our redemption (Acts 20:28). John said that it was not that we loved God but rather that He loved us and sent His Son to make the one time and only acceptable payment for sin (I John 4:10). God wants our affections. Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. God desires our trust. Psalms 20:7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. God is pleased when we place our total faith and trust in Him. He delights in being able to shine forth from our bodies, as the salt of the earth (Mt. 5:13) and as a city set on a hill (Mt. 5:14) that men may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. God is pleased when we do our best to follow the Sermon on the Mount. Yes, it is difficult to go the second mile, turn the other cheek and to pray for those who despitefully use us. When we supply the effort, God will give us grace to complete these acceptable sacrifices that are a result of our Faith in Him and His word. God is please when we allow Him to live His life in us. Ephesians 4:1 tells us to walk worthy of the vocation to which we have been called. Ephesians 2:8-10 explains that we are saved by God given faith rather than our own works. We have noting of ourselves to boast about, but by our new birth in Christ Jesus we are ordained to walk in good works, showing that we are the workmanship of the Christ who resides in our hearts. So like righteous Abel, we express our faith in the unseen. We are looking for the return on our Savior who will change our vile body that it might be fashioned like His glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). We recognize that we have been purchased with an extremely high price, the precious blood of Jesus and that our citizenship is in heaven and we walk through this sinful world as pilgrims and strangers (I Pe. 2:11-12) May the Lord quicken our faith in things hoped for but yet unseen (Heb. 11:1) that we like Abel may be able to offer a most excellent sacrifice unto our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, as we eagerly await His return. The purposes of God point to one simple end - that we should be as he is, think the same thoughts, mean the same things, possess the same blessedness. – George MacDonald Free Ebooks That You Can Download. An Expository Study on the Book of Colossians The I AMs of Jesus Your thoughts and Inquiries Contact@About-Him.Com Subscribe to this devotional? Subscribe to About-Him Devotional Keep Looking Up! Don and Marie Spooner About Him! Ministries
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