Sacrifices - Acceptable and Unacceptable

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 8
Three Acceptable Sacrifices
2. In Hebrews 13:1515By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15) there is the sacrifice of praise. This is offered to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. All praises and prayers go through Him to the Father. As our great High Priest, the One who presents the sacrifice, He takes away any imperfection and presents all according to His own excellency and virtue. The sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips confessing His name, is acceptable to God in the measure in which it comes from the heart. From this same source, the lips of His redeemed offer praise.
3. There is the sacrifice of our substance—our physical resources (Heb. 13:1616But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Hebrews 13:16); Phil. 4:1818But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. (Philippians 4:18)). Scripture teaches us to use our physical and material possessions to do good and to share with those who are in need. God is pleased with such sacrifices that are a practical expression of love. This is the very opposite of accumulating for self.
All that is offered—our bodies, our praise and our goods—must be offered by the Spirit, in a spirit of thanksgiving and appreciation for the one sacrifice offered once for all by the Father and the Son, for “they went both of them together” (Gen. 22:6,86And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6)
8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)
).
Three Unacceptable Sacrifices
1. Cain’s offering was unacceptable because of the nature of his offering. Abel had offered of his flock; he had shed blood. His offering showed that it is by the death of an innocent substitute that we draw near to God. We are accepted in the value of the offering. Hebrews 10:10,1410By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)
14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)
shows that this offering is Christ.
The fruit of a cursed earth (Gen. 3:1717And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Genesis 3:17)) offered by Cain well represents man’s efforts and good deeds, offered in opposition to the precious blood of Christ, shed at the cross. God cannot accept such.
2. The offering of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10) was not acceptable because of the manner in which it was offered. Through natural energy, strange fire was brought to burn incense. This reminds us that the worshippers God desires must not only worship in truth but also in the power and energy of the Spirit (John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23)). The energy of the flesh is never acceptable to Him.
M. Payette (adapted)