"A Costly Faith" January 28 Readings: Leviticus 1-7

Today's Reading -  Leviticus 1-7

Background

Can I give you a word of encouragement?

Leviticus is a tough book. Chapters chock full of details on sacrifices and others explaining things about infectious skin disease and mildew that none of us wants to think about. There are laws about sexual practices decent people don't discuss and a bunch of intricate instructions we don't understand.

Stick with it. Don't give up! It is God's word and there is truth to be learned. It is about holiness - God's people are different than the world around them and have to live by different rules.

On the other hand, I have blocked out some long sections and my recommendation would be to simply "skim" some of the more arcane and detailed parts. This might be a time to augment your reading with a Psalm or a quick chapter of Romans!

If you wish to do a little deeper reading on the sacrifices described in this passage, here is an online resource. Here is another (even has a chart).  Here is one that sorts out all the facts of the offerings, but doesn't deal with the Christ-symbolism as much.

Devotional - A Costly Faith

I read an interesting story about Dwight L. Moody, the great revivalist. Early in his Christian life, he was turned down for membership in a church because of his atrocious grammar. Of course, that is terrible - bad grammar is annoying but not ungodly!

But as I read that story I began to think how different things are today. We wouldn't turn down someone for bad grammar. We don't turn down people for living lives of open sin! The church has often become a sales organization which lowers its prices to close the deal. People shop for churches that give them the most blessings, generally giving little thought to how much they will give! The consumer mindset has overrun us.

But worship of God is not cheap. Any church that coddles people and makes it seem as if they can love God and live as Christians without cost is not speaking truth. Jesus told his disciples to count the cost and we cannot cheapen the faith!

The absorbing and riveting reading that is Leviticus 1-7 makes a key point. It costs something to come to God. Offerings have to be given. If you approach your relationship with God or your membership in the church with the attitude, "What can I get out of it?" your attitude is not pleasing to God. The Israelities had to bring offerings to God. They were poor but they still had to bring their animals and their grains and their oils as offerings and sacrifices to worship him!

Take heart, my friend. I am attaching no link today to an offering - though if you'd like...never mind. Yes, giving financially is part of true worship. But there are two key offerings every Christian must bring and if we don't, we are not worshiping God.

First, we come to God on the basis of the blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God. He offered himself to pay for our sin - eternally, infinitely, and completely. Hebrews tells us that the blood of bulls and goats could provide nothing more than a temporary protection, but once for all, Jesus hung on the Cross to pay for our sins.

Romans 12:1 tells us of another sacrifice that we must make - our spiritual act of worship. Paul is pulling on the picture of the Levitical sacrifices. This is sacrifice a man or woman of God must make as they worship him, he says. What is that sacrifice? You give God your body! You give yourself to him - body, soul, and spirit - for God's use. He transforms you by renewing your mind, conforms you to Christ, then uses you for his glory.

But please, realize that worship that costs you nothing is no worship at all.

Father, I thank you for the sacrifice your Son made that paid for my eternal soul. And I give myself to you as an act of worship, a spiritual "levitical" sacrifice for your glory and honor. 

Think and Pray

Have you accepted the sacrifice of Christ as the full payment of your sins? 

Have you given to him your body as a living sacrifice as your act of worship?