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“By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead” ( Hebrews 11:4 )

By reading the account of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, it is easy to be confused about why Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and Cain’s was not. However, this passage in Hebrews clarifies it, telling us that Abel offered his sacrifice in faith, Cain on the other hand did not. The result is that God commended Abel as a righteous man and accepted his offering.

To understand this, we must first look back at Genesis 4. Although not much detail is given about the instructions God gave to them when bringing their sacrifices, we see that Cain brought the fruit of the ground to God and Abel brought an animal sacrifice. God looked favorably on Abel’s sacrifice. When Cain’s was rejected God said to him, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it” ( Genesis 4:6-7 ). The first thing we see is that Cain did not do what was right, which is why he was rejected.

The reason was because he brought the toil of his labor to God as an offering. This was wrong was because God had cursed the ground at the fall of mankind. “To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life” ( Genesis 3:17 ). Cain brought to God what he grew from the cursed ground, this was approaching God in self-righteousness and on that basis we are never accepted. Isaiah tells us that all of our righteous acts are as filthy rags ( Isaiah 64:6 ), not our unrighteousness but our righteousness. All of the things we do to be acceptable to God are as soiled dirty rags. This is why we are never accepted when we approach Him in this manner.

Abel, on the other hand, brought to God a covering that had been provided for him. Abel, by faith, accepted what God did and on that basis he was accepted. He took God’s righteousness as a gift which made him acceptable. God was so pleased with Abel that He wrote about it in Hebrews 11 so we could still celebrate his faith.

This same truth rings loud and clear for us today. When we rely on what Jesus did for us to make us righteous, then we are always accepted. This takes faith, but that faith commends us as righteous before God and like Abel speaks a good word on our behalf.

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” ( Hebrews 10:26-27 )

In today’s world of political correctness, it is not popular to say that Jesus is the only way, but that doesn’t change this truth which rings loud and clear; Jesus is the only way to get to heaven. Jesus is the only way for salvation. Jesus is the only way to be right with God.

This is good news for us because it simplifies something that the world tries to complicate. What we hear from many sources is that we must be good, we must follow the rules, we must attend a certain church and we must adhere to certain religious practices; all the- while keeping us busy with other things so we miss the Savior. God didn’t want it to be complicated; He wanted it to be accomplished, so He sent Jesus to do what we could not.

Jesus was our sacrifice for sin. Not only is this so but the Scriptures also say “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” ( I John 2:2 ). Jesus died for all; even those who do not accept this wonderful message of grace have been forgiven and absolved from sin. He died to bring forgiveness to everyone, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” ( I Peter 3:18 ). This is an amazing truth, all sins; past, present and future have been paid for and forgiven by Jesus!

Since this is an absolute truth we also know that there can be no other sacrifice for sin because the debt that sin left is gone and paid for. Jesus came, died and rose again. This chapter has been written and closed. There has been one sacrifice to atone for sin which is why “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” ( Acts 4:12 ). If we reject that name and the person behind it who has provided the means for salvation, then there is no other option; only a fearful expectation of judgment.

Jesus came not to judge the world, but to save it ( John 12:47 ). However, there is one who will judge. The judgment has nothing to do with sin. But rather, the judgment has to do with whether or not you have accepted the gospel message and believed in Jesus Christ as Savior. The answer to this question is the determining factor for Salvation. The Scriptures are very clear on this point, God loves us and did everything to reconcile us to Himself, but He has given us the choice whether or not we accept Jesus who paid the price of our forgiveness. If we reject Him, then there can be no other payment because there was, and is, only one sacrifice (the death of Jesus) which can atone for sin.

This is what this passage in Hebrews is saying; if we deliberately and willingly refuse Jesus, then this sin is the only thing that will not be forgiven and the only thing that will send us to hell. All other sins have been paid for, and there is no other sacrifice which can be made. There is then, only the fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment against those who set themselves up in opposition to God.

But it doesn’t have to be like this, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" ( John 3:16-18 ). What you do with Jesus is the determining factor for eternity. However, we already have the answer to the question. The answer is to believe in the name of the One and Only Son and by doing so you will find abundant life starting right now! Praise God for Jesus!

“Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” ( Hebrews 10:11-14 )

Pointing out the  contrast between the continuous and repetitive acts of the priests compared with the one act of Jesus’ sacrifice is the main theme of Hebrews chapter 10. What the priests did over and over, Jesus did only once. And since that time He has been seated at the right hand of God the Father because the work He was sent to do is finished and complete.

We see the same thing with creation. On the seventh day God rested from all  His work ( Genesis 2:2 ). Not because he was tired, but because He was done ( Hebrews 4:10 ). He saw all He had made, declared it good, gave it the ability to reproduce and so He entered into rest. In fact Adam and Eve were created in that Sabbath Rest. There was no sin, it was a paradise and they fellowshipped with God in perfect unity, then came the fall of mankind.

After Jesus completed His restoration work on the cross, like God He sat down because everything was done. Redemption had been accomplished. Sins had been forgiven. The Sabbath Rest that God originally instated in the garden had been restored ( Hebrews 4:1-11 ). In other words, Jesus rested because there was nothing left to do. Now He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool.

The book of Hebrews opens with this very idea, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” ( Hebrews 1:3 ). Evidence that this is currently the case is that the universe is held into place by His powerful Word. Jesus is the glue that is holding everything together and this testifies to the fact that Jesus is seated in heaven at the Fathers right hand.

This is good news for us because it means that His one sacrifice, in contrast to the law’s many sacrifices, worked. We, by this single offering are completely cleansed, perfected, consecrated and made holy once for all. Just like Jesus, we can enter into the rest that God desires for His people. This Sabbath Rest is in the person of Jesus Christ and comes through trusting in Him ( Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 4:3; 9-10 ).

By His one sacrifice we have been made holy and the law has been fulfilled in our lives. “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” ( Romans 8:3-4 ). All of this is guaranteed by witness that Jesus is currently in heaven occupying the seated position of right hand to God the Father. Everything has been done and His work is completed. In the same way, our job is to believe in the One that God has sent ( John 6:29 ) when this happens our work is also finished and complete and we enter into the very rest that God promised His people right from the start.

“Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God’” ( Hebrews 10:5-7 )

The plan from the foundation of the world was for God to provide redemption for His people. The Bible tells us that Jesus was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world ( I Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8 ). The redemption of mankind was never “plan B”, it was intentional and thought out long before the world even existed.

As described in the previous verses, the sacrificial system was merely a type and shadow looking forward to the time when Christ would present His body as a perfect and holy offering. He came in the flesh with a human body that was prepared for this very purpose.

Looking back at the account of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 gives us incredible insight into this. God told Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him on the mountain. So they set off, arrived and prepared for the sacrifice. When Isaac asked Abraham about the offering, Abraham’s reply was that God would provide the lamb. Then he bound Isaac and placed him on the altar.

Hebrews 11 gives us insight into Abraham’s faith in God’s provision, “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death” ( Hebrews 11:17-19 ). God had promised Abraham that Isaac was the promise, so many times, that he was fully convinced that God would raise him from the dead to fulfill the promise that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and his Seed would bless every nation ( Genesis 12:2-3, 13:6, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14; Acts 3:25-26, Galatians 3:16 ). God saw his faith while testing him, knowing he would do what God instructed even at the cost of his one and only son, the promise. So God intervened and provided a lamb.

This is an amazing story, but it gets so much better, because it really wasn’t about Abraham and Isaac, it was about Jesus. The example of Abraham and Isaac is another example of type and shadow; just as Abraham was faithful to God and willing to sacrifice his one and only son, God himself was faithful to his promise and actually did sacrifice His one and only Son, Jesus. “The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time And said, I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son, In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies, And in your Seed [Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed My voice” ( Genesis 22:15-18 Amp ). God tested Abraham to see if he would withhold his son and because he didn’t all nations are blessed because the Messiah was given through Abraham’s seed.

In the place where Abraham received back Isaac and was provided a lamb in his place, he named the spot Jehovah-jireh, the ‘Lord will Provide’. And so the Lord has provided, He prepared a body for His one and only Son as a sacrifice for all mankind for all times. Jesus was the lamb chosen before the foundation of the world and it was God’s will that He provide redemption through the sacrifice of His body.

God provided the sacrifice; He equipped our Savior with a body that was necessary to make atonement. Like Abraham He did not withhold His one and only Son but freely gave Him so that we could be made whole and brought into fellowship with God.

“Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law” ( Hebrews 8:3-4 )

Jesus’ priesthood is unlike any other. The writer of Hebrews goes to great lengths to disconnect Jesus’ priesthood from the Levitical line. The picture he paints of the Levitical priesthood is a system that continually operates over and over without having permanence or resolution (Hebrews 7). In fact he mentions this very idea five times throughout the entire book, each time building on the last, making it more apparent that this system could not accomplish what Jesus could ( Hebrews 5:1, Hebrews 7:27, Hebrews 8:3, Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 10:11 ).

The book of Leviticus describes the required gifts and sacrifices the priests were to make on behalf of the people. There were burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace, sin and guilt offerings, each sacrifice had specific guidelines and rituals required when making them. However, the result was the same; when the offering was made it was accepted by the Lord and became a pleasing aroma to Him. The priests were the only ones able to offer these gifts and sacrifices. It was their primary duty.

In the same way, Jesus, our High Priest, was also required to offer both gifts and sacrifices. The difference is that Jesus’ gifts and His sacrifice were far superior to the gifts offered according to the law. He did not bring animals to sacrifice as a covering for sin. He presented His body, which was prepared and given for this very purpose ( Hebrews 10:5-7 ). His sacrifice completely and utterly wiped away sin and its effects, so there was not even a record of them to accuse us ( II Corinthians 5:19, Hebrews 10:17-18, I John 2:2 ). The New Testament tells us that Jesus’ sacrifice was a fragrant and pleasing aroma to God ( Ephesians 5:2 ).

In fact, Jesus’ gifts and sacrifice did several things that the Levitical priesthood could never do and only hinted at. First, Jesus paid the debt left by sin, making our account balanced, absolving us from all guilt before God ( Romans 4:25, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 10:22 ). Secondly, He took our old sin nature gave us a new life fashioned after His own ( Romans 6:4, II Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 4:24, I Peter 3:18 ). Next, He died so we could live apart from the law while obtaining the righteousness described within the law ( II Corinthians 5:21 ). This removed death’s claim on us ( I Corinthians 15:55, Ephesians 4:7-8, I Peter 3:18 ). Lastly through Jesus, not the law, we will experience the incomparable riches of His grace for all eternity ( Ephesians 2:7 ). This is why Jesus’ priesthood is unparalleled to any other.

In contrast to the Levitical line, Jesus only offered these gifts and sacrifices once. He did not do it over and over, once was all it took. In the same way that the writer of Hebrews describes the continual offerings of the earthly priesthood to show that the old system was inadequate, he points out many times how Jesus’ sacrifice worked the one and only time it was given ( Hebrews 5:9, Hebrews 6:20, Hebrews 7:24-25, Hebrews 7:27, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 8:15, Hebrews 8:26, Hebrews 8:28, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 10:18, Hebrews 10:22-23 ). This alone, shows how superior Jesus’ priesthood is. We are eternally blessed by the fact that Jesus has been appointed as our High Priest before God, making intercession for us. Faith in the saving name of Jesus alone is all it takes to secure a hope and future with Him eternally.

"Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.” ( Hebrews 5:1-3 )

The sacrificial system was a type and shadow of what was to come ( Hebrews 10:1 ). It was a rough outline and not the very image itself. It represented a vague picture of the true sacrifice that would be made by the Messiah. It was used to remind those making the sacrifices of their sin ( Hebrews 10:3 ). They experienced this symbolism year after year looking forward with anticipation to the Christ.

When making a sin offering the worshipper had to provide a perfect, spotless lamb. Laying their hands on it to symbolically transfer their sin and guilt, the animal was then sacrificed as a covering for sin ( Leviticus 4 ). However the sacrificing of animals was never able to remove sin as evidenced by the conscience of the worshipper and the repetitive act of bringing sacrifices. Hebrews 10 describes this in detail, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" ( Hebrews 10:1-4 ).

The sacrificed animal couldn't take away sin because it was incapable of being the perfect substitute. In the same way, the priest selected from among men, could never be the perfect mediator for mankind. This is because they were subjected to the same faults and weaknesses as those making atonement. The priest would have to offer a sacrifice first for his owns sins and then the sins of the people. This is why the sacrificial system only served as a picture to remind the people that the perfect sacrifice and mediator was coming.

Hebrews 9 goes into detail, "This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order" ( Hebrews 9:9-10 ).

The High Priest was appointed to act on the behalf of men in all things relating to God. They offered both gifts and sacrifices. They served as mediator between God and man. This picture gives us insight into the function of the high priest, helping to understand the role of Jesus as the mediator of the New Covenant. Paul said in Timothy, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time" ( I Timothy 2:5-6 ).

Jesus was both the perfect sin substitute and perfect mediator ratifying the New Covenant between God and mankind with his blood. He is the true picture and exact representation of what the sacrificial system portrayed. In contrast, we do not have a High Priest who is subject to the weaknesses of mankind, but one who is perfect in every way. This is why our covenant is much superior in every way. We have Jesus the perfect High Priest to intercede on our behalf.

I have heard many people say, that the God of the Old Testament was a God of wrath and anger, vastly different then the God portrayed in the New Testament. However this is not true and this passage of scripture supports that. God dealt with the people who lived before Christ in restraint, patience and tolerance looking forward to the time when Jesus would do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

God presented Jesus as the propitiation for our sins. Another way to put that is that God showed His mercy to the sinner by atoning for our sins with His blood shed on the cross. The Jew was familiar with the sacrificial system because the Law required that nearly everything be cleansed in blood. ( Hebrews 9:22 ) But the reality was, that the blood of animals was never able to take away sin. ( Hebrews 10:4 )

Why was there a need for a different sacrifice other than animals? First because the sacrifices prescribed in the Law was a type and a shadow of the things to come ( Colossians 2:17 ). One way to look at this is like writing a check to pay for groceries. The check itself isn't worth anything, but when the amount is filled out and the check is signed, then the check is the promise of payment. The check can be cashed in for the value assigned to it. However, it is only good if there is money in the bank to cover it. In the same way, the sacrificial system was like the check in this example. It was only as valuable as the reality was to back it up. Jesus was that reality and the real sacrifice for sin. The blood of the bulls and goats served as a token for the real sacrifice that Jesus would pay. It was the type and shadow and vague representation of what was to come.

If the blood of animals wasn't able to pay for sin, why was Jesus' blood able to do it? First because Jesus was sinless His blood was able to justify us ( Romans 5:9 ). Justified means, just as if I'd never sinned. So Jesus' blood restores us to a state before sin corrupted it. Secondly because Jesus' blood made peace between us and God ( Colossians 1:20 ). By His blood He reconciled all things back to Himself thus making peace. And lastly, Jesus' blood brings about the forgiveness of sin ( Hebrews 10:18 ). So since there was peace between us and God, we were restored to a state before sin corrupted us and we were completely forgiven once for all, The blood literally appeased God and reconciled us to Him through Faith. Animal blood was never able to do this.

By sending Jesus as our sacrifice of atonement or propitiation for sin, God demonstrated his justice and righteousness. Because by His forbearance he left the sins committed before Jesus' sacrifice unpunished. There was complete remission of sin for all of those people who lived before Christ. The Greek work for remission is 'aphesis' which literally means, deliverance, freedom; liberty; release from bondage; forgiveness; pardon of sins, letting them go as if they had not been committed; remission of penalty. So even though these sins were an offense to Him, in his restraint and in the face of provocation he completely passed over and ignored these sins without punishment looking forward to the time when Jesus would pay for them.

To me, this sounds exactly like the God written about in the New Testament. Forgiving, loving, patient and willing to do whatever it takes to bridge the gap between us. Today I praise God that He sent Jesus to be my Savior. I thank God for the Bible, so we have the means to read, understand and know Him. And I thank Him for redeeming me fully, completely and eternally!

Jesus accomplished so many things upon the cross. Through him, we have total victory over sin and death. Paul stresses in this verse, that there are three very important ideas and truths to take away with us and understand. First, Jesus was betrayed and deliver over to death as the payment for our sins. Secondly, as he was raised to life, he conquered death once for all. Lastly, he ascended to heaven to acquit us before God and declare us justified before him.

Although it is true that Jesus was betrayed and delivered over to death, it is equally important for us to recognize that he had authority in the matter. He life was taken, only because he had already laid it down for us. We were without hope before God because sin had corrupted us, but Romans 5 says, "... when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:6-8 ) We were without hope and enemies of God but Jesus still laid his life down for us, to take away our sin once for all. ( Hebrews 9:28 ). Through his death, sin had been completely paid for.

The resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle of history as we know it. Jesus is the first person to rise from the dead and conquer death permanently. Romans 6:8-9 says, "For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. " He conquered sin in his sacrifice upon the cross and then he conquered death in his resurrection from the dead.

Lastly, after his ascension, he now intercedes for us at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10:14 says, "because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." So the end result for us if we believe in Jesus by faith, is justification. Justification is the act whereby Jesus makes us completely holy before God. To do this he not only forgives our sin, but he imparts righteousness to us, so that it is as if we have never sinned.

Both Abraham and David saw glimpses of this incredible feat that Jesus would do for us and they called us blessed. Today, if you believe in Jesus as your savior then have complete victory over sin and death because he purchased it for you. Today, we are completely blessed having been redeemed from the curse of the law and made righteous and holy before God. Praise Jesus for his love and this precious gift to us.

If God doesn't condemn us based on the fact that he is the one justifying us, who can condemn us? Will Jesus? In today's passage, Paul is writing to us that Jesus is the one who died for us and now resides beside the Father making intercession for us. If he is pleading and interceding on our behalf then it makes sense that he would never bring accusation against us.

Jesus died for us to be reconciled to the Father. When he did this, he took all judgment for sin upon himself. The wrath of God was placed upon him in our stead and he was crushed beneath it until everything was paid for. Isaiah told us that the Messiah would bear up our iniquities and bring us peace with God by being our sacrificial lamb. "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" ( Isaiah 53:4-6 ). Jesus paid for our sins so we wouldn't have to. Jesus brought us peace with God so we be in fellowship with him.

It was a marvelous thing for Jesus to do for us. He suffered at the hands of man becoming the very thing he hated so that we could become the very thing he was . He took our sin and gave us his righteousness ( II Corinthians 5:21 ). Since Jesus became the sin for us and by it took care of the sin problem forgiving mankind of all sins, it only reasons that he would never condemn us before God if by faith we have accepted his payment for sin.

Hebrews talks about this very thing in chapter 10. "But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" ( Hebrews 10:12-14 ). Jesus only offered one sacrifice for sin, paid for all of it and forgave our debt to it. Verse 18 says, "And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin" ( Hebrews 10:18 ). If there is one sacrifice for sin and everything is forgiven, then there is no more condemnation in regards to sin either. Just as God rested on the seventh day of creation because everything was finished, Jesus rested beside the Father in heaven because it too was finished. Now he lives at the right hand God interceding for us.

If anyone dare bring an accusation against us before God, Jesus is the one to testify for us. He is the one pleading and remind the Father of what he did for us. His blood covers a multitude of sin and his blood purifies us from those sins. Not only is this so, but he also promises never to remember them again. "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more" ( Hebrews 10:16 ).

Today, I am blessed to know that I have an advocate with the Father who loves me and is interceding on my behalf. I have blessed to know that everything in my past and future has been forgiven and wiped clean, so that I can live in newness of life, without regret. Today, it is my prayer that you understand this amazing truth. May you understand that Jesus is your sponsor with the Father and he will never bring accusation against you. May this revelation change your future, amen!

 Worship is a lifestyle. Worship that is pleasing to the Lord encompasses our whole being, thoughts and attitudes. Paul urges us to present our bodies to the Lord as living sacrifices devoted and consecrated to him as this is our reasonable service and an act of spiritual worship. This offering before the Lord is in view of his mercy toward us. Understanding the abundance of His grace and mercy will change our hearts. This is why Paul spent the last eleven chapters of Romans going over in detail this abundant grace through Christ so that we will understand God's mercy in spite of everything we have done. The greater our understanding of this truth, the more our lives will reflect this worship lifestyle with God as its center.

In Luke 7, Jesus visited the house of a Pharisee who had invited him to dinner. While he was there a certain woman came to him with an expensive bottle of perfume. She stood over Jesus weeping and anointing his feet with oil. The Pharisee was indignant and offended at this because she was a notorious sinner and an outcast in that society. He said to himself that if Jesus was really a prophet he would know what type of woman she was. Jesus, reading his thoughts asked him a question, "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" ( Luke 7:41 ). The Pharisee answered Jesus by telling him that the one that had the larger debt would love him more because he had been forgiven more. Jesus confirmed that he evaluated his question correctly.

The woman had come to Jesus aware of her status and her sin and had fallen at his feet worshipping him. She made no pretense that she was good enough for him, but she took what she had and offered it to him as a gift just the same. Jesus then went on to describe to this man that he had neglected even the common curiosities one would offer a house guest. He did not give him water to wash his feet, he did not offer him a kiss at arrival and he did not anoint his head with ordinary oil as was their custom. Jesus called him on the fact that he made no moves toward welcoming him into his home. However this woman offered him everything and held nothing back because of the grace given her. Jesus told her that her sins were forgiven and that her faith had saved her. He then dismissed her to go and live the rest of her life in peace knowing these things ( Luke 7:36-50 ).

The obvious application is although both were sinners; only one recognized it and fell at the mercy of God. The woman was the one who came away from Jesus fully justified. She received grace because she looked to Him to save her. She found incredible mercy in Jesus and in return she loved him greatly. Her actions and worship of Jesus showed this change in heart.

Understanding the depths of God's mercy brings about the desire to serve him. When we know how much we are loved and how we have been forgiven, then this longing is an outgrowth of that knowledge. Paul encourages us in view of His mercy to offer our entire being in service to him. He exhorts us to be wholly devoted and consecrated to God and to live our lives in a way that pleases the Lord. If we are to live this way, the question then becomes what is a living sacrifice?

Fortunately, we have a perfect example of a living sacrifice in Christ. Jesus told the Jews, "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me" ( John 6:38 ). Jesus' express purpose was to do the will of the Father. To carry to completion the work that God sent him to do. "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" ( John 6:38-40 ).

This is an amazing example of a living sacrifice. Jesus was obedient to the Father to the point of death. He knew God's will for his life and lived his life with that sole purpose in mind. Jesus told the disciples shortly before his crucifixion, "the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me" ( John 14:31 ). He was preparing them for his death, but in the same manner teaching us an important truth, that his purpose was God's purpose. He showed his obedience to God's will even thought it meant dying for the sins of the world and taking on himself the judgment and wrath for these things. He knew the agony he was facing and said, "if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" ( Matthew 26:39 ). He submitted to the will of God even facing this horrible death and was obedient to the purpose in which God sent him. This is a perfect example of a living sacrifice.

In the same way we become living sacrifices when we understand and know the will of God and walk in that will for our lives. Many think we cannot know the will of God, however the scripture teaches differently. God's intent, desire and will for us have been fully expressed in the scriptures. We can know and understand these things by renewing our minds to them and letting these truths dictate our thoughts and attitudes. Paul gave this key in the very next verse of Romans 12, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will " ( Romans 12:2 ). The way to test and approve God's will for our lives is to renew our minds to the truth of God's word. Understanding these principals will change our hearts to the direction of God. We will be willing and ready to do whatever he desires because his will becomes our will.

This lifestyle of worship comes from knowing God and understanding his grace and mercy toward us. In view of these things we should offer ourselves completely to God to be used by him. Not because we have to but because of who he is and what he has done on our behalf. We have been redeemed and set apart and his mercy has changed everything! Today I encourage you to find God's will for your life and to live it to the fullest, being a living sacrifice willing and ready to go as he directs, amen.