Become a Living Sacrifice

This week's Torah Portion, VaYiKra וַיִּקְרָא (And He Called), based on Leviticus 1:1-5:26, talks about five different types of offerings that can be brought before Adonai with different purposes and goals. Each type of offering has prescribed and specific instructions that have symbolic meaning for us today. It offers interesting insights that can be applied today for God's people. Even though the temple and tabernacle is not erected today, the offerings can still be brought before our King with different purposes that can fulfill a need or a gap in our lives today. Any sacrifice for redemption and forgiveness of sin is no longer required today because our Messiah and King, Yeshua, has met all the requirements for our salvation on the cross at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago:

"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, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:11-14

Praise Jesus for the completed work on the cross. Once and for all, God's demand has been met and there is nothing we can do to add or take away from Jesus' perfect work on that day. As he proclaimed on that very day before He expired, "It is finished." (See John 19:30) The exact phrase he proclaimed in Greek was "tetelestai" τετέλεσται, which is a specific term used in contract law and signifies that the contract term has been fulfilled. Another way of saying, "paid in full". In Hebrew, the equivalent term is שָׁלֵם Shalam. Yes! It is the same word and comes from the same root as Shalom! It is the verb form of the word Shalom and it means "completed" or "fulfilled".

Through Christ you will be fulfilled and become a living sacrifice. Your life will transform into a gift to God.

It brings us great comfort to know that we are indeed "fulfilled" when we surrender our lives to Christ. To know that there is nothing we can do to improve our position before Adonai when it comes to be accepted or received into the family. Adonai looked at us and found nothing to be desired, yet He looked at us with compassion and found us worth enough to Him that He was willing to self sacrifice to redeem us. Halleluiah! I praise Him again and again as I contemplate this beautiful truth. That He looked over the entire world and found it lacking. According to His Word, not a single person was worthy of salvation, but that did not keep Him or His infinite love from acting on our behalf:

As Adonai looked over the world for centuries He never found a single righteous person. "Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins." Ecclesiastes 7:20

Still, His love and grace was abundant enough for Him to act on our behalf and redeem us. "The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:20-21

And this amazing God didn't spare His Son on our behalf, we can now rejoice and know that with Christ we can ask Him for anything that aligns with goodness and know that He will answer and provide. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person 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. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" Romans 5:6-9

Know then that your place is secured in His arms. All we can do is learn about these sacrifices so that we can apply them as an act of thanksgiving. Learn what the symbols mean and follow the principles to honor Him and love Him. What can we offer a God who owns everything and has given us everything? We can give Him our hearts and our obedience. There is no other sacrifice that we can offer to honor Jesus and all He has done. If you love Him, there is only one way to show it:

Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth." John 14:15-17a

There simply is no other way to honor and love Him. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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 12:1-2

Have a wonderful week, as you ponder this simple truth. Shalom Ve'ShaVuah Tov!!!