'To lie on the altar is what we must do, but to divide the soul from the spirit with the well-honed knife is what our High Priest undertakes. If we truly commit ourselves to the cross our High Priest shall not fail to execute His ministry in separating our spirit and soul. We need not worry about His part. ' The Spiritual Man - by Watchman Nee
We have to lie upon the altar. Think about that for a few moments. What does it mean to lie upon the altar?
Act_8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth
A sheep does not know it's being led to the slaughter. The sacrificial lambs were not terrified of death, they didn't know death was coming for them. A sheep that has been sheared knows that the touch of a human upon it will not cause it harm. Being shorn wasn't harmful to them. The shearers did not want to hurt the sheep they were shearing to do so would be hurting future profit. The shearers sheared off the thick wool of the sheep and then the sheep was set free no longer encumbered by its heavy, hot wool. Imagine the weight lifted from the sheep. We've all had haircuts and can comprehend that our head can feel lighter when a great amount of hair is removed from our heads. A weight is lifted from us. These sheep used to being sheared were led to the slaughter and they didn't panic at the hands of those preparing them for the slaughter. I'm not saying there wasn't any thrashing about at all, or any noises made, I'm sure there was but for the most part the sheep led to the slaughter was very docile.
Isaac, Abraham's only promised son was placed upon an altar, bound to it by his father after asking his father where the lamb was for the sacrifice. He had to comprehend he was being offered in the lamb's place. No record was made of Isaac fighting his father. If he did fight, Abraham conquered him because he was bound and placed there on the hard stone of the altar.
Our Savior was led to be slaughter- like a lamb- and He responded like a sheep before its shearer- NOT opening his mouth.
Our spirit and soul will be cleaved in two- separated one from the other by our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Yet we have to lie upon the altar for this to be so. We are NOT forced to lay down on the altar, it is our choice. We have to place ourselves into a position to be sacrificed. Do you imagine the sacrifice that Christ was led to was painless? Far from being painless, the sacrifice can be very painful.
The minutes leading up to the death of the offered sacrifice - lamb, sheep, cattle, birds, had to be a bit painful, yes? They didn't put numbing salve over the throats of the animals they cut. The pain was short live as they bled out fast, but the pain was there. Pain in sacrifice is often the case. When people make sacrifices there is usually some sort of pain to deal with even if it is miniscule- emotional, physical, mental there is pain otherwise how could it be a true sacrifice? I sacrifice my time to help someone, there is a loss of that time. No, I might not be broken up in tears over it, but the loss exists. Called to sacrifice we are being called to give up something for something or someone else.
We truly do need to lay upon the altar to have our soul and spirit cleaved in two.
Heb_4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
We are sacrificing our SELF, we are sacrificing ALL that would keep us from God. We are willingly allowing ourselves to be sacrificed to God- a spiritual sacrifice of non-spiritual self.
Remember these from our study a couple days ago--
'7 Musts-
1- Understand why we have to have the soul and spirit divided.
2-Ask to have our soul and spirit divided.
3-Accept whatever it takes to have our soul and spirit divided.
4-We must be dead to sin, and alive to Christ. We must not let sin reign in us.
5-We have to pray to God and study the Bible.
6-We must bear DAILY crosses.
7-We must distinguish between the soul and spirit in our life- once distinguished we must follow the spirit.'
We aren't doing this alone on our own power- we are not saving ourselves. What we are doing is making a choice to follow God in our everyday life not just once a week, once a year, once a lifetime. We are deciding we want a life with God.
It makes sense doesn't it? Seriously, it does make sense. We long to have eternal life with our Savior and if we aren't interested at all in striving for this choice making right now in our lives, what makes us truly believe we would want to be in eternity with God?
Php_2:12 …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Do you really long for God?
LORD, WE BELIEVE, HELP OUR UNBELIEF!!! This is PRAYER!
More tomorrow by the grace and mercy, the overwhelming love of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ our LORD now and forever!
And please, Lord, there are people very close to me in great need of Your upholding them with Your strength. Trials and tribulations are surrounding other friends as well and they are in such intense need of Your sustaining power. You promise to hold us, to keep us through the storms, You never promised to keep out of the storms. Satan is doing all he can to lead us to despair, to give up but by YOUR grace, YOUR power this will never happen! You are stronger than he will ever be! Please, Lord, the sick in body, in mind, in heart are calling out to You, we need You LORD, please, hear our prayer! In the name of Your beloved, only begotten Son, Jesus Christ! Amen!
We have to lie upon the altar. Think about that for a few moments. What does it mean to lie upon the altar?
Act_8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth
A sheep does not know it's being led to the slaughter. The sacrificial lambs were not terrified of death, they didn't know death was coming for them. A sheep that has been sheared knows that the touch of a human upon it will not cause it harm. Being shorn wasn't harmful to them. The shearers did not want to hurt the sheep they were shearing to do so would be hurting future profit. The shearers sheared off the thick wool of the sheep and then the sheep was set free no longer encumbered by its heavy, hot wool. Imagine the weight lifted from the sheep. We've all had haircuts and can comprehend that our head can feel lighter when a great amount of hair is removed from our heads. A weight is lifted from us. These sheep used to being sheared were led to the slaughter and they didn't panic at the hands of those preparing them for the slaughter. I'm not saying there wasn't any thrashing about at all, or any noises made, I'm sure there was but for the most part the sheep led to the slaughter was very docile.
Isaac, Abraham's only promised son was placed upon an altar, bound to it by his father after asking his father where the lamb was for the sacrifice. He had to comprehend he was being offered in the lamb's place. No record was made of Isaac fighting his father. If he did fight, Abraham conquered him because he was bound and placed there on the hard stone of the altar.
Our Savior was led to be slaughter- like a lamb- and He responded like a sheep before its shearer- NOT opening his mouth.
Our spirit and soul will be cleaved in two- separated one from the other by our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Yet we have to lie upon the altar for this to be so. We are NOT forced to lay down on the altar, it is our choice. We have to place ourselves into a position to be sacrificed. Do you imagine the sacrifice that Christ was led to was painless? Far from being painless, the sacrifice can be very painful.
The minutes leading up to the death of the offered sacrifice - lamb, sheep, cattle, birds, had to be a bit painful, yes? They didn't put numbing salve over the throats of the animals they cut. The pain was short live as they bled out fast, but the pain was there. Pain in sacrifice is often the case. When people make sacrifices there is usually some sort of pain to deal with even if it is miniscule- emotional, physical, mental there is pain otherwise how could it be a true sacrifice? I sacrifice my time to help someone, there is a loss of that time. No, I might not be broken up in tears over it, but the loss exists. Called to sacrifice we are being called to give up something for something or someone else.
We truly do need to lay upon the altar to have our soul and spirit cleaved in two.
Heb_4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
We are sacrificing our SELF, we are sacrificing ALL that would keep us from God. We are willingly allowing ourselves to be sacrificed to God- a spiritual sacrifice of non-spiritual self.
Remember these from our study a couple days ago--
'7 Musts-
1- Understand why we have to have the soul and spirit divided.
2-Ask to have our soul and spirit divided.
3-Accept whatever it takes to have our soul and spirit divided.
4-We must be dead to sin, and alive to Christ. We must not let sin reign in us.
5-We have to pray to God and study the Bible.
6-We must bear DAILY crosses.
7-We must distinguish between the soul and spirit in our life- once distinguished we must follow the spirit.'
We aren't doing this alone on our own power- we are not saving ourselves. What we are doing is making a choice to follow God in our everyday life not just once a week, once a year, once a lifetime. We are deciding we want a life with God.
It makes sense doesn't it? Seriously, it does make sense. We long to have eternal life with our Savior and if we aren't interested at all in striving for this choice making right now in our lives, what makes us truly believe we would want to be in eternity with God?
Php_2:12 …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Do you really long for God?
LORD, WE BELIEVE, HELP OUR UNBELIEF!!! This is PRAYER!
More tomorrow by the grace and mercy, the overwhelming love of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ our LORD now and forever!
And please, Lord, there are people very close to me in great need of Your upholding them with Your strength. Trials and tribulations are surrounding other friends as well and they are in such intense need of Your sustaining power. You promise to hold us, to keep us through the storms, You never promised to keep out of the storms. Satan is doing all he can to lead us to despair, to give up but by YOUR grace, YOUR power this will never happen! You are stronger than he will ever be! Please, Lord, the sick in body, in mind, in heart are calling out to You, we need You LORD, please, hear our prayer! In the name of Your beloved, only begotten Son, Jesus Christ! Amen!
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