The Body as an Acceptable Sacrifice to God

The Body as an Acceptable Sacrifice to God

“Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fill you with all desire for the good for the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thess. 1:11-12.

No one can have a greater calling than the calling Jesus had, which was to glorify the Father on earth. For this reason the Father sent Him, and Jesus finished this work. However, just as the Father had sent Him, so He has sent us. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God would count them worthy of their calling; namely, to glorify “the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

How did Jesus glorify the Father? He explains this Himself by saying, “A body You have prepared for Me.” “Behold I have come—in the volume of the book it is written of Me—to do Your will, O God.” Heb. 10:5-7. How did He know God’s will? He knew it by reading in the volume of the book. He glorified the Father by fulfilling Moses and the prophets.

When they were just about to lay hold of Jesus, and Peter wanted to defend Him with the sword, He said, “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” Matt. 26:53-54.

Here we see that Jesus had to give His body as a sacrifice. He could not fulfill the Scriptures without suffering. Many people want to glorify God with signs and wonders, and thus they, too, become great. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11 that it is childish to think like this. However, by abiding in love we abide in God. Only then can we glorify Him. 1 John 4:8, 12, 16.

When we read how Paul defines love, we see that we can reveal it to people only through sufferings. By revealing it, we reveal God, for He is love. How could this scripture be fulfilled, “Let your meekness be known to all men,” if I didn’t have to suffer? Or: “Overcome evil with good”? Or, “Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also”? etc. All of this can be done only if we suffer. But if we do not want to give our body as a sacrifice, sins such as impatience, bitterness, lying, anger, etc., will be manifested instead of love. All sin is the result of not being willing to suffer. All victory over sin is gained through obedience and suffering—by the body being a sacrifice.

Often we hear and see this childish way of thinking when a person gets sick or comes into great need for some other reason. Then he asks for prayer and says something like, “May God perform a miracle so that my husband or our children can come to faith or that our relatives can see God’s greatness.” They would prefer to have the experience of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:5. However, this is not how we are to serve Jesus. The two witnesses had a different ministry than Jesus, who did not revile again when He was reviled, neither did He threaten when He had to suffer. We are to follow Jesus. You who are to inherit blessedness have all the angels as ministering spirits. Heb. 1:14. They have the power to serve you so that you can dance on roses for the rest of your life. But “how then could the Scriptures be fulfilled . . . ?” Paul commended himself as a servant of the Lord in tribulations, in much patience, etc. 2 Cor. 6. This manner of glorifying God is unknown to most people because the majority of those who are born again are babes in Christ.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time . . . .” 1 Pet. 5:6-7.

Here we see God’s counsel with us, namely, to exalt us! But we can only attain to that state by exalting Him first. We do not know the way and the manner in which God will lead us in order to give us an opportunity to glorify Him so that He can exalt us. Therefore we must walk by faith. We know that He has counted all the hairs on our head and that He cares for us. We also know that all things work together for good to those who love God. Rom. 8:28. Then we must quite simply humble ourselves in our situations, for we know that they are not coincidences, but God’s hand, and we know God’s purpose with them.

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” 1 Pet. 5:10. What a result! He cannot obtain this result unless He has our body as an acceptable sacrifice.

“My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” Jas. 5:10-11.

All these men have glorified God through sufferings. Therefore God has exalted them, so that all generations of those who are God-fearing having counted them blessed. But then God could also do with them according to His will. They had given Him their bodies as an acceptable sacrifice.

Let us learn from Job. No one—not even Satan— really knew Job, his faithfulness and his patience. Satan believed that Job loved God only because God had blessed him. However, Satan as well as Job’s friends learned to know Job. Job was revealed through his sufferings. He did not understand God’s way, but he loved God in truth, and he was a sacrifice. God trusted him, and Job did not put God to shame. But Satan was put to shame. Therefore God has highly exalted Job.

Let us learn from this: “See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated.” Job 13:18. Many people become restless when they come into tribulations. They wonder whether their case is in order—whether they have done something wrong. Learn from Job! Prepare your case so you can avoid wavering on the day of adversity, but rather know what God wants to do with you. Job had walked before God’s face. He knew he had a witness in heaven who could confirm his words. Ch. 16:19. In the midst of his trials he could say, “Yet the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.” Ch. 17:9. This is something different than becoming discouraged and falling away.

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside.” Ch. 23:10-12.

Yes, James’ words truly stand when he points us to Job. Job knew the result beforehand. He knew he would come forth as gold, for he held fast to His steps, and he treasured the words of His mouth. Do you know Jesus’ steps, He whom we are to glorify, He who said, “Not My will, but Yours be done”? Take up your cross daily and deny yourself! You will not come forth as gold if you depart from these steps in the day of tribulation; you cannot glorify Jesus’ name, and neither can God exalt you. Remember Joseph in Potiphar’s house. Consider the outcome. God could use him because he was a sacrifice. He was faithful in the sufferings, and did not depart from the way.

We must remember two things in the sufferings: We are to be cleansed, and we are to glorify Jesus’ name. When the dross is separated from the silver, the silversmith can fashion a vessel out of it. Prov. 25:4. Then He can make a vessel that can glorify Him—which He can exalt.

We learn this from Job. Even though he was the man he was, he had only known God by what he had heard. Just think of the life of which he had partaken by only hearing words about God! But then he says, “But now my eye sees You.” Job 42:5. Oh, how much more glorious it will be when we see what we have heard! In the end, Job became twice as rich in earthly glory.

Just as the saints will never be put to shame, so those who have given their bodies as a holy sacrifice to God will never be put to shame, but rather enter into His glory.