LIPS SACRIFICE

FRIDAY 21 APRIL 2023

Jesus Christ brought into our hearts, the joy of salvation, and we can always demonstrate this joy as the fruit of our lips. Human effort is no longer needed, in terms of sacrificing animals as burnt offerings and sin offerings, but rather, sacrifices of praise with our lips, acknowledging God, because of the grace we've received by our union with Jesus Christ.

Reference: Hebrews 13:15 Majority Standard Bible (MSB) "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name."

Our sacrifice is to keep offering praise to God in the name of Jesus (CEV). It's amazing how the author specifically noted the lips. Our lips are the point of expression of life of the Spirit that is at work in us. Once the lips are unbuttoned, it can let loose words of all sorts, including praises. And we are not blessed in this Kingdom by keeping quite or functioning as silent people; we are blessed because we can sing praises and speak words of faith with our lips. Praise and declaration of faith are considered the peak of our strength in God. We are thoroughly vitalised or energised, when we use our lips to declare and to openly make known His name as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

As the righteous, you have not received the grace of God in vain. You can express this grace through your lips, by singing praises to God, declaring His goodness, shouting for joy, and wielding positive conversations seasoned with salt. Gracious lips grant increased emphasis to the power and will of God as we use the mouth wisely to proclaim His excellencies. The Bible says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).

Beloved, according to Peter the apostle, one of the reasons we have been called out of darkness into God's marvellous light is to declare His praises. We are God's chosen and peculiar people who do not require to pour out the sacrificial blood of animals, but rather, we're called to pour out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' Name. God has set aside or nullified animal sacrifices because of what His Son, Christ Jesus, did for us on the Cross, which solved the problem of sins of mankind once for all. This is in accordance with Hebrews 10:9-10 (NIV) which reads, 'Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.'

The blood of Jesus has made us perfect through our salvation. Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (NIV). This is indeed the supernatural work of the Spirit, whereby we are made partakers of the Divine nature, wholly worthy of praising God. Now we come boldly to praise and worship God in spirit and in truth, not by performing religious rites, such as offering animal sacrifices, which wasn't able to take away sins once for all. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips as we make confession, glorify and give thanks to His name. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Job 33:3; Psalm 40:9-10; Psalm 49:14; Psalm 51:15.

Exuberant Declaration: I'm born again, and I partake of the Kingdom of God because of Christ's atoning sacrifice which has rescued me from the domain of darkness, and bondage of sin and corruption that is universal to mankind. Therefore I offer the sacrifices of praise to God, which signify the fruit of my lips that confesses His name and esteems the light of His Kingdom in my world. Hallelujah!