Good morning people who don’t settle for less than the fullness of God.

Leviticus 3:1 MEV If his offering is a peace sacrifice, and if he is offering from the herd, whether male or female, then he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord. 

We know that Jesus was without blemish, but did you know that you and I are called to live without blemish too?

Ephesians 5:25-27 NIV Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 

We must never reduce God’s desire for us down to our present reality. Sure, we are on a journey, and along the way, we will stumble and fall. But we are heading somewhere, and that somewhere is stated in these verses above.

How much is your heart gripped by a desire to be holy, clean, radiant, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish?

I don’t know of any better fuel for this than living in God’s Word and God’s Spirit.

As we saturate ourselves daily in God’s Word, we are renewed in our way of thinking. God’s Word frames our thoughts and desires. God’s Word points us clearly to God and calls us up higher. God’s Word is our standard and our measure.

As we intentionally keep in step with the Holy Spirit, we will avoid many of the pitfalls that others might not see. Our Comforter and our Counsellor is also our Guide. He loves to lead us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).

I wholeheartedly echo the words of the apostle Paul in the following Scripture:

Philippians 3:12 NIV Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Are you pressing on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of you?

Holiness pleases the Lord.

Good morning people whose words help and enhance Father’s intention.

Leviticus 2:13 MEV You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not fail to use the salt of the covenant of your God on your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

The difference between using salt or not using salt can be the difference between something being bland or full of flavour. The purpose of salt is to enhance flavour.

You shall not fail to use the salt of the covenant of your God.

We live in the New Covenant of the fulness of God’s grace and truth (John 1:14), Our lives and our conversations must be seasoned with both.

Colossians 4:6 MEV Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you should answer everyone. 

Ephesians 4:15 MEV But, speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him, who is the head, Christ Himself.

One of the greatest growth areas in our lives is knowing what the Holy Spirit wants us to say in any given situation. Too often, I really desire to say what I want to say (you might be more spiritual than me). In difficult situations, the words that I am thinking are not the words that I should be speaking. Sometimes, I want what I want, not what God wants.

In these moments, I have a choice, and life is full of choices.

Do I use the salt that enhances, or do I speak words that cut against Father’s intention?

It’s time to grow up in all things into Him, who is the head, Christ Himself.

Good morning people who are transformed through the tests and the trails.

There’s another recurring statement in Leviticus that we see in the verse that we meditated on yesterday. Here it is.

Leviticus 2:3 MEV And the remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and to his sons, which is a most holy part of the food offerings to the Lord made by fire. 

Our lives are to be a living sacrifice to the Lord; an offering that we bring to Him. Yielding ourselves, submitting ourselves – offering ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord is our privilege and our responsibility.

Nobody can offer your life to the Lord but you.

I am deeply drawn to the next part of the verse: to the Lord made by fire.

Everything we do should be to the Lord. Our lives are not our own. We don’t live for our own benefit or glory. Every moment is to the Lord.

This is easy to say when life is going great. When we are seeing breakthrough and promotion and blessing and favour (as man would describe it), oh, it’s easy to do everything to the Lord.

But the real test – and that is what it is according to James 1:2-4 – is when we are going through the fire of affliction which can come in countless forms.

The tests – the fire – are not meant to destroy us, but to form us!

The offerings to the Lord are made by fire. They are not destroyed by fire; they are made by fire!

Do you see it?

Our light has the greatest opportunity to shine the brightest in the darkest of seasons.

One light in a brightly lit room makes little difference, but just a small candle in a darkened room is very noticeable. Darkness and fire are not enemies or thieves of God’s intention; they contribute to the formation of something glorious!

Are you partnering with the Holy Spirit as He forms you in the fire?

Good morning people whose lives reflect the One who is living in you.

As we continue to take a look at Leviticus, it is important to remember that God speaks to us in context with His Word, but He is also masterful in using key words and phrases to speak to us beyond the context. God will never contradict His Word, but He is not limited in how He can speak to us.

Leviticus 2:3 MEV And the remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and to his sons, which is a most holy part of the food offerings to the Lord made by fire. 

This statement a most holy part is a recurring statement in the Book of Leviticus. And here’s where the Lord leads me.

Every believer is called to be a most holy part of the body of Christ.

We are not called for common purpose and we are not called to be like the world.

Salvation should change us. It is more than a moment where our eternal destiny is secured. Salvation literally is deliverance from our enemies. God sets us free when we enter into relationship with Him through faith in His Son Jesus.

The phrase a most holy part means a sacred place or thing, consecrated, dedicated, holiness, saint, sanctuary. It’s a big statement, and this statement is who we are called to be!

1 Peter 1:15-16 MEV But as He who has called you is holy, so be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Being better than the world is not our standard. As followers of Jesus, the One whom we are following is our standard. To be like Jesus must be the pursuit of our life.

Becoming more like Jesus is facilitated best through fixing our eyes on Jesus. Becoming like the One we are beholding is God’s stated pattern in this New Covenant way of living.

2 Corinthians 3:18 MEV But we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.

Are you living a holy life for the glory of God?

Good morning people who willingly lay down your life for the glory of God.

Leviticus 1:9b MEV …It is a burnt sacrifice, a food offering made by fire, which is a pleasing aroma for the Lord. 

This statement is made many times in the Book of Leviticus. It is a description of what a free will offering means to the Lord.

When Jesus laid down His life for us, it was a pleasing aroma to the Father. When we willingly lay down our lives as a living sacrifice to God, we are a pleasing aroma for the Lord. As I type this, I see two things.

Firstly, we are a pleasing aroma in the eyes of God. All that we do is meant to be for the glory of God, and when we bring a sacrifice to Him, He is pleased. The word pleasing in this scripture means restful, pleasant, delightful. The sacrifice of our lives brings a smile to God’s face.

Secondly, we are a pleasing aroma for the Lord in the eyes of others. When we live like Jesus, people see Jesus in us, and this pleases the Father.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 NIV But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 

I am reminded of the Scripture we mentioned a couple of days ago. Let’s read it again and make the connection to our opening verse today.

Romans 12:1 NIV 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.

A pleasing sacrifice is a holy sacrifice. A holy sacrifice is a willing sacrifice.

How fully and freely have you laid down your life as a pleasing aroma to the Lord?