In what ways can we "offer burnt offerings" through our daily actions today? Understanding the Original Burnt Offering - Leviticus 1:3-9 describes a sacrifice “wholly consumed” on the altar—nothing held back. - Its smoke “rose as a pleasing aroma to the LORD” (v. 9), picturing total, joyful surrender. - Micah 6:6 asks if such offerings are the way to approach God; the larger passage (vv. 6-8) shifts the focus to heart obedience. Christ, the Once-for-All Fulfillment - “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). - Hebrews 10:10: “We have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” - Because His sacrifice is complete, our “burnt offerings” today are not about atonement but about grateful, wholehearted devotion. Our Daily “Whole-Burnt” Lifestyle Romans 12:1 sets the pattern: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual service of worship”. Ways to live this out: • Consistent Obedience – Luke 6:46: obeying His words shows total surrender. • Whole-hearted Worship – Hebrews 13:15: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.” • Persistent Repentance – Psalm 51:17: “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” • Self-giving Love – Ephesians 5:2: “Walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering.” • Generous Giving – Philippians 4:18: Paul calls believers’ gifts “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” • Compassionate Service – Hebrews 13:16: “Do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” • Bold Witness – 2 Corinthians 2:15: “For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved.” • Daily Surrender of Body and Mind – 1 Corinthians 6:20: “Therefore glorify God with your body.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5: taking every thought captive ensures even our inner life rises like smoke to Him. Practical Starter List 1. Begin each morning by verbally yielding every plan to the Lord. 2. Guard your speech so every word can be “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). 3. Turn ordinary tasks—commuting, cooking, studying—into worship by thanking God while doing them (1 Corinthians 10:31). 4. Look for one specific way to serve someone daily; let service cost you time, energy, or money. 5. End the day with confession and praise, placing failures on Christ’s finished altar and celebrating His grace. The Fragrance Continues Revelation 8:3-4 pictures the prayers of the saints rising like incense before God’s throne. Every moment we live wholly for Him adds to that fragrance, echoing the ancient burnt offering—only now fulfilled, perfected, and made perpetual through Jesus Christ. |
    |