For
here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise
to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices
God is well pleased. (Hebrews 13:14-16, NKJV).
Such
is the inconceivable superiority of Christ that the ocean of animal
blood shed over the centuries to appease a holy God for our
unrighteous evil has been completely supplanted by the once-for-all
spilling of His blood on the Cross. The centuries of Jewish sacrifice
performed in the Tabernacle and Temple were temporary coverings of
sin until His one sacrifice not only covered, but took away,
the sin of the entire world... forever.
Now
instead of a plethora of innocent animal sacrifices performed
multiple times each day there remains only one category of acceptable
sacrifice to God – the sacrifice of praise. This is an
astounding transformation from mandatory death to willful, and
verbal, acknowledgement of God's immeasurable goodness and mercy
toward us.
Now,
instead of the complex rituals of ancient Jewish religious practices,
where every action by priest and penitent was spelled out in
excruciating detail to be performed in proscribed places and at
proscribed times, this superior praise is comprised of three simple
components: heartfelt thankfulness, doing good, and sharing. Amazing!
Each
of these aspects is worthy of deeper exploration for each reveals
profound truths about our relationship with our Creator God through
faith in His magnificent Son.
Human
enthusiasm and sincerity is typically measured by the effusiveness
and vociferousness of expression. The more delight and joy we
experience the louder we become. A child's “cry of delight” when
acknowledging a parent's gift is music to the parent's ears. When
something is heartfelt it is almost impossible to keep silent.
Sometimes even when intelligible words escape us, the lips must
speak something to convey the irrepressible joy and gratitude we
feel.
Think
of a mother reunited with a lost child, or a young boy finding a lost
and beloved dog, or a spouse greeting a soldier long away at war but
now returned safe and whole. The cries and tears of joy are
sacrifices of praise, the fruit of our lips.
It
is not formulaic or ritualistic, but eruptive and spontaneous,
representative of an overflowing heart.
That
is to be the natural reaction to our glorious relationship with our
God. Scripture is filled with such praise. The Book of Psalms is only
one such compendium.
Doing
good in our own strength for our own reasons and purposes under the
impetus of reaping some kind of return benefit to ourselves in this
life is NOT the doing good that pleases God. That kind of
philanthropy is an abomination to God.
No,
the doing good in view in this focus verse is the kind that springs
from the heart, mind and soul without any thought of self. It is the
kind that rushes to assist someone because of a supernatural empathy
that is impossible to deny. I say “supernatural” because such
selflessness is bestowed upon our recreated hearts as a spiritual
gift from God, and is not part of “natural” emotional equipment.
This
type of doing good entails surrender to His will in order to walk
in those good works which He has prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them. While it may involve herculean effort it is not
expended in our own strength, but through the power of His Spirit
within us. And regardless of the intensity of effort, we experience
an underlying and indescribable joyfulness that emanates from the
Throne of Heaven itself – a joyfulness in giving and grace that
epitomizes the very nature and character of God. We do whatever He
has set before us with joy because that is who He is – a joyful and
merciful Being who delights in giving us the desires of our hearts.
Yet,
this kind of doing good is not measured by effort or result, for, in
truth, it is sometimes effortless and we may never know the end
result this side of Heaven. For even something as easy as giving a
drink of water to someone in Christ's name will reap tremendous
reward from Him.
The
final component of this sacrifice of praise is to share,
and this opens up a wealth of possibilities. It is the selfless
sharing of anything and everything merely for the sake of blessing
someone in need. Nor is this limited to the sharing of material goods
or services, but can (and does) involve sharing encouragement or
support or simple kindness.
In
doing so we are sharing the very love of God Himself, who gives us
the privilege of being “His hands, feet, heart and mind” in a
dark and fallen world.
In
all these things He empowers us to fulfill His purposes, provides us
with the very works of praise themselves, and promises to reward us
as if it was all us when, in reality, it is all Him.
This
is the God whom we serve!
Paul
describes this perfectly in Romans 12:
I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1, NKJV).
The
God of Heaven, our Creator, our Redeemer, the living, eternal,
all-powerful Sovereign of Existence could require anything at all
from us and be justified in His demands, but what He wants, what He
most delights in, is our joyous thankfulness in all the indescribably
good gifts that He bestows. A thankfulness expressed from deep within
the wellsprings of our being, without thought of self, but with
regard only to Him and others.
This
type of joy and gratitude is ONLY possible through faith in His Son.
No other kind will do.
