Tasha Cobbs – Leonard sang the song, ‘fill me up’ and the lyrics to the song are ones that we are all too familiar with. ‘You provide the fire, I’ll provide the sacrifice, you provide the spirit, I will open up inside, fill me up God.’ The fire here being the Holy Spirit (Refiners fire) and we are to be the sacrifice. Now for those reading this and thinking I want you to sacrifice and kill yourself, in order to become a living sacrifice before God! Please chill out and allow me to explain further, remember, God didn’t allow Abraham to kill his son Isaac, He was checking if he’s heart was obedient to Him and because of Abraham’s obedience, not only did God provide a ram for the sacrifice, He made due of His promises to Abraham and made His descendants into a great nation, and through one of Abraham’s descendants (Jesus) all nations of the earth were blessed.
You see, long before Jesus came, the Jews used to sacrifice an animal on the altar as an offering to God – this was the old covenant. However, after Jesus came to earth and died on the cross, there was no longer a need to continue with the animal sacrifice because, He’s blood was the only thing that could wash away our sins as Hebrews 10:4 tells us, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” However, when we read the Bible, we get to learn just how God appreciated and loved it when his people offered a sacrifice unto Him. Leviticus 1:17 says “then he shall split it at its wings but shall not divide it completely; and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.”
In the new covenant, because we are made right before God through the blood of Jesus Christ and through His sacrifice on the cross, when we pray, our prayers are a sweet-smelling aroma before God and we see this clearly stated in Rev 5:8, “each one had a harp and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” Paul also writes in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16, “for we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing15. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?”16 When we spread God’s message of salvation, we are spreading the fragrance of Christ, though some will accept it and others will not. To those who receive it is an aroma of life, but to those who want nothing to do with it, to them, it is death.
As believers we are therefore urged to become a living sacrifice as per Romans 12:1-2 “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. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” How then do we become a living sacrifice? Through obedience to God and we see this clearly marked out in 1 Samuel 15:22, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” It all comes down to obeying God and offering ourselves as a living sacrifice – this should be in our daily living and it also means laying down our own desires and following Him, picking up our cross both when the seasons are good and when the seasons are bad. Coming to a place of complete and total surrender and allowing Him to take charge.
For us to be filled by the Spirit of God, it will mean that we will need to come empty before Him and not full. We shouldn’t be selfish by asking Him to fill us with only what we want and ask Him to leave the rest just the way that it is, ‘God I just want wisdom and more money, I will work on my attitude and in due time I know I will be okay,’ this is what we do when we don’t completely surrender to God. An empty mind will be filled when you want to learn, an empty cup will be filled with a drink, but a heart that is already full and not ready to obey, yield and surrender to God will not be filled.
To become a living sacrifice and be filled by Him, will also entail allowing God to peel off and remove every part of us that does not bring Him Glory. As an animal is laid on the altar, we too should allow the consuming fire of God to burn and remove everything in us that shouldn’t be there. The Spirit of God will completely fill and draw our minds and attention to God if we allow Him to. He will consume everything in us that isn’t godly and will shift our focus to what is important – God.
Becoming a living sacrifice will also mean that we get to know God on a deeper level. I have personally made this prayer several times, ‘that I may know you,’ because that is the desire of my heart to know Christ more and allow Him to fill me with His presence for the Lord is near to those who hunger for Him. When we know someone, 99% of the times we will listen and obey them but for a total stranger we might not. The first step to obedience is accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by faith – “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend,” James 2:23. God is honored when we obey Him, it means, we have understood the assignment and have carried it through! Obeying God also means, we believe, trust, respect & honor Him and we continue to grow on this journey.
The more we grow, the more we will get to know His voice. Jesus said, “my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” John 10:27. People will ask how do you know its God? And the skeptics might look at you like a crazy person, but the facts cannot be hidden, when we know God, we will hear His voice and everyday it will become clearer and clearer.
God didn’t save you for you to remain the same and continue living in sin and becoming part of the world! No, He saved you because He loves you and doesn’t want you to perish, He saved you so that you might have eternal life in Him, He saved you so that your life will become a testimony and encouragement for other people.
May we come before God empty so that He may fill us, may we become a living sacrifice to Him honoring Him with our bodies for they are the temple of His Spirit and with everything He’s given us.
God bless you!!
Cynthia Gitonga Blog 