Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Sacrifices (Proverbs 21:27)

There is nothing good that a wicked man can do for the Lord. His heart is wicked, therefore every intent that he has within his heart is wicked.

"The sacrifice of the wicked is exceedingly disgusting and abhorrent [to the Lord]; how much more when he brings it with evil intentions?" Proverbs 21:27, Amplified

The heart of a man must be right with the Lord in order for his sacrifices to mean anything. So if we are wicked by nature, how do we get to this point of purity? The answer is within the text.
The sacrifices of the wicked are a disgusting thing to the Lord because of the state of his heart. He has not made the effort to cleanse himself or rid himself of his wickedness. He has no desire to change. But he is even more disgusting when he brings his sacrifices with evil intent. It is like bringing gifts to placate the gods but never intending to change your ways. What is the point? There is nothing in my own possessions that the Lord would ever want above my heart. My heart is the only sacrifice that I can give to the Lord. But if I bring anything else to give him in place of my heart, it will mean nothing if I have no intent to change.
If one wishes to change, he must couple strong desire with strong will. Have a desire to change and the fortitude to do so. I am not implying that there is anything I can do to earn the love of God or to earn passage into heaven. However, I have to want to change. I have to want to make an effort to change. I have to actively make better choices in my life.
It may be surprising to some, but there are a few things that God cannot do. One of those things is to change a heart that is unwilling to change.

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