WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD
WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD
Genesis 4: 3-7; Exodus 2: 23-25; Psalm 51: 15-17; Romans 12: 1, 2
The thought in mind in reading these passages, is to speak a little of what is acceptable to God. The first scripture indicates that God had respect to Abel’s offering, or He looked on it as worthy of His notice. The second scripture tells us that God looked upon the children of Israel in their bondage and He heard their groan, and it says, “He had respect unto them” (Exodus 2: 25). The third scripture tells us of something that God does not despise (which is the negative way of speaking of this same matter), a sacrifice that God looks at — meaning that He values it. The fourth scripture tells us of another sacrifice, and as presented to God it is acceptable to him — “holy, acceptable unto God which is your intelligent service” (Romans 12: 1).
It seems to me that much today depends on whether there is anything about us that is of any value to God. One cherishes the thought that there is, and that there will be. In the days of Malachi, when the public conditions were such that God was offered the lame and the diseased of the flocks, and when every service that was done in His house was for gain, not even the door being opened for nought; and when God’s word was challenged at every point. God raising questions and receiving insolent answers; it was in that period that God speaks about jewels, about His having precious treasure for Himself. In that dark, dark day, in which God did not in any way overlook what was going on, He also found something that He calls His special treasure, something that is peculiarly precious. He will yet make up His special treasures, and some of them were secured in the closing days of Israel’s history prior to the coming of the Lord.
So it is in the close of the church’s history, the last four addresses to the assemblies in Asia covering the history of the closing period (and what a history!) — Jezebel active, her teaching listened to, teaching spiritual fornication and idolatry, a condition of death existent; a name to live but dead — a condition too nauseous to Christ, for He says, “I would thou wert cold or hot” (Revelation 3: 15) — at that very time, what else is there? Certain ones who have not defiled their garments of whom the Lord says, “They shall walk with Me in white” (Revelation 3: 4). Think of persons at that time walking with the Lord, not He walking with them — He may do that in grace with anyone — but persons who walk with Him in white “for they are worthy”; overcomers also to whom the Lord promises they will sit with Him in His throne; so precious are they to the Lord that they will sit with Him where He sits, having His companionship in a most exalted position. But greater still, persons to whom He can convey the very greatest thoughts in the universe for man — “Him that overcometh,” the Lord says, “will I make a pillar in the temple of My God” (Revelation 3: 12) — the most exalted view of the temple in scripture. “And I will write upon him the name of My God” — the most exalted conception of God that could ever be known! “And the name of the city of My God... which cometh down out of heaven from My God” — the most exalted conception of the assembly in scripture! “And My new Name” — the most exalted Name that Jesus bears, shared with some in the dark, dark days at the close of the church’s history. Should we not long to be in some little way thus available to the Lord?
With these thoughts in mind I have read these passages that our hearts may desire to have something that God will respect. I believe we can count on God that at this period in the history of the assembly, and the history of the world, if there is something that is of value to Him He will preserve it — I do not say necessarily in a physical sense,
but He certainly will not allow what is of value to Him to be destroyed morally, or be submerged. The great question for us to face is, are we contributing anything that God will value? How Much reversal of natural thoughts is needed, for “that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16: 15). God does not value what men value. That word is a searching one, “That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination to God,” and the reverse is true, that what God highly esteems is often regarded as worthless by men. This is seen in our Lord Jesus; how highly esteemed He was by God; by the angelic host; by the prophets; by Gabriel the angel who stands before God. God speaks of Him as My beloved Son — He claims Him, it is a possessive thought, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I have found My delight” (Matthew 3: 17 N.T.). Scripture speaks of Him also as “My King,” God possessing Him as His King to rule. “Yet have I set My King” (Psalm 2: 6), He says. He also speaks of Him as “My Shepherd” (Zechariah 13: 7) — the One Who, as His Shepherd, cares for His flock. He is called also “His Anointed” (Psalm 2: 2). All this and much more shows how highly esteemed He is. But such an One has been set aside as worthless by men, He was not esteemed, “When we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53: 3). The One God has highly esteemed, highly exalted, is not esteemed in this world, so that we have much to learn as to what is acceptable.
How beautiful to open the fourth of Genesis (after the sad history of man’s sin in seizing what God ordered should be reserved) and see, so soon afterwards a man who comes with an acceptable offering to God, not to steal something but to offer God something. It is a magnificent suggestion — God, the Supreme, the Infinite, the Eternal, the Possessor of heaven and earth — what titles! — and here is a man, soon after the fall, that would like to offer God something. What can he bring? What he brought, God respected. “God had respect to Abel and to his offering.” Mark that — “God had respect to Abel and his offering.” Let no one think his offering can be respected without its relation to the offerer being established. We sometimes hear offerings of praise and thanksgiving and prayer, but even we cannot say “Amen” because of the person. We cannot separate the offering from the person, and sometimes its value is lost because of what the person is; but when Abel came with his offering God looked at Abel, He had respect to Abel; righteous Abel.
Let no one go on in unrighteousness and think his offering can ever be accepted by God. But righteous Abel brings an offering and God looks at the offering and He respects it, it is of value to Him. How wonderful that is! Abel brought the firstlings of his flock, the first, dear brethren, not the last — not Malachi’s diseased and lame. Adam and Eve put themselves first, but now here is a man who puts God first. “The first of the flock,” Abel says, “is for God.” Does this not measure us, the first for God? God respects that. Here is a man who says, “as my flocks increase, the firstling is to be for God.” “And the fat thereof”; all the inward excellence is for God, not for me. Adam says “me” — the whole world is built up on that; “The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2: 16). Abel says, “God first,” the inward excellence included. God has great respect for that. I know, of course, it refers to the sacrifice of Christ typically, for where will you see One Who thought first for God like Jesus? His very coming into manhood had God in mind. Taking a bondman’s form and becoming obedient, God was first with Jesus ever. Then think of the inward excellence of Christ. One loves to think of His outward excellence, to hear the words of His mouth — every word excellent; to watch the movements of His hands — every movement excellent; to follow His blessed steps — every step excellent. But what shall we say of the fat thereof, the inward excellence of Jesus? What a theme that is! Some of us may stand some external examination, but what are we within? The Psalmist says, “all that is within me bless His holy Name” (Psalm 103: 1). Can we? One has thought of the way Abraham took the sacrifices and divided them, setting piece against piece, so that all that was within should be laid bare. Then the smoking furnace comes down but it does not consume anything, intense fire moves between the pieces but nothing is consumed. Then the burning lamp comes, the light of the Spirit of God. Who sees everything so perfectly, it moves between the pieces but it does not expose anything but the excellence thereof.
What stands out in the first Scripture read is a man in keeping with the thought of the first for God, and the thought of inward excellence; he has judged within himself what is not in keeping with his offering. As our souls are brought under the influence of Christ and His holy sacrifice, we come, in some little measure, into correspondence with it. The almighty, glorious, infinite Creator accepts an offering because He values it. If there is something rendered to God in reality today in countries so devastated by war, God will respect His people and their offerings. Are we maintained in bringing something to God that speaks of Christ, so that God can respect us and our offering?
I would refer to the scene in Exodus where God looked on His people in all their sorrow, their groaning. He hears the groaning, and it says He had respect unto them. One has thought of this at the present time; think of the groans, think of the sorrow, the desolation in which God’s people are sharing on the other side of the world. Will God not do for us what He did for them, does He not hear the groan, the cry? It depends on whether He can respect us. He had respect unto them. Why? Because they were the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It says, “God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob” (Exodus 2: 24). Though in such distress, suffering and desolation, they were sons of Abraham. What marks such? Faith in God, obedience to God, sons of Abraham the friend of God. Will God not respect such persons? He will, if it be that faith is there and obedience is there, and conditions that God can recognise as entitling them to friendship. God respects the children of Abraham. There they were the children of Isaac, the heavenly man, the one who dwelt in the south country — a figure of Christ in that character. If there are heavenly ones going through suffering and distress, will not God respect heavenly ones, for they are the sons of Isaac? It says, “As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15: 48). What would God not do for the sons of Isaac? He will listen to their cry. Then the sons of Jacob, the man who had to learn the truth that Esau is to be supplanted, the first man is to be supplanted — what a life lesson that is! Not in others only, but in himself. He reaches it at last, “I know it my son I know it” (Genesis 48: 19). Do we all know that Esau must give place to Jacob, that Ishmael must give place to Isaac, Cain to Abel, that Reuben must give place to Joseph? “I know it my son I know it”; Manasseh must give place to Ephraim. The sons of Jacob learn this great lesson, through discipline. Jacob had to learn it through a life of discipline, but he learnt it. Our brethren in Europe are in an iron furnace at this moment — what a furnace it is! Will God respect them? Will He hear their groan, their cries? If they are the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God will respect them and He will find a way out for them. “I am come down to deliver them” (Exodus 3: 8). God remembers what Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were to Him.
If we are likewise tested, if the iron furnace comes to us, will it find us truly the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The value of our groan and cry will depend upon whether we have a relationship with these great men spiritually, and if we have, God will listen to the groaning. I believe He is listening at this time. One is confident that God is not deaf to the groaning and the cries of those who bear somewhat the features of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob today.
I pass on to Psalm 51, where we have the thought of another sacrifice that God will not despise. There is much that He despises; there is much, one is sure (and humbled about it, I trust) that is of no value at all in what goes on in christendom and often, I fear, among us. Think of the Pharisee’s prayer, “God I thank Thee that I am not as other men are” (Luke 18: 11). How God would despise that! But the prayer, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18: 13), God did not despise, He respected it. So David indicates in this Psalm that “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51: 17). I doubt whether He will respect anything from us until we bring such sacrifices. One is conscious in oneself, and in others too, that there is a great deal of Pharisaism about us. We may not use those words, but is that not often with us — “God I thank Thee I am not as other men are”? That self complacent spirit does not yield anything to God. He accepts such an offering, a broken heart, a heart that feels things. The Lord speaks of His own heart being broken, “Reproach,” He says, “has broken My heart” (Psalm 69: 20). I He was ready to die with sorrow. Not because of His actions but as feeling how God was reproached. The apostle respected the sorrow of the repentant man in Corinth (2 Corinthians 2: 7). Some might say, “Look what he did”! Yes, but look what David did! God does not despise the broken and contrite heart. Do we? How do we think of such as David? Who would have thought that man would become the sweet psalmist of Israel, that God would entrust him with the service of song? There is joy in heaven over one repenting sinner; the proper word is repenting, not historical repentance, but characteristic repentance — a repenting sinner. “More than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.” It does not say those ninety and nine did not yield anything at all to heaven, but ninety and nine of such together do not bring heaven such joy as one repenting sinner. So where one who has sinned brings the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, God respects that sacrifice, He puts great value on it. It is most instructive to see what God is prepared to do for persons who approach Him with ashes. What do ashes mean? The acknowledgment that such persons have found in themselves what has had to be burnt. Such do not say, “God I thank Thee I am not as other men are.” What will God not do for such? Think of Abraham, he says, “I am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18: 27). God will listen to the prayers of such. If a man comes to God in the acknowledgment that he is ashes, God will listen to that man. Think of Job, who repented in dust and ashes. God will restore to that man twice as much as he had before. So will He bless him. Think of the king of Nineveh who sat in ashes; God will suspend judgment when such take that place. Think of Mordecai, a man who put on sackcloth with ashes. God will providentially come in and preserve His people from destruction where there is a Mordecai. Think of Daniel who put on sackcloth and sat in ashes; God will communicate what He is going to do to such a man. How that disposes of the Pharisaical spirit. It is a man with ashes that God will regard. You say, “What about his past”? Never mind his past if there are ashes. God will trust such a person for He does not despise the broken and contrite heart.
Now a word as to the last scripture which bears on every one of us. Think of the apostle beseeching. Should we not lend our ears and our hearts to the apostle’s entreaties, the apostle of the Gentiles, the one to whom we, as Gentiles, owe so much? He beseeches. What does he beseech? That we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. You say, “Will God accept my body”? The Spirit of God tells us in Romans what men have done with their bodies. What a use has been made of the body and its members! No fear of God before the eyes, the throat an open sepulchre, the poison of asps under their lips, with their tongues they have used deceit, hands that shed innocent blood, feet that run to mischief. God will never accept such a body. Nevertheless. He wants our bodies in spite of what we have been. Let us look back and see what we have done with our bodies. How ashamed we are. Will God work in us so that He can accept our bodies, so that as the body is presented to Him it can be acceptable? Yes, dear brethren. Think of the woman of the city, a sinner. What had she done with her body? The Lord Jesus knew but He could accept that body, repentance having intervened. He can accept what comes from her eyes, those tears. He can accept the kisses of her mouth. He can accept the use of her hair. He can accept the service of her hands. He can direct those feet and say to her “Go in peace.” Oh, how wonderful that God wants our bodies. Think of Mary Magdalene in like manner. Seven demons had controlled her body, which means she was completely controlled by Satanic influences; but the Lord operating and casting them out attached her heart to Himself and He can accept the service of her hands; she ministered to Him, she followed Him with her feet. In John 20 He can put a word in her ear, and can use her mind, for she carries a message that has been put in her ear, in her mind, and she tells the disciples these things. He can use her mouth and her feet, for He said, “Go to My brethren and say to them.” So with Saul of Tarsus. To what use he had put his body! A mind that verily thought that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus; feet at which the clothes of the young men that stoned Stephen were laid, feet, too, that had taken him into the houses of the saints to hale them to prison. Think of what God afterwards did with the body of Paul. Think of the mind He took possession of. He says, “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2: 6). He had power to think as Christ thinks. What a change! Think of what came from the lips of the beloved apostle; think of the service of his hands, “These hands have ministered to my necessities” (Acts 20: 54). Think of the feet that carried him about in the service of Christ.
So he speaks to us, “I beseech you therefore brethren by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your intelligent service” (Romans 12: 1). In spite of what the past had been, God is prepared to accept our bodies, there being repentance and cleansing. “Bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10: 22). The influence of Christ’s death is pure water.