A perfect, living sacrifice is something the Lord seeks of every one of His children. Paul said, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1). The Lord calls for us to be living sacrifices who are purified by divine blood and set aflame by the Holy Ghost.

The Lord is calling, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17). He is saying, “Come and be a shining light to the world. Come and do the whole will of your heavenly Father. Come ready and willing to give your life unto the Lord daily.”

However, it is important to understand that God will not accept just any kind of sacrifice. He did not under the Law in the Old Testament, and He will not today. As Romans 12:1 states, a person must be a holy and acceptable sacrifice unto God; and to be such a sacrifice, two things must be present—blood and fire.

An Acceptable Sacrifice

The Old Testament is filled with types and shadows that become living reality in the New Testament. Let’s examine some of them that confirm sacrifices must be acceptable unto God. In Genesis 4, two brothers, Cain and Abel, both offered sacrifices unto the Lord. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect (Genesis 4:2-5). God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but He rejected Cain’s sacrifice.

When Abel offered the firstlings of his flock, blood was spilled and fire was made; and God was pleased. The Bible says, Without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22). There is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.

Cain was a farmer who brought forth fruit from the Earth to present as a sacrifice unto God, but God was not pleased with it. Cain’s mistake was that his sacrifice to God was pleasing only in his own eyes and not God’s eyes, and that is the same mistake people have made for thousands of years and are still making today.

Throughout the Old Testament, sacrifices unto God had to meet certain requirements and be prepared in a specific way if they were going to please God. For example, when the days of a Nazarite’s separation were fulfilled, the Bible says, And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings (Numbers 6:14).

Even the altars upon which the sacrifices were made had to be built to certain specifications and made ready in a certain way. At first, sacrifices could be made only in the tabernacle. After the temple was built, sacrifices could be made there. All things related to a sacrifice had to be completely submitted to God and His direction.

Divine Fire Consumed the Sacrifices

When Moses made an offering to dedicate the tabernacle unto the Lord, everything had to meet God’s specifications—the sacrifice, the altar and the tabernacle. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces (Leviticus 9:24). The blood was spilled, and God was pleased. Then the fire of the Holy Ghost fell from Heaven to consume the sacrifice.

Later, King Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem to the Lord; and once again, everything had to meet God’s specifications. Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house (II Chronicles 7:1). Blood was spilled; and again, the fire of the Holy Ghost fell from Heaven.

At one time, the prophet Elijah prepared the altar and a sacrifice unto God in a very unique and unusual way; but he still did everything according to God’s specifications. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water (I Kings 18:31-35).

Then Elijah prayed a short prayer, and the fire of the Holy Ghost fell from Heaven. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench (I Kings 18:36-38).

Animal Blood Could Not Cleanse the Soul

In the Old Testament, the fire of the Holy Ghost operated and manifested itself; but most of the time, it was outside of people rather than inside because under the Law, that fire was not able to burn on the altar of men’s souls. Before Jesus came and shed His divine blood for all who would receive it, people could not meet God’s standard of holiness and righteousness; and they could not stay free from sin.

In Old Testament days, all people could offer God was the sacrifice of animal blood. And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish. And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar. And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar (Leviticus 1:10-12).

Even though men were meeting God’s exact specifications for sacrifice under the Law, God was not pleased with the fact that those sacrifices could not take away the people’s sins and keep them free from sin. Animal blood could not give a person a born-again experience. That is why God sent Jesus into the world to provide His own sacrifice. It was made once and for all so that whosoever believeth upon Him and His sacrifice would be saved.

Jesus Was the Perfect Sacrifice

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, holy and without spot or blemish. He came into this world to reconcile the human race to the heavenly Father after they had been separated from Him by the sins of Adam and Eve. Through Christ’s divine blood, a person is made holy and acceptable to God; and the fire of the Holy Ghost can burn on the altar of their soul.

Jesus was not only a perfect sacrifice in death, He was also a perfect, living sacrifice. Wherefore when he [Jesus] cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God (Hebrews 10:5-7). Jesus came not only to die for our sins but to show us how to live, overcome this world and please the heavenly Father.

The Lamb of God declared, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). The fire of the Holy Ghost burned within that perfect, sacrificial Lamb; and as He cried, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me (Luke 4:18), a powerful, holy light shined forth through Him. Divine blood flowed in Jesus, and the fire of the Holy Ghost burned within Him to produce a perfect, living sacrifice in His temple of clay.

Jesus said, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Through Christ’s blood and the fire of the Holy Ghost, a person can be a perfect, living sacrifice.

What Kind of Sacrifice Are You?

Remember that the two requirements necessary to make a sacrifice pleasing unto God are blood and fire. One without the other is not sufficient. The body is to be the temple for the Holy Ghost to abide within; and when the body has been sanctified unto the Lord by divine blood, a holy altar dwells within the soul. Then a fire lit by the Holy Ghost is to continually burn there.

Paul said, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:19,20). Spirit-filled children of God must always remember that they are not their own. God means business; and through Christ’s divine blood and the fire of the Holy Ghost, their lives are to belong to God, and their will is to be submitted to the will of God. Like Jesus, they are to be perfect, living sacrifices.

One definition of sacrifice is an act of offering something precious to deity. What is most precious to you? Is it the Lord or family and friends? Is it a career and financial security or the treasures of God? Is it self’s desires or God’s will? Have you surrendered all to the Lord on the altar of your soul so that the fire of the Holy Ghost can blaze within you daily? Paul said this is your reasonable service unto God.

Another definition of sacrifice is the destruction or surrendering of something for the sake of something else. Have you become a perfect, living sacrifice on Earth so you may inherit eternal life in Heaven? Jesus said, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul (Mark 8:35-37)?

Jesus’ life was set apart from the world and dedicated to the will of His heavenly Father, and He prayed that all who would follow Him from there on would be set apart as well. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth (John 17:15-17).

Deny Self

Any followers of Christ who yield to the spirit of the world cause the blood within them to be rendered void and useless in their life. Then the fire of the Holy Ghost is quenched on the altar of their soul.

There are people all over the world who go to church without ever receiving a true, born-again experience. They never separate from the sin of the world or deny self, and many don’t even know what those things mean; yet the Word says, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Jesus said to His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24).

Do you put self on the altar of your soul daily, or do you have some disobedience or sin in your life? Do you lie, deceive or tell half-truths trying to cover up trouble for yourself or so you can get your way? Do you carry grudges, bitterness, anger or an unforgiving spirit? Do you grumble and complain, spread gossip or cut others down?

Denying self is a spiritual act of burying the sinful, Adamic nature and allowing Christ to live in you through the power of divine blood and the fire of the Holy Ghost. When you are truly born again, your old ways of living, thinking, talking and acting are gone; and your life becomes new. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17).

Get Rid of All Spots

The Bible tells us that Jesus will return for His spotless, glorious Church. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27).

Members of the bridal company are from all walks of life and from all over the world. They are made pure and holy through the divine blood, and they remain undefiled from sin because the fire of the Holy Ghost is ablaze on the altar of their soul.

Like it was for Moses at the burning bush, their souls are burning with holy fire yet never consumed. Holy Ghost fire will never consume anyone who is a living sacrifice unto the Lord, one who is prepared unto God’s specifications and doing His divine will in everything.

God so loved each one of us that He gave Jesus on the altar at Calvary. He surrendered that which was most precious to Him, His Only Begotten Son, so we could be delivered of all sin, receive a born-again experience and the gift of eternal life. Jesus died on Calvary so we could live forever.

If there is anything unlike God in your life, let the power in the divine blood of Jesus cleanse you, deliver you and give you the born-again experience and the eternal life in Heaven that He brought. Say the sinner’s prayer located on page 5 of this magazine.

Then you must go on to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Jesus knew the importance of the Spirit dwelling within; and that is why He said, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you (John 16:7). Both the divine blood and the fire of the Holy Ghost are required to make you a perfect, living sacrifice before God.