Devotion 529

God is not looking for a sacrifice on the altar but the SINNER on the Altar.

Paul, recognizing this truth, wrote about his experience.

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

The SINNER has to die with his sacrifice. That’s why it must be a blood sacrifice. Only blood has life to cover or wash away sin.

The life in the blood of the animal covered the sin of the SINNER.

Jesus Christ, the Blood sacrifice of God, did not die alone but with anyone who would ever place their faith in His shed blood.

The Life (Holy Spirit) in the shed Blood  took away every sin of the SINNER.

But the SINNER has to come to the Altar with Christ for this exchange to take place. Exchanging the sins of the SINNER for the Righteousness of Christ.

David on the altar.

Let’s read:

Psalm 51:1-2 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. [2] Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”


Nothing could wash the sin of David but the Blood of Jesus Christ.

The sin of David and any believing patriarch was washed away when Jesus Christ shed His blood on the Cross.

We continue our reading:

Psalm 51:3-5 “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. [4] Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. [5] Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Man is conceived the wrong way by a sexual act between a man and a woman. There will be no sexual relationship in heaven.

Matthew 22:29-30 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. [30] For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

David recognized he was conceived the wrong way, in sin.

Man must be born the right way, just as Christ was born, we must be born of the Spirit. That is the right birth.

We continue our reading:

Psalm 51:6-10 “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. [7] Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. [8] Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. [9] Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. [10] Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

A new soul and a new spirit meets the requirement of God. He then places His Spirit in us. This causes us to walk blameless in His statutes.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

Any other way makes us incomplete, and will lead to shortfalls as in the case of David.

We continue our reading:

Psalm 51:11-13 “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. [12] Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. [13] Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”

His Spirit in us is what draws the SINNER to Himself.

John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

We cannot draw the SINNER with talents or abilities. It takes the Spirit of God in us to draw men and women to Himself by His Word.

We continue our reading:

Psalm 51:14-17 “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. [15] O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. [16] For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. [17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

That’s David on the altar; a broken heart and a contrite spirit just like Our Heavenly David.

We conclude our reading:

Psalm 51:18-19 “Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. [19] Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.”

There is only one sacrifice of Righteousness accepted by God, and that’s the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Every sacrifice prior was a shadow of that ultimate sacrifice.

Let the Word of God bring you to the Altar. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. A broken and contrite spirit, presented on on altar, is what God accepts, in Christ!