God doesn’t want the animals on the altar or the checks in the offering. He wants the hearts of His worshippers.

Let’s not confuse the issue by thinking that we are saved by our works. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith, so that no one can boast in their own righteousness. However, the Bible makes it plain that we ought to walk in a manner that is pleasing and honoring to God. That requires surrender, devotion, allegiance, and obedience. 

Last month, we looked at Matthew 12:1-8 where Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 and declares that God desires mercy rather than sacrifice. It is clear, in the context of the story, that the religious leaders had elevated good works so high that they had lost the importance of grace. However, if we were to look at Romans 6, we would see Paul’s reprimand of Christians who continued in sin so that grace might abound. Both erred on opposite extremes. 

So, how do we strike a balance between grace and works? What does God really want from us? Psalm 50 gives us the next appropriate step. 

What’s the Point of Sacrifices?

This Psalm was written by Asaph, the choirmaster of Israel. It was likely sung as a solo to the gathering worshippers rather than by the congregation. It is framed from the perspective of God speaking. I’ll paraphrase: “I won’t accept your sacrifices. If I was hungry I wouldn’t come knocking on your door for a handout.” You can imagine what it would have been like for them to hear this song as they brought their sacrifices to the temple. Essentially, this would have been like having special music during the offertory singing, “Keep your money to yourself. We don’t want it and neither does God.” 

What is going on here? Why would God require sacrifices and then reject them when they were being offered? Simply put, God doesn’t want the animals on the altar or the checks in the offering. He wants the hearts of His worshippers. It’s all too easy to go through the motions of worship, to mindlessly show up without understanding the significance of what we are doing or who we are worshipping. 

God is not impressed by our sacrifices. He’s not moved by the amounts that we give. That is why the widow with two pennies gave more than the Pharisees with their bags of money. God won’t accept a gift that doesn’t come from a pure heart. 

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

God makes a simple request: “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.” He doesn’t want our possessions, He wants our gratitude. He wants us to acknowledge what He has already done and respond with thankfulness. 

The sacrifices made in the temple were meant to show the seriousness of man’s sin before God, but it had been diminished down to an obligation or ritual. We are not required to tithe so that we can support the local Church and pay the pastor’s salary, but to acknowledge that God is the sovereign ruler over our life and He deserves the first fruits of our labor. God doesn’t need any of these things. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He wants our hearts. 

There is a story in Luke 17 where Jesus cleansed ten lepers. When they realized that they had been healed, only one returned to Jesus to give thanks. While all of them benefited from the cure for their disease, only one received faith because he demonstrated what was pleasing and honoring to God. 

Jesus asks us to take up our cross, not because He feels snubbed for having to die in our place, but because He wants us to see the price of our forgiveness. He wants us to take His yoke upon us, not because it’s too heavy for Him to bear on His own, but because He wants us to feel the weight He bore on our behalf. 

Perform Your Vows to the Most High

It all starts with an attitude of gratitude, but it doesn’t end there. We cannot simply say our perfunctory, “Thank you Jesus,” and go about our day. God still expects us to do everything He has commanded. The sacrifices still need to be made. Except, now they come from a place of love and devotion rather than obligation and duty. 

We cannot give God our heart and keep everything else. We would only be deceiving ourselves. Our heart is intricately tied into the treasures of this world. That is why Jesus tells us that we have to hate our family, our possessions, and even our own selves if we are going to follow Him. We cannot serve God and money. We will love one and hate the other. Sacrifices teach us to keep our priorities straight. 

My mother’s love language is acts of service. I’ve learned this from watching her slave away in the kitchen to prepare meals for us, an expression of her love. We had a rule growing up that we weren’t allowed to leave the table unless we said, “Thank you for the food. May I please be excused?” Of course, because we were dutifully bound to pay our respects, we would often recite it so rapidly that it was almost indiscernible. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t the words that my mom wanted to hear. She would often complain that there was no one to help her clean the dishes. While she might have been annoyed with washing up, the frustration came more from the lack of appreciation she felt as we scurried along without a second thought of what she had done for us. 

Now, as an adult, I’m more aware of the sacrifices my mother has made. I enjoy my visits with her and I am more than happy to help her in the kitchen. I want her to know that I love her and this is just one way that I can demonstrate it. 

When we taste and see that the LORD is good, it is not a burden to respond in obedience. He has given us far more than we could ever ask or think. Giving ourselves as a living sacrifice pales in comparison to the price He has paid to free us from bondage to sin. This is ultimately what God wants from us in the end. He doesn’t want our obedience out of obligation. He wants what anyone who loves us wants: an expression of obedience in love. 

Call Upon God in the Day of Trouble

From eternity past, it was the plan of God to sacrifice His own Son for the sins of many. He is the author and perfecter of our faith, the architect of our salvation. That is why God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. It pleases the Father when we call on Him in our day of trouble. He takes pleasure in rescuing us. This is His greatest expression of love. 

Call it false modesty, arrogance, or pride, but most of us don’t like asking people for help. We don’t want to burden other people with our problems, so we don’t often speak up. It is ironic how God’s plan of salvation is so simple yet so much against our nature. It is humbling, for sure, but it is the only way to truly glorify God. He has done the work. By trying to go it alone, we are suggesting that the sacrifice that Jesus made was not enough. This is the greatest insult we could make toward God. Instead, we must call upon the name of the Lord in order to be saved. 

The greatest testimony of our salvation is not our good works. Like Jesus’ reference to David in Matthew 12, it is our foolishness that magnifies the saving grace of Christ. We shine our light to the world when we confess Christ as our righteousness. This is the good work that gives glory to our Father in heaven. 

We need to stop and rest regularly at the foot of the cross. This prevents us from going astray. We are oh so prone to wander. We need constant reminders of the love that Christ has demonstrated toward us. Only then will we be able to respond appropriately in a way that is pleasing to God. As often as we hold these truths before us, we are conformed into the image of Christ. This leads to obedience that comes from a place of gratitude.

 

Adam Miller is the president and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church. 

You can hear his teaching on our daily broadcast on the radio or online, watch his preaching live on Facebook, and read his articles on our website.