The Altar of God
We go to the altar which is the cross only because Christ has gone before us making it possible. We go to the altar laying away mortality for immortality. An immortality that does no depose of us through corruption but preserves us through sacrifice. Through the sacrifice that professes oneness with God which can only result in laying one’s life down unfettered by law but bonded by love. The altar of God is for the strong and not the weak. It is what has been given in holiness that is laid upon it – designed for a single purpose and use–not cheap penance still sore from sinful wounds unhealed or empty rituals which have no substance to fill, but being separate as one has been divided from a great lot for value.
A separateness and unswerving nature that professes oneness to God that can only result in laying one’s life away. It means that natural endeavors held under the power of sin though they attempt to approach this sanctuary, are indeed rejected. Laying upon it any gift superimposed as acceptable is conversely an offense that will be repaid by the same token. For we offer to God in hope of receiving in likeness of what was offered. This says that the sacrifice’s value (virtue) is determined by that which it was given to, this is what is known as grace when such sacrifice pertains to God, any other sacrifice is sin and it holds true to sin (it has the virtues of sin). Sacrifice is a relinquished thing, which takes on the will of its adoration and stands in likeness to it, lest it cease to be a sacrifice. So that all previous and other bonds must be severed that sin may be laid down and broken unto death to qualify for such fidelity–that is the marriage table. Coming to the altar as a bride not alone but with Christ affords us this oneness and holiness that the altar demands–a oneness through the marriage of the covenant. A marriage which must be consummated by the cross so that we do this not without His death because He will not share in our sin since it was His death which redeemed us from the bond of sin. Grace says Christ’s death must accomplish this–lest the cross be in vain. It is when we have died to sin that we are able to enter again into a new bond and marriage brought to strength by the Husband (Jesus Christ) who relentlessly endured suffering in the will of God and in compassion to an adulterous bride.
We go to the altar as the regenerate (the born again creature possessing the likeness of Christ) now as another sacrifice unto God. And the sacrifice which is offered must be offered dailt until we are fully consumed by His Glory and thus removed to His Glory…this is the sanctifying work of God and worship to God (which is the life of faith).
The altar of God is a discrimination that divides the regenerate man in two, separating the flesh from the spirit, whereas the unregenerate man’s spirit stays fettered to his flesh making him an infidel, unsurrendered, and adulterous before God. As it is revealed through scripture, God desires a contrite and broken spirit. He brings upon the veiled and wayward child His chastisement for the revitalization of the will of sin through the Law, using the revelation of the Truth brought by the Gospel to bring about repentance and the knowledge of the Lordship of God.
God has established the altar also for purging, that it discriminates between the corruptible (which is of flesh) and the incorruptible (which is of God), and consumes all corruption leaving life in its stead. So that in scripture we understand Christ’s command that we be loosed from all nature of mortality for the sustaining and incorruptible nature of Himself, making us His faithful bride. This came to be a revelation to us that the elected man, the bride’s life underwent a process of purification, preparation for marriage.
God has expressed in Old Testament Scripture that the altar was to be a symbol of His being. The holiness that it demanded was never accomplished through the Law since neither priest nor man could approach it while still the articles of the new covenant remained concealed within it as a pattern of the true things. Though this new covenant was present at the time of the old in the presence of Abel it remained concealed to man until the time of reformation was appointed by God. This covenant was no stranger to the old that of Law neither did it sit apart from it but one preceded the other. It was the Lord’s intention that there should be a tie between Him and all men regardless of their virtues. For the sinner who was intended to live fully without grace the Lord gave the Covenant of the Law so that in his unconscious condemnation life should still be held accountable in giving glory to Himself. As for the man he willed for new birth he established grace (the ability for a husband of master to give clemency and worth to the object of his love) a new yet unrevealed covenant that embodied oneness to Himself through marriage of the regenerate to his the Son, a prefect emissary in the pursuit of peace, this fidelity of will between God and man.
It was the reformation which later enlightened us that Christ, the eternal High Priest was the only mediator acceptable to offer on the altar of the new covenant, and therefore offering a perfect and effectual sacrifice. As God required in the times of old that the people should raise up offerings of man or beast to Him under the Law while sin abided over them, He patterned grace through the Law by requiring that they remain distinguished from birth and given greater care than the rest of the flock or household. It was to be an offense, even adultery to offer common things, apart from His standard. By this we know that the Law did not enable men to attain to a sin through the Law, using the revelation of the Truth brought by the Gospel to bring about repentance and the knowledge of the Lordship of God.
God has established the altar also for purging, that it discriminates between the corruptible (which is of God), and consumes all corruption leaving life in its stead. So that in scripture we understand Christ’s command that we be loosed from all nature of mortality for the sustaining and incorruptible nature of Himself, making us His faithful bride. This came to be a revelation to us that the elected man, the bride’s life underwent a process of purification, preparation for marriage.
God has expressed in Old Testament Scripture that the altar was to be a symbol of His being. The holiness that it demanded was never accomplished through the Law since neither priest nor man could approach it while still the articles of the new covenant remained concealed within it as a pattern of the true things. Though this new covenant was present at the time of the old in the presence of Abel it remained concealed to man until the time of reformation was appointed by God. This covenant was no stranger to the old that of Law neither did it sit apart from it but one preceded the other. It was the Lord’s intention that there should be a tie between Him and all men regardless of their virtues. For the sinner who was intended to live fully without grace the Lord gave the Covenant of the Law so that in his unconscious condemnation life should still be held accountable in giving glory to Himself. As for the man he willed for new birth he established grace (the ability for a husband or master to give clemency and worth to the object of his love) a new yet unrevealed covenant that embodied oneness to Himself through marriage of the regenerate to his the Son, a prefect emissary in the pursuit of peace, this fidelity of will between God and man.
It was the reformation which later enlightened us that Christ, the eternal High Priest was the only mediator acceptable to offer on the altar of the new covenant, and therefore offering a perfect and effectual sacrifice. As God required in the times of old that the people should raise up offerings of man or beast to Him under the Law while sin has abided over them, He patterned grace through the Law by requiring that they remain distinguished from birth and given greater care than the rest of the flock or household. It was to be an offense, even adultery to offer common things, apart from His standard. By this we know that the Law did not enable men to attain to a higher standard, but he sent forth His Son born of flesh that by a life liken to our own we should by grace, transcend to the altar. Scripture says we are a holy priesthood, that by regenerate baptism, our bonding together in Christ, we would become sons and daughters of God…not to approach Him alone, but to become a whole sacrifice to Him…this is our reasonable service.