Thursday, August 27, 2015
Pass the Salt, Please!
BFGFC Midweek Service, | August 26, 2015[i]
“Kaya nga, mga kapatid, alang-alang sa masaganang habag ng Diyos sa atin, ako’y namamanhik sa inyo: ialay ninyo ang inyong sarili bilang handog na buhay, banal at kalugud-lugod sa kanya. Ito ang karapat-dapat na pagsamba ninyo sa Diyos. Huwag kayong umayon sa takbo ng mundong ito. Mag-iba na kayo at magbago ng isip upang mabatid ninyo ang kalooban ng Diyos – kung ano ang mabuti, nakalulugod sa kanya, at talagang ganap.” Romans 12:1-2
“Add salt to all your offerings.” Leviticus 2:13
-
Mahilig ako sa maalat.
One time, I got plain congee thinking it was congee without
meat. I didn’t know it meant
flavorless congee. When I found out, nagulat ako, pero hindi ako
nagpahalata. I tried to eat it
anyway, kaya lang hindi ko talaga ma-take. I had to add salt and pepper in it. After that, it tasted fine. J
Did you know that God required salt to be in all the
offerings offered to Him? (Leviticus 2:13) Salt is required in all offerings intimating that their
sacrifices, in themselves, were unsavoury.[ii]
In Romans 12, Paul urges us in view of God’s mercy to offer
ourselves as living sacrifices to God.
He didn’t say anything about adding salt in our offering, but then he
didn’t have to because Jesus did (“have salt in yourselves” Mark 9:50). Then in another teaching, He went even
further and said that we are the salt
of the earth (Matthew 5:13). Both
times He mentioned the importance of the salt maintaining its saltiness,
otherwise it is useless.
So, in order to be acceptable offerings to God, we need to
always remember the S.A.L.T.
-
1. Remember that you
are a living Sacrifice to God. (v.1b)
“Ialay ninyo ang
inyong sarili bilang handog na buhay…”
Every morning, think how you can be a blessing to someone
that day.
Ask: “Lord, what would you have me do today?” “Who needs a touch
from You today?”
Ask again: “Lord, how would you have me do it?”
Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of these
brethren, we are doing it for Him (Mt.25:40).
Ministering to people who are in need, without any hidden
motives or personal agenda involved, but purely done out of love for God, is
acceptable worship unto God.
As a salt, you are adding flavor to that person’s life, and yours as well!
Use your Grace gifts (Rom.12:6-8)!
Prophecy / Service / Teaching /
Encouraging or Exhortation / Sharing or Giving / Leadership / Mercy
The purpose of grace gifts is to serve others. You discover your grace gifts when you
start serving God. [iii]
2. Keep yourself Acceptable
to God (v.1c)
“…banal at
kalugud-lugod sa Kanya. Ito ang
karapat-dapat na pagsamba ninyo sa Diyos.”
God deserves the best offering we can give because He is
God!
God requires the best and holiest from us:
“You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of
[everything given to] you.” Numbers
18:29
“Bilang mga anak, sundin ninyo ang Diyos at huwag ang masasamang hilig
tulad ng ginagawa ninyo noong kayo’y wala pang tunay na pagkaunawa. Yamang ang Diyos na humirang sa inyo ay
banal, dapat kayong magpakabanal anuman ang inyong ginagawa, ayo sa
nasusulat: Magpakabanal kayo, sapagkat Ako’y banal.” 1 Pet.1:14-16
“Magpakabanal kayo at sikaping makasundo ang inyong kapwa, sapagkat
hindi ninyo makikita ang Panginoon kung hindi kayo mamumuhay nang ganito.” Heb.12:14
Our Dilemma:
“Ito ang natuklasan
ko: kapag ibig kong gumawa ng mabuti, ang masama ay malapit sa akin. Sa kaibuturan ng aking puso, ako’y
nalulugod sa kautusan ng Diyos. Subalit nararamdaman kong may ibang tuntunin sa
mga bahagi ng aking katawan at ito’y salungat sa tuntunin ng aking isip. Dahil ditto, ako’y naaalipin ng
kasalanang nananahan sa mga bahagi ng aking katawan. Kahabag-habag ang kalagayan ko! Sino ang magliligtas sa akin
sa katawang ito na nagdudulot sa akin ng kamatayan?” Rom.7:21-24
God’s Solution:
“Ang Diyos sa
pamamagitan ni Jesu-Cristo na ating Panginoon! Salamat sa Kanya!” (Rom.7:25)
And He has given us His Holy Spirit to help us live the way
He wants us to live in this world.
We must allow ourselves to be led by Him.
“Mga kapatid, hindi na
tayo alipin ng likas na hilig ng laman, kaya hindi na tayo dapat mamuhay ayon
sa laman. Sapagkat mamamatay kayo
kung namumuhay kayo sa laman ngunit
kung pinapatay ninyo sa pamamagitan ng Espiritu Santo ang mga gawa ng laman,
mabubuhay kayo. Ang lahat
ng pinapatnubayan ng Espiritu ng Diyos ay mga anak ng Diyos.” Rom.8:12-14
Galatians 5:16-26
“Ang Espiritu ang
gawin ninyong patnubay sa inyong buhay at huwag ninyong susundin ang pita ng
laman… Pinatay na ng nakipag-isa kay Cristo Jesus ang likas nilang pagkatao,
kasama ang masasamang pita nito.
Ang Espiritu ang nagbibigay buhay sa atin kaya ito rin ang dapat maghari
sa ating mga buhay.” (v.16, 24-25)
Ex. Salt Lamps – purifies the air by releasing negative ions
As we let ourselves be led by the Spirit and live holy and pleasing lives unto God, we help bring purified air into this sin-polluted world.
3. Live Loved
(v.1a)
“In view of God’s
mercy…”
Romans 3:22-23 – All have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God.
Romans 3:25 – Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb
Romans 5:8-11 – While we were sinners, Christ died for us. We were made right (at peace) with God
through Christ’s sacrifice. God’s
wrath is no longer upon us. We are
no longer enemies but friends of God.
Keep yourself always in a spirit of fellowship with God.
As you keep yourself aligned with God, His desires and will
become yours, and you find yourself saying, “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within
my heart (Ps40:8).” Your prayer
becomes “not my will, but Yours” and “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.” You
begin to feel the “heartbeat” of God and you willingly serve as His hands and
feet and mouthpiece on earth.
“Endeavor to run on
parallel lines with God…” - Spurgeon[vii]
Salt preserves. Preserve yourself from destruction (depression, etc) by living safely secured in God’s love. Then go and help preserve others by spreading God’s love to them as well.
4. Get Treatment
and be Transformed. (v.2)
“Huwag kayong umayon
sa takbo ng mundong ito. Mag-iba na kayo at magbago ng isip upang mabatid ninyo
ang kalooban ng Diyos – kung ano ang mabuti, nakalulugod sa kanya, at talagang
ganap.”
“Do not conform
yourselves to the standards of the world, but let God transform you
inwardly by a complete change of your mind.”
What happens when you put salt in your wounds?
It stings! But
it also brings healing.
The same thing goes when we are being treated by God. Wrong mindsets, habits, lifestyles, even relationships have
to go. There will be painful
decisions and choices to be made, but if we really want to offer ourselves as
acceptable offerings to God, we have to undergo God’s treatment and let Him transform us into the person He
has always known us to be. Choose to obey God, knowing that with pain comes
healing.
“Cleanse me with
hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow…The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you
will not despise. Psalm 51:7, 17
“Kayo’y asin sa
sanlibutan.” Matt.5:13
Ikaw ay isang handog sa Diyos at bilang handog, kailangang
mapanatili ang iyong alat J
Saan ka man pumunta, sa isip, sa salita, at sa gawa, magbigay alat sa iyong
paligid.
- · Sa isip: Let your renewed mind promote righteous and godly thoughts around you.
- · Sa salita: Let your conversations always be full of grace, seasoned with salt (Col.4:6). No sugar coating of words (when honey comes to the fire, it turns sour[x]). Speak the truth in love. Let the Holy Spirit guide you at the right moment with the right way of saying the right words to the right person.
- · Sa gawa: Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Love… (Rom.12:9 & ff.)
Maging handa. Maraming
masasaktan. Maraming “aaray.” When
we start going against the world, persecution will come. Will you continue to offer yourselves
as an offering to God? When you start to stand up for what is right, people may
start to avoid you, insult you, break off relationships with you. Will you still continue to stand up for
the Truth?
Remember God’s mercy and love. When Jesus started irking the religious leaders because of
His “radical” teachings, they conspired against Him and murdered Him. But Jesus never gave up out of His love
for you and me. He gave His life
as the ultimate sacrifice, because that was the only way for you and me to be
saved and be reconciled to the Father.
Strive to please God rather than men. Let us offer ourselves unto God, holy and pleasing to Him.
Bring healing and transformation into the world by being the salt of the earth.
Let me be a sacrifice
holy and acceptable
Let me be a
sacrifice
consumed in Your praise
Let me be a sacrifice
holy and acceptable
Let me be a sacrifice
worshipping Your name.
[i] Acceptable
Worship, Part 2 (Part 1 preached at previous Midweek Service by Pastor Zaldy Lim
[ii] Matthew
Henry Commentary on Lev.2:13
[iii] EPHOD
Ministry Seminar
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Binondo Full Gospel Family Center is a community church in Binondo, Manila. We are an empowered, nurturing community, reconciling to Christ every person, household and oikos, discipling them for the glory of God.
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