2 Peter 3:13-18

[Hidden In Him]

Becoming Acceptable Sacrifices, Through Imitation Of The Lamb Of God

Ever looked into why the Lord compared us to sheep? The similarities where spirituality is concerned are striking, especially given that sheep need guidance in order to survive. There are other analogies that run even deeper, however, as we shall see. But starting with a quote from The Dictionary Of Biblical Imagery, it is clear sheep and shepherds were the primary analogy our Lord used to teach us obedience through the animal kingdom:

Sheep are the most frequently mentioned animal in the Bible, with nearly four hundred references if we include references to flocks. Additionally, the figure of the shepherd receives approximately one hundred references... Sheep were not fenced in and left to fend for themselves. Instead they were totally dependent upon shepherds for protection, grazing, watering, shelter and tending to injuries. In fact, sheep would not survive long without a shepherd... they were prone to wandering, and unable to find their way to a sheepfold even when it was within sight. (DBI, P.782, "Sheep/ Shepherd")

Not only were sheep mentioned more than any other animal in the Bible, they were also the most commonly sacrificed animal in the Bible, with the Son of God Himself being compared to the spotless Lamb offered on behalf of all mankind. In regard to what believers were supposed to become, the apostle Peter would now exhort his readers to become sheep "without spot," meaning they needed become pure and acceptable sacrifices before the Lord Jesus Christ:

13 Nevertheless, we according to His promise look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless. 15 And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation (2 Peter 3:13-15a)

As we shall see, the analogy of the pure sacrifice extended to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for sacrifices in Old Testament times were set ablaze and burnt up. But not all sacrifices were acceptable before God, and this is part of why Peer exhorting them to be "found in peace of Him"? As Peter stated earlier in the letter, the Gnostics were "spots and blemishes," or in other words they were like blemished sheep who were feasting together amongst the flock of God and corrupting them spiritually (2 Peter 2:13-14). This was because despite identifying as "Christians" they were riddled with sin, and entering congregations only to lure others into sexual sin. For this the Lord was not at peace with them, as is clear from the Book of Revelation, which shows Him warning several congregations about tolerating their presence (Revelations 2:14-16, 20-23). He didn't accept blemished sheep as offerings during Old Testament times and He was not about to accept these so-called "Christians" either. Instead of being filled with the Holy Spirit, many were infested with demonic spirits, and were perverting the gospel of grace taught by the apostles. As Jude put it, they were "transforming the grace of God into sexual licentiousness, and thereby denying the Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:4)

This is what Peter was referring to when he now stated in closing that they were taking Paul's teachings on grace and twisting them into an excuse for sin.

15 Account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul has also written unto you 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Beloved, you therefore, seeing you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.18 But grow in grace, and in the recognition of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and for ever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:15b-18)

What teachings were they "wresting to their own destruction"? That the grace of God was being given so that believers might become holy, not more sinful. This was especially found in Romans, where the apostle Paul stated the following:

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Romans 6:15-16)

While it would take more explaining than need be wasted on, the Gnostics were redefining the word "grace" to refer to the demonic "anointing" that would descend upon them, for they believed they were receiving an occult anointing through the act of fornication.

The Valentinians," says Ireneaus, "being in love with certain women, would without blemish seduce them from their husbands and are them their own wives... And to aggravate their wickedness, they esteemed copulation a most sacred mystery known only to themselves, and which the profane were not allowed to put into practice, what was abominable in others being highly meritorious in themselves. For," says Ireneaus again, "they have this grace descending to them from the unspeakable and unnamable copulation above, for which reason they ought always to be meditating on the mystery of copulation." (Queenborough, Occult Theocracy, P.122)

Jesus supposedly sexually exploited Mary Magdalene (some Gnostics today even teach that He did so with the disciples), but scripture says Jesus refused Satan's temptation of the kingdoms of this world. And Paul likewise refrained from abusing his authority in Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:1-7). Rather, he exhorted to become conformed to the image of Christ, the Lamb of God:

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:12-14)


Living Sacrifices

So what exactly does it mean to become a living sacrifice? In preparing this study, a brother last week posted a short prophetic piece on the coming fire of God, and without knowing what I was writing on included the following words:

"I am igniting prophetic voices, young and old, who will cry out in the wilderness of this generation, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord!’ Their words will be as flame, and their lives as living sacrifices, and I will answer them by fire.

Living sacrifices who lay themselves down on the altar are answered by fire. This is what happened with Elijah when he presented an offering before the Lord in the presence of the prophets of Baal. God received Elijah's offering when fire came down from the sky and consumed it.

36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said... 37 "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again." 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell (from heaven) and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. (1 Kings 18:36-38)

So, too, is this what happened at Pentecost. The 120 were gathered together when the fire of God fell from heaven, and they came forth in the power of the Holy Spirit. Because they were deemed to be acceptable living sacrifices for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Fire, the true and Living God manifesting Himself through them showing signs and wonders following.

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

Certainly we have seen the outpouring of the Holy Spirit since Pentecost, but how often have we seen tongues of fire since that day? I've heard occasional reports, but not very often. So what will it take to see the outpouring in fire again? As I will discuss in the final section, I think it will require a more intense burning away of self from His servants. Are we able to endure the death of our loved ones like Job? Are we able to endure the betrayal of all our closest friends? If Satan turned everyone against us, including every Christian we thought loved us, could we still endure without cursing God or retaliating against others for it? Or will we die to self such that he simply reply, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

 

[Hidden In Him]

The Wheel Of Fire

For this last section, I will simply quote from a heavenly vision published many years back, and how those who truly wish to be used powerfully by God will of necessity have to endure the fires of purification. The following was taken directly from The Priestly Bride, by Anna Rountree.

A huge, gold ring began to spin before us. It was as tall as the Ferris wheels that are part of the world’s fair exhibitions on Earth. It spun rapidly, bursting into flames. I realized that the flames were fiery seraphim, hundreds, no thousands, of them. Their flames were as intense as blowtorches. But a figure similar to a man’s was at the core of each torch. Each seraph had six wings. With two they covered their eyes, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. A unique and pure music came from their midst. “Who will ride the wheel of fire?” the seraphim called. Their voices had a strange sound, as if their words were passing through some medium to which we are not accustomed on Earth. I realized I would need a greater spiritual maturity than I now possessed if I would desire to share the burdens of God. I did not know what this would mean. But evidently this fire was a first step if I wished such maturity.

I turned to Jesus, “I want to ride the wheel, my Lord.” He smiled. “We will ride it together.” I called to the seraphim, “We will ride.” Jesus took my right hand, and we started forward. The closer we came to the wheel, the hotter grew the flames with which it burned. The sound of thousands of blowtorches was formidable. But through the flames I could hear an adoration of God that was of such purity that it startled my senses. As we arrived at the fiery wheel, a seraph beckoned for us to enter the flames. The seraph spoke to me. “Few wish to ride the ring of fire. They want the ring of gold but not the ring of fire.” I looked at Jesus. Then holding tightly to His hand, we both entered the fire. It was extremely hot among these flaming seraphim.

A seraph gestured for us to sit down. We did. The wheel began to turn. We went up as if the fiery ring was actually a huge Ferris wheel. Jesus said, “The seraphim will train you in a holiness that will bring forth pure worship, holiness burning like a torch, intense in its focus. If you will yield to the ministry of these servants, you too will be like a flame and burn like a torch of love and purity for your God.” He continued, “The fire is for all. Learn to live in the fire by allowing it to burn away all that will not pass through as purely of Me. Learn to love the fire of God." As the wheel climbed, it seemed as though I could see the entire universe — the beyond of beyond. A seraph flew to me with a live coal and placed it on my lips and tongue. The fire burned across my face and down my throat into my heart. The seraph said, “Let your words be fewer, and only those that come from the throne.” (Rountree, The Priestly Bride, P.52-53)

Is this not what happened at Pentecost? Their words were not their own, but only as the Spirit gave them utterance. I believe the above is why Paul once gave the following exhortation:

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice is our reasonable service because it is only when every impurity has been burned away that we can prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Just as the Passover Lamb was burnt on altar of God in Israel, so too must we become like Him, in being willing to let the fires of the altar burn away everything that is not of God.



Questions And Applications

1. Did anything in particular stand out to you in reading through this study?
2. Have you ever had anything resembling a Job experience in your life? You need not go into full detail.
3. Would you be willing to embrace such a thing? Peter earlier spoke of our faith being refined like gold in the fire, and in Revelations the Lord exhorted the church at Laodicea to "buy of Me gold tried in the fire." This suggests they had to want it and ask Him for it. Would you?
4. Have you ever felt the fire of God tangibly?
5. What exactly do you believe it means to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts"? (Romans 13:12-14)