16 November | Youth
«Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.» Hebrews 13:15
For a Jew, worship meant sacrifice. If you lived in biblical times and wanted to worship the Lord, you would have to go to Jerusalem to offer your sacrifice. The animal was accepted in the place of the sinner. This pointed to what Christ would do. On the cross, we were replaced. The Son of God took on our condemnation. Since then, eternal death no longer needs to be our reality. A sacrifice was offered and accepted on our behalf. What should our lives be like then?
In today's verse, Paul says that, in response, we must offer a sacrifice of praise. This offering is the expression of gratitude that comes from the sincere heart that received salvation. Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf was so great that it should never fail to impact our hearts.
The sacrifice of praise “is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks” to the name of Jesus (Heb 13:15). Confessing the name of Jesus means recognizing His merits. His substitutionary sacrifice was sufficient to give us eternal life. Genuine praise is the only acceptable response to such great love. We have to answer this question: What will change in my life because Jesus saved me? If you are not talking about Jesus to other people, you have not yet understood what He has done for you. Praise has a missionary appeal. You need to confess the name of Jesus. It is true that the best way to confess Jesus to the world is to act like a transformed Christian. But that is not enough. Billy Graham said that “the greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.”
The Bible says that one day “every knee” will bow and “every tongue” will confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11). Offer your sacrifice of praise to Him today, with your life and with your lips!