Holy Offerings: The Debtor's Response to Divine Grace

Psalm 20:3 commands us to "remember all thy offerings"—a summons that exposes a dangerous heresy in Exell's Victorian era: that Christ's finished work eliminates our obligation to God. Some preach, "He has done all; therefore we do nothing." The Bible contradicts this sharply. Romans 12:1 demands, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God."

This is not payment for salvation—we cannot purchase redemption. Rather, it is gratitude's response. Exell asks pointedly: if a friend showed you kindness in trouble, would ingratitude be your answer? How much more when Jesus paid the infinite cost of our ransom?

Exell identifies three holy offerings we present to Yahweh. First, worship itself—particularly the Holy Communion, where we commune with saints and angels in heaven's liturgy. Second, praise offered in the highest acts of devotion. Third, alms to His Church—the consecration of our substance, since Elohim grants us all wealth and means of provision.

The objection persists: "We have nothing worthy to give Him." False. You possess what He requests: your heart, your love, your life of thanksgiving and devotion. King David declares in Psalm 116:14, "I will pay my vows now in the presence of all His people." Our debts are not erased by grace—they are transformed into joyful offerings, rendered not from coercion but from overwhelming love.