The Altars in Genesis (2) — The Prerequisite to Building an Altar: God’s Appearing

In the previous post of this series, we saw that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob built altars in order to consecrate themselves to God; that is, to give themselves and all that they had to Him. Since we too may desire to consecrate ourselves to God as these men did, we must see and experience the prerequisite to building an altar—God’s appearing.

It is significant that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob built altars to God only after they had experienced God’s appearing, for it was through His appearing that God transfused Himself into them (Acts 7:2; Gen. 6:9; 12:7; 13:14; 22:1; 26:24; 32:24; 35:7). In the same way, before we can build an altar to God, we must first experience God’s appearing to us and through His appearing, His transfusing Himself into us.

God is in the heavens; nevertheless, He is able to spiritually appear to us. Whenever God appears, He transfuses Himself into the beholder, us (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18). Then His continued appearing and transfusing cause a reaction within us. That reaction is our subjective faith, “the faith of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 3:22). Our faith is not self-generated but is the result of God’s transfusing through His appearing. Such faith issues in an organic union, a union in which we are joined to the Lord as one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). By virtue of this organic union, we can continue to enjoy God’s spiritual appearing and transfusing so that what He is may fill our whole being.

God’s appearing and our believing result in our consecrating ourselves to Him, building a spiritual altar and living a life entirely for God. Actually, building an altar means that our life is for God, that God is our life, and that the meaning of our life is God. Before God’s appearing and transfusing, many other things may have occupied us, but after His appearing, He becomes our unique aim; thus, we spontaneously believe, consecrate, and build an altar to Him. By building such an altar, we become those who walk “in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham” (Rom. 4:12).

In order to practically enter into the experience of building an altar to God, we need to pray, “Lord Jesus, appear to me again and again, and speak to me again and again. Transfuse Yourself into me! You must do this each day, Lord Jesus!” May we all seek in prayer the experience of God’s appearing and transfusing.

Further Reading:

Witness Lee, Life­-Study of Romans, Chapter 8: The Subjective Experience of Justification (Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Print)

Witness Lee, Life-Study of Genesis, Chapter 41: Living by Faith (Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Print)

Holy Bible Recovery Version, all verses mentioned in this post and their corresponding footnotes (Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Print).

All references in the Further Reading can also be viewed on www.ministrybooks.org.