• Ephesians 6:17
  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
• Hebrews 4:12
  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

What does the Sword of the Spirit have to do with sacrifice?

Leviticus 4:24

and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering.

According to the law of the sacrifices, the individual who has sinned kills the sacrifice for sin himself and it is not done by the priest.

Luke 9:23

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

According to the law of the sacrifice one can only make a sin offering if that individual knows they have offended God. ref Leviticus 4:13

The reason Jesus instructed His followers to pick up their own cross was to have the place of the cross to lay down their sin sacrifices once they were made known to them by the Spirit of Truth.

Denial of self can only come after the Spirit of Truth reveals the intention of the heart.

The bible can tell you what sin is but only the Spirit of Truth can identify which sins are to be sacrificed because of the intentions of the heart.

The father of lies will tell you that you are not worthy but that matter was already settled between you and God the Father when you placed your faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

Worthiness cannot be nullified by unintentional sin.

John 3:20

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

The light of the lamp is truth and it exposes us for what we are in truth and from this light we cannot hide ourselves from God. The knowledge that our true nature is exposed only means shame to the children of God, to the sinner that takes pride in sin it does not matter. They do not recognize God’s authority to judge. They do not believe there is a God.

Sin becomes their god. They love their sinful life and will not give it up for anyone.

Matthew 7:6

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

Matthew 12:33

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.”

Two issues are visible in the light of truth, we see people for what they are and we need to be careful not to eat the fruit of bad trees.

John 16:8

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

He in that verse is the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit and if we judge for ourselves then we have stopped following the path of righteousness. Labels are only useful in avoiding the fruit of bad trees. Judgment does not change the label.

Listen to the Word of the Lord.

Matthew 13:30

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Matthew 13:40

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

We are not reapers, we are sowers.