Sacrifice . . . Sanctified Obedience
Sacrifice…Sanctified Obedience-by: Kathleen Spencer (Teacher Helps Magazine 1999) I needed to preach it to myself this morning.
Our text this morning is found in the book of Romans chapter 12. As the pastor read this old and familiar passage of scripture, I was compelled to ask myself what I really knew about sacrifice. I knew that throughout the Bible that sacrifice and sacrifices played an important role. But clearly, this morning’s text was saying that not only was I required to make sacrifices, but that I was to become a sacrifice. I needed to know more, much more.
1. The first sacrifices were animals, given on our behalf. In the Old Testament God demanded that sacrifices be made by priests who had been set apart, “sanctified”, entirely for God. The blood of an animal had to be spilled. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement the priest would take a goat or heifer that was the best of the flock and kill it, spilling its blood on the altar. Because of our sin, we had offended God and a life had to be taken in exchange for the offender. Although God demanded that these sacrifices be made, it was not the shedding of the blood of the animals that brought atonement for the people’s sins. Blood sacrifices were made by those who had faith in the Lord. It was their faith in Him that saved them. By offering the sacrifices in obedience to the Lord, their faith was proven. In Genesis 22:8 and Hebrews 11:19 we read that when Abraham was asked to offer up his son Isaac as a blood sacrifice to God, he knew that God would either provide a lamb or raise his son back up, and Genesis 15:6 says that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
2. We understand that instead of animals, we offer ourselves to God. I Peter 2:5 says, “You also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” We have been sanctified-set apart-for, God, to offer spiritual sacrifices. But instead of offering the blood of an animal, we are to become the sacrifice ourselves. Every Christian is to live with a mind-set of sacrificial obedience to God. He no longer asks that we make blood sacrifices, for Jesus as the sinless, perfect Lamb became the final blood sacrifice and the only One whose death would satisfy the wrath of God for those who had sinned against Him. Hebrews 11:13 says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this in your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is. His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Every aspect of a believer’s lie is to be totally given over to God to serve Him only. In order to do that, we have to allow God to shine the truth of His word into our hearts. As we begin to walk in obedience to His truth, we will begin to look at life through God’s perspective instead of what the world tells us. The world tells us that sacrifice is okay as long as it doesn’t infringe on our rights, does not inconvenience us, does not take us out of our comfort zone, is no cost to us financially or emotionally. The world says it’s okay to make sacrifice as long as it is replaced with something of equal value, we have first taken time for ourselves, the sacrifice that we would make is not below our status or position, and we need to make sure we are rewarded either financially or with recognition.
Every aspect of a believer’s lie is to be totally given over to God to serve Him only. In order to do that, we have to allow God to shine the truth of His word into our hearts. As we begin to walk in obedience to His truth, we will begin to look at life through God’s perspective instead of what the world tells us. The world tells us that sacrifice is okay as long as it doesn’t infringe on our rights, does not inconvenience us, does not take us out of our comfort zone, is no cost to us financially or emotionally. The world says it’s okay to make sacrifice as long as it is replaced with something of equal value, we have first taken time for ourselves, the sacrifice that we would make is not below our status or position, and we need to make sure we are rewarded either financially or with recognition.
3. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for all sin. Jesus lived every day as a “living sacrifice” to His heavenly Father until He laid down His life as the final blood sacrifice. Philippians 2:5-8 says that even though Jesus was God in the flesh, He made himself nothing and took the form of a servant. As the Son of God, He had the right to all that position and fame had to offer and to be served instead of to serve. Instead He gave up His personal rights to do the will of His heavenly Father. Jesus lived outside of His comfort zone-His whole life was one of inconvenience-and He entered so deeply into the hurt and pain of others that He allowed himself to be emotionally drained and physically tied. Jesus gave us the perfect example of being a “living sacrifice” in John 13 when he washed the feet of the disciples. As their Lord and Master, He had the right to expect that one if not all of them stoop to the lowly job of washing the dirt from His dirty, tired feet. Instead, He was willing to sacrifice all of His personal rights and the amenities of His position to become the servant instead of the served. Although He knew what was in Judas’ heart, Jesus never treated him any differently than He did the others.
4. Sacrifices of time and money belong to God. Hebrews 13:6 says, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” If we are living sacrifices for God, our time and our money belong to Him also. A senior citizen friend of mine invited two young Christian women to attend a luncheon where there was to be a Christian speaker. Her invitation was to serve a double purpose. She desperately wanted the company and she though the luncheon would be a blessing to her guests. Her guests informed me later that they were totally bored by it and they would never go again. What could have been a sweet-smelling spiritual sacrifice that God was pleased with ended up being a self-centered, carnal mindset which I’m sure grieved the heart of God. I know if Jesus had been the invited guest that He would have made my friend feel that she was the most important person in the world to Him and He would have made her feel that He was the privileged one just to in her company. Being a living sacrifice means being willing to put others’ enjoyment before our own and it may mean being bored in order to bring someone else joy. There are many people in our churches who have lost their jobs, and there are many single-parent homes. Imagine the delight of a child getting a special invitation home for dinner after church or an outing to McDonald’s. What would it do for a mom if we offered to care for her child or children so that she could have a leisurely evening out? An anonymous $10 in an envelope helps those who are going through financial struggles know that God has not abandoned them and increased their faith. There are many people making the sacrifice of caring for their elderly parents at home. What a sacrificial gift of love it would be to offer our service to stay with the elderly parent or invite the parent out for an evening.
5. We are available and willing to go wherever God calls us when we are living sacrifices. What if God would tell us that the good, perfect, and acceptable sacrifice that He wants from us is to leave the comforts of home and go to a different culture to take the gospel? He doesn’t leave us much of an option because He says in Luke 14 that unless we are willing to leave home, family, and all that is precious to us for His sake and the gospel that we aren’t worthy to be His disciples. And in Matthew 16:24-25 it says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Being a living sacrifice means we will go wherever God may lead us. A missionary from Africa was once asked if he really likes what he was doing. His response was shocking, “Do I like this work?” he asked. “No, my wife and I do not like dirt. We have reasonably refined sensibilities. We do not like crawling into vile huts through goat refuse. But is a man to do nothing for Christ he does not like? Go pity him if not. Like or disliking has nothing to do with it. We have an order to “go” and we go. Love constrains us.” Under the law, God demanded sacrifice out of obedience. Under the age of grace, obedience is to be our sacrifice given out of a heart of gratitude and love to God. May we look for the opportunities which are ours each day to offer spiritual sacrifices which are given out of a life totally surrendered to God.
Comments
Post a Comment