A Life of Sacrifice

I was speaking to one of the brothers at church recently and I am amazed at how he and his wife live sacrificially. He is seventy-nine years old and retired at seventy-seven years old from a paint shop after realizing that he was too old to keep on lifting 30 kilos (over 65 lbs.). He was doing this to send money to build a home for children in Benin, West Africa where his wife has been a missionary. And although retired, they are still helping these needy children. They live a life of sacrifice because they follow Christ who made the ultimate sacrifice.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:11-14

We who are Christians should always want to follow Christ’s example of being self-sacrificial. This is not easy, but it is God’s heart. Paul wrote to the Church in Rome appealing to its members, by the mercies of God, to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which should be our spiritual act of worship also. Sacrifice involves everything including our time, treasures and talents. It can be difficult to live sacrificially, but it becomes easier when we realize that nothing we have is our own. We are just merely stewards of what God gives us and whatever we have we should use for His glory.

Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11

Whatever we do should be for the glory of God, not ourselves. J.I. Packer, a Canadian theologian born in England once said, “Our high and privileged calling is to do the will of God in the power of God for the glory of God.” I believe this is beautifully stated. We might want to do all we can in our own strength to get the glory for ourselves. This, however, is never God’s way even if the things we are doing, we say are for God.

There is something infinitely better than doing a great thing for God, and the infinitely better thing is to be where God wants us to be, to do what God wants us to do, and to have no will apart from His.

This is a quote of G. Campbell Morgan who was a British Evangelist and a well-respected self-taught theologian, whose life was said to have epitomized sacrifice.  He believed living a Christian life of sacrifice meant it should be done with integrity with the sacrifice of Christ being imitated.  This is very important, because it should be noted that God does not accept every sacrifice being offered to Him.

“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle; and I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. Isaiah 1:11-15

I would never want God to not accept all the sacrifice I am giving Him because I would be doing it in vain. He wants our obedience more than our sacrifice. If our sacrifice is not done out of a life of complete obedience to Him, then we are doing it for nothing. He may not even listen to our all-night prayers during a long period of fasting if we are not obeying Him. So, it is important to remember that if we are truly living a life of sacrifice then this is marked by a life of obedience to God.