Sacrifice

Today we look at a seemingly tough and heavy part of the sanctification process. Sacrifice.  Not so quick, my blog reader!! Today is going to be the most freeing blog I may have ever written. Paul wrote the following to the church in Rome. Romans 12: 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters. ,I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Before we go any further, let's travel back in time to see what the prophet said to King Saul, when Saul was king of Israel.  1 Samuel 15:22 ²² But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

            Because of Jesus, all other sacrifices pale in comparison, and Paul set the record straight about what God expects from us as freed people.  We are His children, and many of us are “strong-willed children” who want to do things their own way. Then we think if we sacrifice something, God will be pleased, and that just isn’t true.  That only leads to religion, and religion that is based on what we can do is dead religion. DEAD!!  The verses above explain the whole mindset of sacrifice, and the reference to 1st Samuel is the confirmation of what God wants from us. OBEDIENCE!!

            Since sanctification is a process, I guess you could say there is a deeper walk we go on today to get more specific and to the point.  Paul tells the Romans to give their bodies to God, which sounds like a blood sacrifice might be necessary, but one blood sacrifice given by Jesus was enough for all, for all time.  Paul pleads for this other sacrifice, which God wants  and it is a sacrifice of our will, and that is also true worship. You don’t even have to sing a song or lift a hand for it to be acceptable…..unless you feel led to.

Obedience 101 says to-

1.     The first part of acceptable obedience is “don’t follow the customs of this world.” Keep in mind, we are IN the world, but not OF the world.  So lay down the customs of this world.

2.     The second part of acceptable obedience is “LET God transform you.”  This is an active part of obedience. I know good Christian folk who read something in God’s Word and they openly say “NOT GONNA DO IT!”  Their worship is DEAD no matter how long they toot their horn.  They have given an unacceptable sacrifice.

3.     The third part of this very specific part of obedience is “to change the way you think.”  We have become so enamored with the world and all we can do. To the point that we begin to think we don’t need God for everything.  Just get told you have stage 4 cancer, and you will see just how little we are capable of on our own.  On the flip side, just turn it over to God for healing, and watch Him work!!!

4.     In 1 Samuel, King Saul, who was anointed by Samuel to be king, was told by Samuel to kill the Amalekites and all their sheep, goats, cattle, and all others.  Saul did the following in 1 Samuel 15: ⁷ Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. ⁸ He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. ⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

5.     True obedience involves sacrifice, and that means being obedient to God in following His Word in all things.  Do not lift a fist to God, saying “I will not do what you say to do.”  Instead, lift your heart to Him and say, “I trust you and I will do what you tell me to do.”  That is REAL worship without singing one note.

6.     Only then will you know the perfect will of God for your life.  ONLY THEN!!! Romans 12: Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

True sacrifice is sacrificing our will to God, and we live in the marvelous grace of our Lord, because He died so it could be real to us, and it is real.  Do not be like Saul and disobey God as Saul did, because you are one of God’s masterpieces and He has so much more planned for you IF you will be obedient.  It is really no sacrifice at all to give your life to the life-giver, because He can lead you to a life of purpose, but you must be obedient.  This is the final word in sanctification and the part where the abundant life kicks into high gear.

If you don't give it all, you may hear some sheep bleating in the distance. NOT GOOD. 1 Samuel 15:¹³ When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!” ¹⁴ “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren