I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)
"Croatian Christian Coalition won the lawsuit against the Republic of Croatia", while reading a few sentences on the Internet and newspapers it all appears that it happened so quick and easy; as if no one realizes how much time and money was spent in meetings, lobbying and in sacrificing in order to gain this victory after nearly 8 full years.
How often we easily read good news about the success of our sport's heroes, entrepreneurs, or students who win competitions. It is easy to read or to hear about someone's victory, but we often don't realize that these people lived a life of denial or sacrifice in order to attain great results today. They placed their health, time, and reputation on the line before they achieved success in their area of work or call.
"You have to sacrifice to succeed". How many times have we heard our parents say this? Nevertheless, some took these words seriously and at the price of denial and sacrifice completed higher education or even opened their own businesses; and because of their great sacrifice have succeeded today in society. They paid a great price and denied themselves momentary life pleasures in order to achieve.
Life is full of sacrifices and denial of necessary and important factors for individual, family, career and even church success. Many successful business and religious leaders testify to the times when they had to work and sacrifice certain things in life in order to succeed.
It is interesting that people in the world sacrifice their health, an easy life, social relationships, and even family in order to achieve something of worth to them, while in the church many live and give only what is absolutely necessary.
Do we understand the role of sacrifice in our walk with God? Have we sacrificed something for the Lord? Do we live under the lordship of Jesus Christ as a people bought with a price who are not their own? I believe that this message will answer many of those questions.
According to my pastoral experience, most believers do not want to fully surrender themselves to the Lord. Messages such as "Dying to Self for Christ" and "Enslaved to the Lord Jesus" are today very rare because pastors want their churches to grow; which is why the focus today has shifted to man and his needs, and not to God and His needs.
Few today, as the many in Christian history, have surrendered themselves to God as a living sacrifice; and even fewer who have sacrificed their health, money or time for God and His work. We no longer have heroes of the faith such as the Moravian Brethren who under the leadership of Zizendorf were effective in mission work because their love for God and man was more important than their love of self. The Moravian Brethren recognized that they owed the world to share the gospel and they understood that they were no longer their own, but they belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ. The lordship of Jesus Christ is a message rarely taught in today's modern churches. Believers invoke the name of Jesus with words - Lord, Lord, but does it mean anything to us? Or do we simply speak words without backing them up with our works? Leonard Ravenhill once said that as believers we sing more lies on Sunday morning than we speak all year long. This is why Jesus said, "But why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)
This is why I am deeply convinced that one of the greatest reasons for this, apart from pure vanity and selfishness, is a misunderstanding of a life of sacrifice for the Lord, without which believers cannot experience true victory and manifestation of God's Kingdom in their lives and in the life of the church.
This is one of the main reasons why churches today are ineffective, cold and weak in outreach. Yet, without true sacrifice it is impossible to please God and be close to Him. The general word for sacrifice in the law is the Hebrew word gorban, which literally means "that which is brought near". The word is used for everything that was brought and sanctified to God. I am convinced that the Christian life without sacrifice and without the Lordship of Jesus Christ is a life distant from the Lord.
A life without sacrifice prevents us from knowing and doing God's will. This is why the Apostle Paul urged the Roman Christians to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1) The word used for "reasonable" is the Greek word logikos which is best translated as "logical or reasonable logic". In other words, it is as if Paul is saying that it very logical and reasonable that it is expected of us, if we are called Christians, to live a life of sacrifice. Yet, so that it is better understood, let's start with the most famous living sacrifice, the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1. JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR US
"Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, "Behold, I have come--In the volume of the book it is written of Me--To do Your will, O God."'" (Hebrews 10:5-7)
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame." (Hebrews 12:2a)
If God the Father hadn't sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ for us we would not be able to be free from our sin and have eternal life. God the Father did not sacrifice something of little value that was simply just lying around, as many Christians today give to God when they give of their leftover goods, time and talents. No, He gave the best and the only thing He had - His only Son, Jesus Christ. Paul said, "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8) so that we could have, through Him, forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
The writer of Hebrews said that "for the joy that was set before Him" he bore the cross, despising the shame. Without His sacrifice it would be impossible to acquire an advocate if we sinned. "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (1 John 2:1b-2)
The Word says that Jesus, although He was of godly nature, set aside His godly nature, took of the nature of a servant and became as one of us. (Philippians 2:6-7) Because of us He became a servant, allowed them to spit on Him, scourge Him, and crucify Him. Because of us he suffered beatings and derision; because of us he refused riches so that in Him we could be rich - and yet today, anytime someone throws something at us for standing firm on the Word of God and for being called by His name, we run away and pull into ourselves. Sometimes we even try to preserve our reputation, while the Word literally says, "Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:6-8)
If He lived that kind of life of living sacrifice for us, if He surrendered His life for us, are we any less called to live the same way? Are we called to a life without self-denial and sacrifice?
2. GOD THE FATHER EXPECTS OF HIS PEOPLE TO LIVE OUR LIFE AS A LIVING SACRIFICE A SELF-DENIAL JUST AS HIS SON, OUR SAVIOR AND LORD - JESUS CHRIST!
"Coming to Him [as to] a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God [and] precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4-5)
"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." (1 John 2:6)
God our Father does not seek anything more or less than for us to live as Jesus lived. The Word tells us that we are no longer our own, we belong to Him because He redeemed us with His blood: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
This is a message rarely heard today. While Islam is quickly growing around the world today, we are pleasantly entertaining ourselves while not wanting to give our lives for Christianity or Christ. We fail to speak the message of dying to self, while many in Islam are ready to give their lives to spread their own religion. Actually, a life of sacrifice and dying to self is what helped the church to spread to all parts of the world. This life was what brought revival and great works for the Lord.
Today the situation is different - believers sit in churches waiting for the Lord to bless them, but they want His blessings under little or no price of surrender. People serve and sacrifice for the Lord only to a certain measure, but when it hurts or when they have to give more than usual they quickly resign saying that this certain ministry is not for them. The excuses are varied: "I am not called or gifted for that.", "I don't feel I should give time or goods for that.", "I am not that radical of a person.", "I have to live a balanced life."
On the other hand, we pray expecting God to give great results in our life, and when our prayers are not answered we turn away disappointed and angry and return to the world because we have a wrong perception of God as Santa Clause who seeks nothing of us while He shouts out, "Ho-ho-ho" and gives us good gifts.
When we have to get up early in the morning to pray for our city and the unsaved, suddenly we are not gifted for that and say that our biorhythm is set for afternoon prayer; but when the afternoon comes we don't even remember that we have a biorhythm.
When we are called to give our lives and ambition for Him, to leave our career and go to an unknown place to serve Him, we reply that we are not called to that. We are only called to attend church and sometimes, if it pleases us, perhaps we'll serve in a certain area of ministry - as long as it doesn't require too much.
We have given so many excuses because we do not live a life for the Lord, we have given or our excess and what is left over of our life and then wonder why the kingdom does not advance, why the church doesn't grow, why Christians constantly argue, and why we cannot overcome the powers of darkness and sin. The reason is simple, we do not want to be a holy and pleasing sacrifice for God; we do not want to humble ourselves before Him because we only want to do that which pleases us and for God to bless our lives. This is why Christianity has become weak, apathetic and passive. We want to become notable and successful ladies and gentlemen for the Lordship of Jesus Christ without losing and sacrificing all for that which is precious.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name." (Hebrews 13:15)
The worst thing to see in church is someone who doesn't worship Jesus; they barely open their mouths or raise their hands. Many don't feel like praising, they don't even feel like standing up; they speak even less to others about Him, which is "the fruit of our lips". Many can hardly wait for church to be done so they can go back home. Sometimes we are so proud and filled with vanity that we do not want someone to see us raising our hands and praising Jesus with our whole heart; or even less that they hear us speak about His truth, because we don't want to ruin a good relationship with them. This is why we form our theological and socially acceptable facts, so as not to sacrifice any of the above, not to mention "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (Hebrews 13:16) because where would it end? This would be too radical for us; bring the hungry and thirsty under your roof? Give your life for a friend?
It is our responsibility to live our lives as a living sacrifice at the price of personal loss and pain - with practical and good works: worship, thanks (extending our hands to Him because He extended His before the entire world), sharing the gospel, all at the cost of our reputations and social acceptance. This was neither more nor less the kind of lifestyle of our Lord Jesus Christ, who sacrificed all for us and humbled Himself for us. This is the kind of life He expects of us - nothing more, nothing less. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:6-7)
3. ONLY THOUGH A LIFE OF SACRIFICE IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXPERIENCE VICTORY.
"But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:26b)
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)
If Christ hadn't made the sacrifice and had given up in the garden of Gethsemane, would still be in darkness and slaves to sin even today. We know the great agony He faced in the garden of Gethsemane before going to the cross, and the even greater agony he endured for us while on the cross.
Jesus Christ knew that without His sacrifice there would be no victory over sin. It was not enough to just pray a short prayer, "Our Father who art in heaven..." or think about good prayers and wishes for forgiveness, rather the shedding of the blood of the Lamb, without spot or wrinkle, was needed. This is why today we can come before the Father through Jesus Christ who was given for us!
Some time ago I heard one pastor from Uganda who described the horrors that happened during the regime of the dictator Idi Amin, who had the support of the Islamic world.
Christians were very desperate because there was nothing left to do but to desperately pray for days and months for God to come and change their land. Those prayers were not two-minute prayers; they were prayers that lasted for hours, days, and months of continual crying out. The fast they often held lasted for seven or more days; many sacrificed their time to pray and seek the Lord. The result of those sacrifices is measured by the 40% born again Christians in Uganda. Recently they made a law to imprison those who practice homosexuality.
Without sacrifice there is no revival and no forgiveness or freedom from sin. If needed we ought to sacrifice our body, just as Paul. "But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." (1 Corinthians 9:27)
Many believers today "kill" their bodies with food, in front of the television, and comfort them with various pleasures and cosmetics - which is why we don't have victory in our lives or in the life of the church. This is why the church is poor, apathetic and can never be victorious because believers serve themselves first and then give what is left over; avoiding pain and discomfort.
"But if we persevere in life living a life of sacrifice we shall surely win! When Jesus humbled Himself on the cross, God the Father highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every other name." (Philippians 2:9)
When Paul subjected his body and lived a life of sacrifice, he was able to victoriously say, "'O Death, where [is] your sting? O Hades, where [is] your victory?'... But thanks [be] to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:55, 57-58)
When people were dedicated to being generous, as Barnabas who sold his field, or those who sold their lands and houses and gave the money to God's kingdom, the kingdom of God quickly spread. The Word says, "And great grace was upon them all."
A life of sacrifice is a life of victory, and through it Jesus is even more glorified in our lives and in our church. Only through sacrificing our ambitions and desires is it possible to extend the kingdom and enter the mission field. It all depends on us. Will we live an average life without fruit or live as Jesus, our friend and Lord, lived?
David Livingston once replied to a question about his life in Africa, "People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege"
A life of sacrifice is a life of privilege. A life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is a true life. It is the only life of victory. Without sacrifice there are no effective results. The decision is ours to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God!
