Why Sacrifice?

We know that sacrifice means to give up something worthwhile or valuable. We also know that God calls on us to be willing to sacrifice things in our service to Him and others. The question is, “Why sacrifice?” Why should we be willing to do it?

Is the command enough? Be a living sacrifice (Ro 12:1). Offer the sacrifice of praise (He 13:15). Sacrifice in doing good (He 13:16). Offer up spiritual sacrifices (1 Pe 2:5). We submit to Jesus as Lord and therefore His command for us to sacrifice is sufficient to obligate us to sacrifice to and for Him (and others). Putting it as an obligation feels shallow to true believers. It IS an obligation, it IS obedience, but sacrifice should be a lot, lot more.

For some of us, sacrifice is just checking the boxes. Jesus said we have to do it so we have to do it. Some check the boxes out of faith and obedience duty, while others check the boxes mindlessly out of “I have to” obligation. Obligation, duty, submission, and obedience aren’t in and of themselves bad things. The problem arises then those are the only reasons for sacrifice and we do them mindlessly.

True sacrifice. Part of the solution is in understanding that true sacrifice is more than just giving up things we value. Giving up things could describe experiencing robbery or extortion (and some view what God demands in this way). A better definition of sacrifice is: Giving up something you value for something you value more. So, the key to sacrificing for God is not in looking at what we give up, but in what we receive. Then we need to value what God gives us more than what we sacrifice for God.

Giving up something you value for something you value more

As Israel prepared to enter the promised land, Moses reminded them of the Law and Covenant of God. He reminded Israel: “And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day” (De 6:24). All those Old Testament laws and sacrifices were going to require a lot of Israel. Yes, they needed to keep them because God commanded them, but they also needed to believe that they were really for their good always. When they questioned God’s goodness or thought their way was “gooder” than God’s way – they sinned.

The New Testament points us to the “goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering” of God (Ro 2:4). We are to “Consider therefore the goodness and severity of God” (Ro 11:22). Yes, God will severely judge those who break His law, but His goodness offers blessings that we value more than what we give up (sacrifice) for Him. We need to see, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (Ja 1:17). When God gave us Jesus, the best of heaven, He showed that nothing we give up will ever be worth more than what He gives us. Sacrifice is giving up something you value for something you value more. God valued us over His own Son. We sacrifice when we value His Son more than we value our own things and self. This is why we keep our eyes on Jesus and not on ourselves (Co 3:1-2).  dd