Life Marks: SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES
When a person comes to Christ to receive salvation, they come to an actual “living stone,” a Stone rejected by men but “choice and precious” in the sight of God. And this Stone is not just any stone, but the Living Cornerstone, who is none other than Jesus Himself! (Pet. 2:4). Furthermore, we saw that Christians are also “living stones” who are being built up into a “spiritual house” (a temple), for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). We saw clearly that if you are a follower of Christ, you become a “living stone” as well as a “priest” in the New Covenant Temple. And, as we saw last week, New Covenant priests do not offer animals, fruits, or vegetables, but “spiritual sacrifices.”
What do we mean when we say “sacrifice”? People talk about “sacrificing” a lot for a friend or family member, or even for a worthy cause, just like the people helping the hurricane victims. I like to think of a “sacrifice” as something for which we joyfully and willingly “give up” for the sake of another, whether it be a person or a cause. And so, for the Christian, a sacrifice is when we “give up” something of value in order to honor God by blessing others. As we have seen, the writer of the Book of Hebrews challenges us to offer up “spiritual sacrifices.” What are these “sacrifices” that the Bible refers to as “spiritual sacrifices?” I have discovered five of them.
1) We are to offer the sacrifice of OURSELVES. The Apostle Paul tells us in the Book of Romans that because of the mercy that God has extended toward us, we are to “…present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices, acceptable to God, which is an act of true spiritual worship” (Rom. 12:1). This, in my opinion, is our greatest sacrifice and our greatest act of worship. It’s about surrendering our lives to the One who redeemed us. It’s about replacing our agenda (plans) for our lives with His. That’s what Jesus meant when he said that if you are going to be one of His disciples, you must first “deny yourself….” (Mk. 8:34). That’s what sacrifice is all about, and that’s also the essence of true worship.
2) We are to offer the sacrifice of PRAISE. The writer of Hebrews tells us to “….continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). Of course, when Christians attend corporate worship services, they love to “sing praises” to His Name. That a great privilege and a great joy. But the writer of Hebrews tells us to do this “continually.” No, it doesn’t have to be audible, but at least in our spirits. So, why is offering praise a sacrifice? Well, look at the verse again. The writers says to offer praise “continually.” Yes, even when you feel like “grumbling!” On occasion, we all feel like “grumbling” and “complaining,” and that’s why offering “praise” instead is a sacrifice. So, we need to “mind” our “attitudes.” Our attitude should be one of constant praise, not grumbling or complaining.
3) We are to offer the sacrifice of GOOD WORKS. The writer of Hebrews continues, “Do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Heb. 13:16). The Apostle Paul reminds us that when salvation came to us through Christ, we became “….His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). In the preceding verses, Paul made it absolutely clear that salvation is a gift of God’s grace that is received by faith, and not as a result of good works (Eph. 2:8-9). However, Paul goes on to say that “good works” is now a part of our lives, not in order to “earn” salvation, but as the natural “response” to our salvation already freely given to us by God. God already planned that we should do “good works.” And the cost of doing them? Well, when you do a “good work” for someone, it costs you your time. We all know how valuable our own time is, but when we give of “our time” to others, it becomes a “spiritual sacrifice.”
4) We are to offer the sacrifice of SHARING. The writer of Hebrews also said in this passage, “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Heb. 13:16). Even Jesus talked about sharing, “Give and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, and poured into our lap” (Lk. 6:38). We should never “give” in order to “get,” but we give in order to bless others, and God has a way of “repaying” us, not usually in monetary terms, but in so many other more valuable ways. The cost of sharing? Of course, it costs us our personal finances and possessions, and that’s why it is called a “sacrifice.”
5) We are to offer the sacrifice of BROKENNESS. King David knew what it meant to be “broken” after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba was brought to light. He tried to hide it for so long, but when Nathan the Prophet called David on his sin, David repented as his sin was exposed. Conviction came to his soul, and we often call this “being broken.” So here is what David said in one of the most heartfelt and meaningful Psalms in the Old Testament, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Ps. 51:17). In other Psalms, David shares these words, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18), and that God dwells within those who are “…contrite and lowly of spirit” (Ps. 57:15). I once heard someone say, “God can never use a person until he/she is first broken.” To be broken is to experience the conviction of our sin and “coming clean” before God. So, let me ask you, “Is that costly?” Of course it is, because it calls for each of us to relinquish our pride and humble ourselves before God.
Well, there they are – 5 “spiritual sacrifices” that every “priest of the New Covenant” should be offering to God. Take a minute and review them, and make a conscious decision now before God to make them a vital part of your life and your worship. And, by God’s grace and strength, you will become a true New Covenant priest who worships God by offering daily “spiritual sacrifices” in His Name. God bless you.
