Sacrificial Living
Here Is My Life
A sacrifice is an offering rendered acceptable to God. To live sacrificially is to offer your entire life to God. Such a sacrifice is acceptable to God only because of Christ’s work in you; He is the final and complete Sacrifice for the atonement of sin (Heb. 7:26, 27).
Micah knew lavish offerings were not acceptable to God (Mic. 6:6–8). David and Isaiah knew acceptability with God was “a contrite heart” (Ps. 51:17; Is. 66:2). Paul described this transaction as “a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). Although you can never match Christ’s sacrificial death — and indeed, are not asked to do so — your self-giving is to be complete and wholehearted. Being a living sacrifice means obeying the greatest commandments: giving God all your love, will, reason, and body (Mark 12:29–31), borne out in practical, daily service to others (Matt. 25:34–40). No expression of love, however costly, matches the price paid by Christ. The forgiven woman poured out expensive, fragrant oil to anoint Jesus’ feet, but her gift also involved the recognition of her past and the risk of disclosure of her sin. Her example of sacrificial giving did not go unnoticed (Luke 7: 36–50).
Taken from The Woman’s Study Bible
““Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”
Matthew 25:34-40
No comments:
Post a Comment