Spiritual Sacrifices 5

I cannot be held responsible for any mistakes in this article - the final 2 spiritual sacrifices, as I have bad, bad jet lag right now - I am trying to stay awake until bed time...

The Sacrifice Of Doing Good/Sharing—Heb. 13:16. The King James Bible puts this verse like this: But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. The Greek word for “share” is Koinonia, which means: “fellowship,” “community,” “fellowship,” “intimacy,” “having all things in common.” The Lord sees our love for one another, and our sacrificial sharing as worship. If we love and serve our neighbor, then we are worshiping. As with all sacrifices, we have to participate in “Koinonia” with a pure heart.

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

John Wesley's rule

1703–1791

Take care of one another

Be kind

Cover one another with love

The Sacrifice Of Our Bodies—Rom. 12:1. I placed this sacrifice last as it is a culmination of all the other sacrifices. Every sacrifice involved a death of some sort. With the animal sacrifices, the animals were put to death. With these spiritual sacrifices, it is something of the “self-life” that has to die. Our entire person is put “on the line” with this sacrifice. Yet, we are to be a living sacrifice – all of our life, intellect, moral and physical powers must be offered to the Lord as a holy or unblemished sacrifice. We are truly the living dead! This verse describes such a sacrifice as our reasonable worship. In other words, this is good worship—there is nothing more reasonable than the sacrifice of ourselves for the Lord. Now we say with Paul:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Gal. 2:20

Human things must be known to be loved

Divine things must be loved to be known

• Sacrifices were made at a physical altar – now the altar is everywhere in our hearts

• Sacrifices were made of other bodies (animals) – now it is our bodies

• Sacrifices were dead – we come as living sacrifices

• Sacrifices (animals) did not offer themselves freely –we, like Christ must come as a willing sacrifice. We offer ourselves.

7 Spiritual Sacrifices Part 1: HERE