Redeeming "Sacrifice"

Over time words can take on a meaning which is completely different than their original intent. As culture and society change so does the language. Words evolve and their semantic ranges shift. Most of the time this is a non-issue. However, there are occasions in which a word must be rescued from improper use and returned to its proper meaning. Some words matter too much! Some words so perfectly capture an idea that to allow their meaning to meander is to allow the significance of that idea to be destroyed.

Among Christians there's a word which has radically departed from its original and intended meaning. This word has evolved into something less biblically accurate. Christians are misusing and misapplying this word, and in so doing the word is being stripped of the idea it once perfectly captured. It's time to recover this word and to rescue it from its meandering. So with that, I set out on a potentially dangerous quest: to redeem the word "sacrifice."

It has become customary for Christians to refer to their acts of giving and service as acts of "sacrifice." Out of habit we talk about living in a "sacrificial" manner. But is this a good and biblical use of the word "sacrifice"? The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that it's not. Allow me to make my case.

In the Old Testament God commanded His people to present animal sacrifices. The person would place their hands on the animal, symbolically transferring their sin unto the animal, and the animal would be executed in their place. When we turn to the New Testament we read that Jesus is THE perfect, once-for-all, substitutionary, atoning sacrifice. Jesus is the redeeming sacrifice. And because of Jesus, we no longer have any need to present sacrifices to God. 

Here's my point: God doesn't call us to acts of sacrifice. Jesus took care of that. God does, however, call us to acts of obedience and He calls on us to delight in that obedience. Acts of giving and service are not acts of sacrifice. They are acts of obedience. Obedience is costly, but it's not a sacrifice. Obedience is hard, but it's not a sacrifice. Obedience is not a sacrifice. It's a delight.

The problem is that often when we use the word "sacrifice" in regards to acts of obedience we use it with a negative connotation. The dilemma is that most of the time that we use the word this way we don't so much describe the act of obedience as much as we describe our negative attitude toward that act of obedience. What we're saying is, "I don't want to but I guess I have to." What we're saying is that obedience has crossed over from being something we delight in to something we regard as a burdensome sacrifice. When we use "sacrifice" with this negative sentiment we reveal a heart problem. It's a heart problem because obedience to God is a joy and a delight, not a burdensome sacrifice.

I love my wife Jamie and I should take good care of her. Imagine how she would react if I said to her, "Loving you and taking care of you is such a sacrifice." Doesn't that sound wrong? It sounds wrong because it is wrong. Loving my wife and taking care of her is not a sacrifice. It's a joy and delight. It may come with certain costs to me personally at times, but it's not a sacrifice. 

It's the same with obedience to God. If you love God, then you should delight in being obedient to God. Jesus Himself said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." Given what you've gained, the eternal riches of God's grace through the sacrifice of Jesus, should you not be filled with a desire to be joyfully obedient? Given that you have gained Christ, what possible sacrifice can be asked of you? You have nothing to lose. And when you think about it, the momentary cost associated with obedience shouldn't even be considered a cost. It's an investment. We're going to be rewarded in heaven for our acts of obedience. So how can we refer to obedience as sacrifice?

God loves a cheerful giver. He does not delight in those who give or serve grudgingly, but He is pleased with those who joyfully obey. If you find yourself referring to your acts of obedience as acts of sacrifice, check your heart. Take the time to think about the gospel so that you may get the right perspective. Obedience is a blessing and a privilege. You get to serve Him who served you and gave His life for you. Obedience is not a sacrifice. It's an act of love toward Him who first loved you.

Let's redeem the word "sacrifice" and joyfully obey Him who is our Redeeming Sacrifice. How? By being living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1) who continually offer up sacrifices of praise to God (Heb. 13:15). In other words, let's imitate Jesus and love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Doing so may be difficult and challenging, but it's not a sacrifice. It's our delight.

In awe of Jesus,
Pastor Rick