The Bible has much to say about sacrifices. Animal sacrifices were practiced throughout the Old Testament. The sacrifice of Jesus is part of the foundation of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We are told to sacrifice our lives for Him: “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service” (Romans 12:1). Let us consider what the Bible has to say about the sacrifices we are to make.
Useless Sacrifices
Not all sacrifices are good and acceptable to God. It is important to know what sorts of sacrifices are meaningless in our service to Him.
Sacrifices which cost us nothing – Many in the religious world are currently observing Lent. This is a time when they give up something in the name of religion for a certain period of time (Ash Wednesday to Easter). Because this is a well-known practice, some make jokes about it. When asked what they plan to give up for Lent, some joke by saying they will give up something that they do not have anything to do with anyway (for example, they say they will give up coffee when they do not even drink coffee). Ironically, this is the type of religion that many people want. They want a religion where they do not have to give up anything that is important to them.
However, David was one who realized that sacrifices to the Lord must be just that – sacrifices. After his sin resulted in the Lord sending a plague upon the people, David went to a man named Araunah to pay for his field and oxen to make a burnt offering. Araunah offered to give these things to the king so he could then make the offering. David replied, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). David could have made this offering without paying for it, but then there would have been no real sacrifice. Sometimes we must sacrifice things that are not easy or convenient to give up. Sacrifices which cost us nothing are meaningless.
Sacrifices that come from self-made religion – In the previous point I mentioned Lent, the practice in which people give up something for a time in the name of religion. But where did the idea for Lent originate? It did not come from the Bible, but rather from the minds of men. In fact, the Bible speaks contrary to the practice of Lent. Notice what Paul wrote to the Colossians: “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourselves to decrees, such as, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’ (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence” (Colossians 2:20-23).
Paul was telling these brethren not to submit to the teachings of men that say you should withhold certain things from the body. He was not specifically talking about Lent because it was not being practiced at that time. But the principle certainly applies. For Lent, people are taught to refrain from certain things in the name of religion. It may have the “appearance of wisdom,” but it is not God’s wisdom.
What good does it do to submit to man’s instructions and practice Lent? None. The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday. What is the day before that? It is sometimes called Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. When we think of Mardi Gras we think of the drunken orgy that goes on in the streets of New Orleans every year. Sure, sacrificing something for Lent may seem like a good idea, but look what it turns into – excess and indulgence leading up to the period of sacrifice and penance. It is no wonder why Paul said these sacrifices were “of no value against fleshly indulgence” (Colossians 2:23). What do people give up anyway? Sinful things? If so, they need to give these up anyway for good, not just for the period of Lent. If not, then what is the point? This type of thing is called “self-made religion” or “will worship” (KJV). It is according to the will of man. Jesus had something to say about serving God according to the will of man: “But in vain do they worship Me, teachings as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9).
Necessary Sacrifices
As we think of the need to make sacrifices, it would not do any good to point out the useless sacrifices without going on and showing the sacrifices that we are to make in our service to God.
Give up sin – When we are baptized, we have our sins washed away (Acts 22:16). In baptism “our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6). A few verses later, Paul said, “Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it (Romans 6:2)?
God’s desire for us is that we do not sin. Some think it is crazy to think about the possibility of living without sin; but Jesus said, “You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). We are to be like God. This means without sin since “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). John told those to whom he wrote, “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1). What was the goal? The goal was that they not sin. Of course, if we do sin “we have an Advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1) and can be forgiven; but we must seek forgiveness. If we have sin in our life, we should not hold on to it like it does not matter. Sin can cause a Christian to be lost (Hebrews 10:26-29). If we want to follow Jesus, we must sacrifice sin.
Give up that which causes our brother to stumble – Some things may not be sinful in themselves, but should be given up anyway. We need to be careful not to cause a brother to stumble. Paul discussed this in relation to eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. He and others knew that idols were not real and that they were “nothing in the world” (1 Corinthians 8:4). “However, not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled” (1 Corinthians 8:7). Evidently, some in Corinth were so used to the idolatrous sacrifices that they could not disassociate in their minds the meat from the worship of the idol. Paul said these idols were nothing. But some who grew up in this culture were used to thinking these idols were something and could not in good conscience eat the meat they connected with idol worship.
So Paul told the brethren, “Take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9). Notice he called this a liberty. There was nothing wrong with eating this meat by itself. But if by exercising a liberty we cause our brother to stumble, we sin against the brethren and against Christ (1 Corinthians 8:12). What does it mean to cause him to stumble? It means that our actions encourage him to do that which he believes is wrong and thus bring him to ruin (1 Corinthians 8:10-11). So Paul concluded, “Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:13). There is nothing wrong with exercising our liberties; but if there is something that will cause a brother to stumble, we must be willing to give it up while our brother is weak.
Give up that which distracts us from serving God – Jesus told a parable about a man sowing seed (Luke 8:5-8). A little later He explained the parable to His disciples (Luke 8:11-15). One of the soils in the parable in which some seed was sown had thorns growing in it. In speaking of the seed that fell here, He said, “The thorns grew up with it and choked it out” (Luke 8:7). He later explained the meaning of this soil: “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8:14).
This represents some who initially hear and receive the word of God – the seed begins to grow – but before long the things of this world choke out the word. They are too busy, too stressed, or having too much fun to worry about serving God. Some things that can distract us are not necessarily sinful in themselves, but we need to take a close look at our lives and see if there is anything that distracts us from serving God – even if it is a liberty – and give that up. The Hebrew writer said, “Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Obviously we must lay aside sin; but in addition to that, we must lay aside anything that might hold us back or bring us down and keep us from doing what we ought to do. Is there something in your life that hinders you from serving God? If so, give it up, lay it aside, and run the race before you.
