Destruction of, surrendering of, or willingly losing something to gain something greater, thus is the nature of a sacrifice, it is an offering to Almighty God of something that we cherish. What is your lamb without blemish, what is one of the most prized possessions that you own, and do you still own it. My most personal prized possession on this planet is my adoring wife, nothing stands in comparison to her, but my heart gave her over to Christ many years ago, she is His daughter before she is my wife.
What you believe you own is not yours, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21) It matters not how much you paid for it, how hard you fought. struggled or worked for whatever it is, it does not belong to you. “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) We place incremental holdings on those things that we believe we own; some are so important to some individuals that they cannot comprehend being separated from them, this is more important than that, but this other thing gets put in the back closet or even in a storage unit across town. What would you not sell if the medical bills begin to pile up for your child, what would you grab first if the natural disaster, as the world likes to call them, arrives at your doorstep at two in the morning, what is it that you yourself just can’t live without.
The very last thing that almost every single person who has ever been asked this question thinks of, which has always interested me, is their life. They will speak of the family Bible, their beloved pet, even the photo albums or perhaps grandmother’s dishes, but each time I have brought it up the response is almost always the same, “Oh yeah, my life, me.” We are to “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) This “Oh well, of course me” part of the thinking of most Christians has all but disappeared in our age, they rarely offer Him the best, and many must be reminded of this verse, not just everything you have, but everything you are, every speck of your existence, every conscious moment of your life is to be offered as a living sacrifice to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not just to sing the refrains from “I Surrender All’’, we are to live by them. “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” (1 Tim. 6:7)
It has always surprised me, these intense emotions that people place on things, the fervent desire and the lengths that they will go to attain what they will someday lose, it matters not the name you give to that item, house, car, family, friends, position, power, no matter what “it” is, you are going to lose it someday, the cute little baby will leave this earth a tired old man, and in the same way he came into this world, with absolutely nothing. It is the value that Romans 12:1 speaks of, the importance that we put on these items that we surround ourselves with, one cannot sacrifice what one does not own. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20) It is not only the photo albums, not cars or houses, not even loving spouses, and children that we are to sacrifice, it is our very being.
What we think, how we act and react, how we live our lives, this is the sacrifice that is spoken of by our Lord. The question is, how much do you want to try to keep for yourself. In your heart of hearts, are you truly willing to forsake all, house, family, everything, and everyone if He looks you in the eye and says, “Follow Me.” Do you believe it takes some special mature Christian, someone who has studied the Scriptures for years to be able to do this, or does it just require love. “There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30) You my friends own absolutely nothing, you can of course be good stewards of what you have been blessed with, but if the Master requires you to relinquish those items, you must be willing and prepared to do so. No questions asked, no hesitations.
The world has a peculiar way of looking at these things, they believe that by passing on these items they have accumulated in the world, by placing within their children and grandchildren the values they have lived by that they are accomplishing the main goal of humanity, the continuance of the species in goodness, kindness, and proper morality. They place value on the temporary, and leave the next life up to chance, to the scales of good and bad. Born-again believers realize they own nothing, even their faith is a gift from God, (Eph. 2:8) He who owns everything has promised everything there is to those who love and obey His Son, we are heirs to the kingdom of God Almighty.
Find one thing here that you would not sacrifice for such a promise, think of one item that you would not leave in a moment’s notice for the One who gave all for you. Love and appreciate all the things He has blessed you with, take care of every good gift, for they have all come to you from the Father of Lights, (James 1:17) but don’t be ready at a moment’s notice to relinquish them to Him, do it now. Put no trust in them, keep no tight grip upon them, whether it be those photos or your dear children, it is the Lord God that owns everything. Give them to Him today, give Him your life today, sacrifice all that you are to Him, leave nothing back from the Lord. Surrender all to Christ, and you will gain more than you could ever imagine.
