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Offer proper sacrifices, and trust in the LORD.
??“ Psalms 4:5 (NLT)
Under the Old Covenant animal sacrifices were
required to make a symbolic payment for sin as well as
for a number of other reasons. Under the New Covenant we
learn that Jesus Christ has made the ultimate sacrifice
for our sins, making all other sacrifices of appeasement
unnecessary.
But there is
another type of sacrifice entirely that God does expect
from us. It is the sacrifice of self on His behalf, as
well as on behalf of our fellow man. This concept of
sacrifice is becoming less and less common in our
culture. Most of us are much more focused on gaining
more for ourselves than we are on giving up for someone
else. Paul writes: ???I
plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a
living and holy sacrifice??”the kind he will accept???
(Romans 12:1).
It would appear that rather than bulls and goats,
God wants us to sacrifice our entire being to Him. When
we commit ourselves to Jesus as Lord, we are committing
our whole selves to Him, mind, body, and soul. The only
appropriate sacrifice for God is one that doesn??™t hold
back in any area.
Reflection Questions:
1)
Is there any part of you that you??™ve been unwilling to
turn over to God? What??™s holding you back?
2)
When you sacrifice to God, what does He do in return?
Does He bless you or curse you?
3)
How can you begin to give more of yourself today?
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