Success equals Sacrifice
/If a goal of every Christian is to become like Jesus, there is one area which was central to His life which you cannot ignore: sacrifice.
Yesterday at LGC, Richard Kinning reminded us that Jesus not only offered His life as the ultimate sacrifice, He lived His life as a sacrifice, offering Himself to God and to serve others. This is why the Apostle Paul could urge us to do the same:
‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.’ (Romans 12:1)
This principle of sacrifice is central to the story of God and humanity. Throughout scripture the Holy Spirit prepared the world for the culmination of His plans at Calvary: judgment on the innocent to provide for the guilty. We saw it first in the covering provided for guilty Adan and Eve.
God also demonstrated it in the story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham may have struggled to understand it, but he knew that whatever happened, whatever God asked him to do, he could trust God. His faith would not stop at the death of Isaac. It went beyond that, to believing God would raise him from the dead. (Hebrews 11:9). Because He who promised is ALWAYS faithful.
Sacrifice is a core component of the Christian life: the principle that I do things which cost me but do not benefit me, but rather benefits others. To see this in its absolute beauty, look at Calvary. Modelling this, as stated in the verse above from Romans, is what breeds success in the Kingdom. This is what sacrifice is in the Kingdom of God and it is instilled in every disciple of Jesus.
But the wonder of God’s Kingdom principles is that whatever sacrifice we make, it is always worth it ‘in view of Gods mercy’, and we NEVER loose out! The joy and success we reap ALWAYS overshadows the cost.