Israel killed sheep and bulls and birds and goats… are new covenant believers required to sacrifice something?
You don’t have to read far in the Bible to see the beginning of sacrifices. After they sinned, God killed an animal instead of Adam and Eve and clothed them in their nakedness. This occurs in Gen. 3. In Genesis 4 Cain and Abel get into a murderous dispute when God accepts one offering but not the other. Noah makes sacrifices when he exits the ark.
By the end of the first 5 books of the Bible, Gensis-Deuteronomy which is sometimes called the Pentateuch, all of the sacrifices are lined out for the people of God. How they are to sacrifice bulls, sheep, goats, birds, grain, oil, wine, spices, etc…
Of course none of this could actually atone for sin. Hebrews 10:4 tells us, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” All of the sacrifices commanded in the Old Testament exist to show us 2 things. First, that our sins deserve death. Second, that no matter how many bulls and goats you kill, it will never be enough.
This is where Jesus comes in, who alone is able to atone for sin. Not by being killed over and over, but by offering himself once for all. Hebrews 10 goes on to say in verse 10 that “…we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Once Jesus offered himself there was no need for sacrifices to continue. God emphatically showed us this when, by his providence, he allowed the sacrifices in the temple to stop with it’s destruction in 70 a.d. Those sacrifices have never been reinstated.
Why hasn’t God allowed those sacrifices to continue? I image it’s because they are no longer needed. The sacrifice of the Son of God on the cross was what all those sacrifices pointed to, and now that Jesus has come and paid for sin there remains no need for daily sacrifices in the temple.
But this brings us to our question, are sacrifices still required today? The answer is yes! But they aren’t the same kind of sacrifices. Let me share a few verses with you, explain one principle, and then make a short list of suggested ways that we can sacrifice today.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
“...you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
The Sacrifice Principle
The principle of sacrifice is cost. The idea of a sacrifice is that it actually cost you something. Throughout the Old Testament, men of God refused to give to God what cost them nothing, and the same should be true for us.
In great contrast, the principle that drives so much of America is convenience. We have convenience stores, fast food, microwaves dinners, DoorDash, and a host of other things to make life as easy as possible. And to be sure, there is nothing wrong with making certain things in life easier! After all, I don’t still chop firewood for heat or wash my clothes by hand in a river.
The problem is that many of us begin to approach the Lord this way. We give him the leftovers of our time for prayer and Bible reading, our left over time for spiritual relationships and conversations, our leftover Sundays after we have planned all our trips for the year.
But God wants your firsts. In fact he demands them. Don’t give God your left over anything, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that if the Devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy!
Suggested Sacrifices
So how can we offer sacrifices to God that are acceptable and pleasing? Let’s look at some suggestions that come from the verses above.
Live Holy Lives- Rom. 12:1. When what you want to do, entertain yourself with, or otherwise pursue in life isn’t according to the sacrifice of Christ, sacrifice your own desires so that you can live a life pleasing to God.
Live Loving Lives- Eph. 5:2. The key here is to love as Jesus loved. How did he love, by giving up himself. How can you give up yourself? Come to church seeking to do something spiritually beneficial to others rather than just seeking what you can get from the church. Give up your preferences on seating location, music style, decor, etc. for the sake of serving others. The essence of love is to seek what is good for someone else rather than yourself. This is easy to understand, hard to do. Sacrifice your time and preferences to live a life that is loving towards others.
Live a Life of Praise- Heb. 13:15. When you sing in the church you minister to others. So show up and sing. Tell others what God has done for you. Sacrifice your words to speak God’s Word and goodness into the lives of others.
Live a Life of Evangelism- Heb. 13:15. Our lips should acknowledge his name more than just in the church, we should speak of his praises to those who don’t know him yet. One of the ways that God receives praise is when we invite unbelievers to become worshipers by sharing the gospel with them and urging them to respond. Sacrifice your pride and comfort to live a life of evangelism.
Live a Life of Generosity- Heb. 13:16. We are called to sacrifice of what we have to do good to others. 2 Cor. 8+9 urges us to be generous towards the church and other believers. Gal. 6 encourages us to do good to all people, especially the household of faith. Give to the church, give to the needy, give to whoever needs what you may have. Give away what you have here on earth to store up for yourself treasures in heaven. Sacrifice your stuff to live a life of generosity.
Live a Life Centered in the Church- 1 Pet. 2:5. We are being built into a temple for God. Why did the temple get destoyed in 70 a.d.? Because doesn’t live there anymore, he is building up all believers into a temple where he dwells. We gather together to offer acceptable sacrifices to God on the merit of Jesus Christ. However, you must be careful not to live your life solely in the church, but merely centered in the church. If all your time is spent in the church you can’t live a life of evangelism or generosity to all people. The church shouldn’t be the whole of your life, but it should be the hub. You shouldn’t live solely in the church, but centered in the church. Sacrifice whatever you have to to live a life centered in the church.
Jesus gave his all, don’t you think he deserves the same?