(Rom 12:1 KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
Whenever we read this verse, what comes to mind? Is it fear that if you totally obey
God, He will send you to a remote area of the world and you will have to live in a grass
hut? The truth is that the above verse is a command from God that we are to be a sacrifice
for the Kingdom of God. Does this always mean a sacrifice unto death? Not always, but the
possibility is always there. The essence of this verse is preparation for service to the
Lord. Notice the term, "living sacrifice." That term does not denote a
"once a week" attendance at church. It means that as long as God gives us
breath, we are to be his walking sacrifices. To gain a better understanding of this, it
behooves us to look at a verse which gives a good understanding of what the sacrificial
mindset is.
(2 Cor 12:15 KJV) And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you;
though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
We can all agree that the Apostle Paul was a great example of a person who lived a
sacrificial life. The above verse is probably his life text. Let us look at the three bold
phrases in this verse to glean some insight on the subject of willful sacrificial living.
"Spend" - It is a future tense verb which may also be translated "will
spend." Here Paul is saying that he will expend or consume his energy for the
Corinthian church.
"Be Spent" - This is also a future tense verb which may be translated
"will be utterly spent." Paul was willing to give of his utmost for the sake of
the Gospel and these Corinthian Christians. Here Paul literally states that he is willing
to give his all, which is a true sacrificial mindset.
"The less I be loved" - Here, Paul is stating that as the spiritual father of
the church, he is willing to give his all for the church. As usual, those who give the
most always seem to reap the least rewards in the area of appreciation. I would also like
to offer a secondary meaning to this phrase. Paul is giving so much love to the
Corinthians that he has placed himself second in terms of concern. Any person who is
willing to be utterly spent for the Lord, is a person who has placed their own creature
comforts on the back burner.
As we continue on in our study, I wish to extract the main principles of living a
sacrificial life from the book in the Old Testament which deals copiously with sacrifices,
and that is Leviticus. We are going to look at Leviticus. The name "Leviticus"
is actually a Latin word which means "of the Levites." Let us look at the
passage of Leviticus 1:1-9, where we will glean twelve principles on living a sacrificial
life.
(Lev 1:1-9 KJV) And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the
tabernacle of the congregation, saying, {2} Speak unto the children of Israel, and say
unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering
of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. {3} If his offering be a burnt
sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own
voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. {4} And
he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for
him to make atonement for him. {5} And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the
priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the
altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. {6} And he shall flay the
burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. {7} And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put
fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: {8} And the priests, Aaron's
sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the
fire which is upon the altar: {9} But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and
the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire,
of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
I believe in these nine verses, we are going to glean some excellent principles on how
to live a sacrificial life. You will see that living a sacrificial life does not
necessarily mean you will have to sell your house and live in a hut in some remote region
of the world.
Vs 1 - Out Of The Tabernacle
(Lev 1:1 KJV) And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the
tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
It is interesting to note that this discourse begins in the tabernacle. It was in the
tabernacle where God met with His people to give them instruction. This is akin to the
local church. Whenever Christians need instruction, they will normally begin to find it in
the local church, where God ordains Elders and Pastors for the task of guiding and
instructing the people. We see God spoke to Moses, and then Moses conveyed the information
to the Priests. The same situation is in the local church as the leaders study the Bible,
and then convey teachings to the people. God has kept this order since the time of Moses,
and it will continue until the last day. Now let us look at the principles of sacrifice.
Vs 2 - A Sacrificial Life Is Spent Among Believers
(Lev 1:2 KJV) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you
bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle,even
of the herd, and of the flock.
There is no such thing as a Christian hermit. A sacrificial life is one that is invested
in furthering the cause of Christ. Those who live a sacrificial life will always come from
the body of believers. The Bible even calls the body of believers a flock. (Zec 9:16
KJV) And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for
they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. For one
to learn about living a sacrificial life, is not only to read about it, but to see those
who are living that life to the glory of God. The place where you see those examples are
in the flock of God. This is why it is so important to have a few, not just one,
missions-emphasis Sundays in your local church. Do you remember the last few words of the
Book of Jonah? (Jonah 4:11 KJV) And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city,
wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right
hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
When Jonah went to Nineveh to preach the Gospel to them, did he go to preach to the
cattle also? The answer is yes! NO, he didn’t go to the stockyards and say
"moo!" to the real cows. This verse has a great spiritual meaning. Lev. 1:2
states that the offering will be from the cattle. God was telling Jonah that because of
the repentance of Nineveh, he spared that city along with much cattle. The cattle
represents the believers, and it was for them that God spared the city of Nineveh. It was
a picture of John 3:16. (John 3:16 KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. Here God is stating that He loved the world. God loved His Elect in the world,
and that is why He did not destroy it. Instead, He sent His Son to die for the
Elect, and this is why the world cannot be destroyed until the last of the Elect are
saved. So these verses give us insight that the believers are to be like cattle, which
were used as sacrifices.
Vs 3 - Without Blemish
(Lev 1:3 KJV) If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without
blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation before the LORD.
The term "without blemish" may also be understood as "entire, integrity,
or completed." A sacrificial life is one that is lived by a matured Christian. One
who is young in the faith may tend to swell with pride upon doing something and expecting
accolades. This is why God commanded Timothy that whenever he set up churches, he was not
to place anyone too young in the faith, or else pride could set in. (1 Tim 3:6 KJV) Not
a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
A mature Christian will realize that if you live a sacrificial life, you will not be
envied by any. In fact, you may even be accused of trying to work your way to Heaven.
Remember, Paul assessed his life among the Corinthian Christians as having diminished love
toward him. This is why a mature Christian can live a sacrificial life. The young
Christian may get discouraged and feel abandoned by God, not understanding what is
happening. This phrase also teaches us that only a true Christian can be a sacrifice. (Eph
5:27 KJV) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Vs 3 - Voluntary Will
(Lev 1:3 KJV) If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male
without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
Living a sacrificial life is also voluntary. There are many Christians who tend to
neglect their spiritual responsibilities. It is easier to write a check and attend church
once a week, than become involved in the work of the Lord on a seven day basis. Another
passage which gives insight into the voluntary sacrificial life is found in Matthew 19. (Mat
19:21-22 KJV) Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast,
and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. {22}
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great
possessions. The rich man was filled with sorrow because in his mind, he thought Jesus
was telling him to give everything he owned to the poor, thus making himself as poor as
them. A rich person can be living a sacrificial life as well as a poor person.
Let us bring this principle into today. Let us say you own a car, a house, a stereo, and
a summer house. Now in this world, we have to live, which means we need money, a car, a
house, and a radio. Is the Lord telling us to sell everything and live on the street? Of
course not! That would make no sense. To sell something means it is no longer in your
possession. This is the principle: Everything that we now have, we are stewards of and not
its owners. Before we were saved, we played rock and roll on the radio, but now we play
Christian music. Before we were saved, our car took us to the nightclub, now it takes us
to church. Do you see the principle? Everything we now have is dedicated to the glory of
God and the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. What about the summer house? You can use it
to house missionaries when they come into town, thus saving the local church money on
hotels. I am sure you get the idea.
Vs 4 - You Need To Be Touched
(Lev 1:4 KJV) And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering;
and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
One of the reasons the priest placed his hand on the head is to identify with the
sacrifice. He did this to identify his own sinfulness with the one making the sacrifice.
In other words, the priest is not placing himself above the person making the sacrifice.
It is a sign of humility on the part of the priest. There is also a principle in this
passage. Whenever we live a sacrificial life, it is important that others touch us. I am
not talking about physical touching, but to be among the people. A person cannot live a
sacrificial life separated from others. As Christians, we can identify with other
Christians and with the camp of unbelievers from where God took us. Jesus was always able
to be touched. No matter how busy He was, or in whatever place He was traveling to, He
always had time for people, even children. Interruption is one of the tenets of the
sacrificial life. Interruption is never abstract, but always ordained of God.
Vs 4 - God Only Recognizes His Children
(Lev 1:4 KJV) And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it
shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
If there is one thing we must be cognizant of, it is the fact that God only recognizes
the sacrificial life of His children. One cannot attempt to live a sacrificial life to
gain the favor or salvation of God. A person can only live a sacrificial life after one
becomes saved. (Prov 21:27 KJV) The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much
more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? This not only speaks of the actual
sacrifice itself, but of the manner in which it is presented. The only sacrifice that God
accepts before salvation is that of His Son. Those in false religions who try to do good
works, believing they are doing God’s work, are deceived. God’s work is only
what is ordained by God Himself.
Vs 5 - The Sacrifice Is Killed
(Lev 1:5 KJV) And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests,
Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar
that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
The sacrifice must be killed before it can be a legitimate sacrifice. This means that if
a person is going to serve God to the utmost, they cannot have a divided mind. There must
be a mortification of sin in the believer's life. (Rom 8:13 KJV) For if ye live after
the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live. A person who is walking in sin cannot be fully dedicated to the work of
the Lord. There has to be total death to sin and self on the part of the believer. (Rom
6:2 KJV) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? You
see, if the priest placed a living sacrifice on the altar, it would squirm to be free and
the priest would not be able to fulfill the sacrifice correctly. If a believer comes to
God only partially dedicated, then what could that believer possibly do beside leave a job
undone at the sight of the very first hindrance. If a person is going to live the
sacrificial life, it is total commitment or nothing.
Vs 6 - The Sacrifice Is Groomed For That Purpose
(Lev 1:6 KJV) And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
A person who lives the sacrificial life will be groomed and prepared for that life. As
we see with the cattle on the altar, the priest flays the offering and cuts it in pieces.
This means that a person who wishes to live a sacrificial life has to be an open book. (Heb
4:13 KJV) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things
are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. God is the one who
will do the grooming on this principle, so I cannot offer any specific ways that God does
this, except that He will groom a person for a specific purpose.
I can give one example of this. A man named William A. Raws lived in England before the
turn of the 20th century. He was a drunk and probably thought to be a lost cause. He came
to America in 1897 when God saved him from drunkenness. A drunk normally does not have
enough money for his next drink, yet God in His mercy allowed William A. Raws to purchase
a tract of land in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to build a place where men could come
apart and under the ministry, could be freed from alcohol’s bondage. Oh, by the way,
the tract of land was 880 acres, and he had only $1.87 to bargain with. William A.
Raws started the Colony of Mercy at America’s
Keswick. But because of all his drinking, he died in 1910, only thirteen years after
founding it. His son, Addison, became Director until 1970, and then his son, Bill Raws
(Pastor Bill), took the reigns until his home going in 2008. The ministry is still here today and is a very vibrant
ministry dedicated to the salvation of souls, and the freeing of people from bondage. Now
when William A. Raws was a drunk, he had no perception what God was grooming him for. When
he became saved, he could have just lived a normal Christian life, but he chose to draw on
his own experiences about the evils of drinking and with God’s strength, to bring others
out of bondage. His ministry and commitment were so intense, it literally aided his
physical demise.
Vs 8-9 - Total Commitment
(Lev 1:8-9 KJV) And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and
the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: {9} But
his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the
altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Whenever a person lives the sacrificial life, it means total commitment and not just a
token obligation. Notice how Aaron carefully lays the parts of the sacrifice on the altar.
Well, those who desire to live a sacrificial life must trust the Lord, and He will place
you on the altar of service. There is no turning back, either you are totally committed to
the Lord’s service or you are not. There is no in-between. Sometimes it seems we can
become more committed to the things of the world than to the Lord’s work. This is why
living a sacrificial life is really a special calling.
Vs 8-9 - Withholds Nothing
(Lev 1:8-9 KJV) And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the
fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: {9} But his
inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar,
to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Not only must a person be totally committed, but within the context of that commitment,
there is a giving of everything a person has. This may mean that everything we own must be
used in the work of the Lord. This not only means the physical, but also of material goods
we may have. Sometimes when we live a sacrificial life, it is only what we have, that may
be available for the job at hand. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, we are just stewards of
the material goods which God loans us while we are on this earth.
Vs 9 - A Sacrifice Is Made Unto God
(Lev 1:9 KJV) But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest
shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet
savour unto the LORD.
Any sacrifice we make is to be done heartily unto the Lord. (Col 3:23 KJV) And
whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Within the context
of living a sacrificial life, we will no doubt be helping people, but the sacrifice is
unto the Lord and not to be seen of men for praise. Sometimes we must do things in which
we get no credit for it. Many times we must do things out of the sight of people, but it
is the Lord God we serve and not an audience. We must live a sacrificial life out of
sincerity or else our works are vain and unacceptable, especially if we want to be seen of
men.
Vs 9 - A Sacrificial Life Is Pleasing Unto The Lord
(Lev 1:9 KJV) But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest
shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a
sweet savour unto the LORD.
A sacrificial life is truly pleasing unto the Lord. (Phil 4:18 KJV) But I have all,
and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from
you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. Every
true believer will want to live a sacrificial life, because the opposite of that is a
self-centered life which does not represent the true Christian walk. Whenever we look
at the Saints of past years who have had the biggest impact on us, we will see a life of
sacrifice behind them.
Final Thoughts
The sacrificial life is not one to be entered into lightly, yet, we as Christians, are
called to this type of life. We are to view this present life as transitory, and to use
all the talents, gifts, and physical means at our disposal to send forth the Gospel. Each
of us cannot do everything, but we can do something. We all have spiritual gifts, and we
all have the ability to make some type of impact on the present world to the glory of God.
(Acts 13:36 KJV) For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of
God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
When ends life's transient dream,
when death's cold sullen stream
shall o'er me roll;
blest Savior, then in love
fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
a ransomed soul.