Sabbath: Sacrifice
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 3:9–21; Exod. 12:21–27; Lev. 2:1–3; Gen. 22:1–19; Lev. 17:10-11; Phil. 4:18.
Memory Text: “I urge you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship”(Romans 12:1, NASB).
Central to the entire gospel is the concept of sacrifice. In the biblical languages, the words for“sacrifice” often depict the idea of drawing near, and of bringing something to God. The basic meaning of the Hebrew for offeringor sacrifice describes the act of approaching, the act of bringing something into the presence of God. The Greek equivalent means “gift” and describes the presentation of a sacrifice.
Similarly, the English word offering comes from the Latin offerre, the presentation of a gift. The word sacrifice is a combination of the Latin sacer(holy) and facere (make) and refers to the act of making something sacred.
This week we will look at some of the sacrifices that believers have offered to God. We will discover that God has always been calling for sacrifices, and He is still doing so today.
Of course, and most important, God provided the ultimate sacrifice, that of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 19.
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I think one of the ways of presenting our bodies as living sacrifises is by doing what the BIBLE tels us to do! Doing HIS words! Ofwhich it is by preventing bad inputs, like beer e.t.c, which disturbs our mindset!
Lesson 2 "Heaven on earth" showed us the desire and eagerness of God to dwell among us. To make this dwelling complete and possible, God needs a response from us and that is to offer our bodies a living sacrifice. To offer our bodies a living sacrifice to me means a complete surrender to God.It's true that works cannot save us but it's not true that we have nothing to do for our salvation and just wait for God to translate us in the second coming. There is one thing we should do for our salvation and that one thing and only one thing is the complete surrender of our life to God.
It seems to me that complete surrender results in complete obedience. And Christ gave us a job to do when He went back to heaven: We are to share the good news of salvation with every creature, and that probably includes our neighbors.
Hello my sister! what you say is very relevant, but it should be added that the best way to evangelize our neighbors is to lead a life of Christ, to preach by our way of life.
We need to take care of our bodies (temple for God to dwell in us) and do things morally and spiritually acceptable to God to show him that we love him and want him to dwell within/with us.
Presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice means, making sure that our bodies are well. By making sure that we eat proper food, staying away from adultery and formication, not allowing abusive language coming from us etc.
I am sure that looking after your body and keeping away from the other sins you mention is important, However I know many people who live healthily, stay married to one spouse, and don't use abusive language, but they have no interest in Christianity. Perhaps we can explore the idea of a "living sacrifice" a little more closely. Here is an idea: How many of us would be willing to give up our salvation so that others could be saved? That is what Jesus was willing to do. Does our interest in the salvation of others go that far?
Maurice,
May I support your statement which is absolutely pointing in the right direction.
Romans 5:
6 ¶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Just perhaps one might think to go beyond the temporal and give up his/her salvation for a son/daughter or other close family member. Yet would it even enter the thought to do this for an enemy, or simply one who is not liked or just not known well? Moses came close to the ideal of godliness and godlikeness when he was willing to be blotted out from God's book (Exodus 32:32). If he could not help others to be saved, some of whom were against him, he would prefer to die the eternal death with them. It is no wonder Jehovah resurrected him early. Someone said "God missed him." What a thought!
Thank you Hugh. That is exactly right. We need to understand that the sacrifice that Jesus and Moses were willing to make, was not just about inconvenience and suffering. It was about a willingness to do without eternal life for the sake of the salvation of others.
There are a couple of other passages that bring this out as well. I hope that some more of our respondents will add those to the study.
Maurice,
I would rather say that Jesus gave up His freedom and
rightful privileges(Phillipians 2:6) to save us. Jesus needed no salvation. Thus it could not have been salvation that He gave up.
The apostle Paul does not leave us in doubt on how we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice: Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God. What things in this world challenge our relationship with God? It's a living sacrifice when you have to turn down the offer of a lucrative job because you must work on Sabbath. It is a living sacrifice when you can't take advantage of good educational programs for your children, simply because they are only available on Saturdays. It's a living sacrifice when your co-workers invite you to a social event at a night club; you want to socialize with them, but you can't. It's a living sacrifice when your income is inadequate and you have to prioritize your tithe/offerings. Indeed, any time we practice self denial to honor God, it is a living sacrifice. But, it is a REASONABLE service to God.
I think one way of presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice is putting our efforts and resources in winning souls.
Growing up in the SDA church, I have many times heard this in conjunction with health. While that has a valid point, it misses a crucial point, time (and not just referring to the Sabbath). I believe this is the stepping stone to other sacrifices we may come to want to make. Time is a sacrifice we can make on a minute by minute moment.
Presenting our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice is by accepting the death of self and allow the holy spirit to live and dwell in us. Through this we allow the will of christ to take control of our lives.
I believe that giving our bodies as living sacrifices is exactely what Christ told Nicodemus when he said to Christ how can these thing be? Now the Son of Man must be lifted up as the serpent in the wilderness, that who so ever believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. ...He who believes in Christ is not condemed...Now he who does the truth comes to light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, they have been done in God. John 3:9,13,14,15,18,21.
This is a living sacrafice
This is doing the will of The Father.
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i have a question; what is God's intention for sacrifice; is it to just forgive or to teach the impact of sin is our lives????
Sometimes we don't want to give up things for God, like a football game. Then, while we do those things, we don't realize that we are dishonoring God, who gave us the power to choose. I think we should ask God for help to give up the activities we do that dishonor Him and do what he wants us to do on the Sabbath. Your sister in Christ, Shelomi! 🙂 (p.s I hope you are inspired!)
Paul said what a wretched man am I who shall deliver me from this body of death? Everything else we can do will not help us to be saved.Let's give ourselves for God's service that's what Paul did
Cephas,
I do believe that the lesson we get from God about sacrifice is to show us how offensive sin is and that we can not save ourselves only God, the creator can. When you look at Mt Moriah scenario, Abraham was stayed from offering his son as a sacrifice, God provided, meaning something that comes from us can not cleanse us from our sins only the blood of the Son of God.
Not only that,Abraham went through a terrible time of soul searching, mental torture to have his only son given up for sacrifice. This is exactly what God went through when He had to give up His Son to redeem fallen man. This is how terrible sin is.
This should be a lesson to each one of us that should engross our mind.
I'm so happy and really inspired here, may God bless, expand and increases You all knowledge, in Jesus Name, Amen!
I would think that sacrifices is giving in all. most desired for the work of GOD. This means loosing self and think only of GOD before any thing else.