The Necessity of Sacrifice

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.”
Luke 23:35–37
As the enemies of Jesus were watching Him hang on the cross, they mocked Him, trying to add to His suffering and grief. Yet even in their hatred, they expressed a profound spiritual truth—Jesus Christ could not save both Himself and us. He made the choice, not being forced to the cross but willingly laying down His life as a sacrifice for our sins because of His love for us. There was no other way for salvation to be accomplished than through His sacrifice. It was essential to God’s plan: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Those of us who have benefited from the sacrifice of Jesus and received His grace have an obligation to live in the same manner. We must be willing to give up our rights, comforts, privileges, and possessions when called to do so by God if we are to be followers of Jesus. There is no service without sacrifice.
When David sinned by numbering the people and a great plague came, he wanted to offer a sacrifice to pray for God’s mercy. He was offered the land for his sacrifice for free but declined: “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver” (2 Samuel 24:24).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If we are not willing to make sacrifices, we will never accomplish anything meaningful for God.

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Dare to Believe   CURRENT TV SERIES Angels

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.   --John 3:16 As to day is Halloween, you will undoubtedly see children trick or treating in all manner of costumes.  Many of these costumes will undoubtedly be of "super heroes," men and women possessing supernatural powers.  As Hollywood has recently flooded our theaters with these characters, you may recognize many of them.  But do you know these fictional creations supposed powers pale in comparison to the power of Jesus Christ.  Do you know who Jesus really is? The deity of Christ is constantly assaulted by our society these days. But in the midst of such cultural confusion, we as believers can stand on the biblical truth of who Jesus is… and what He did for us in coming to earth as a man. Yes, He was a man… a perfect, sinless man. But He was also God… a God who loved us so much that He laid His life down so that we might be saved. Take another look at our Scripture verse for today. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Most believers have heard this verse since their days as baby Christians. But it’s my prayer that God would give you a new perspective and fresh insight about just how much He loves you today.   You could say that of all Christ's powers, for example, the ability to heal, rise from the dead, and live eternally, his greatest super power was his eternal love for us.  It is such love that saves us from our sins and allows to live eternally with Him in heaven. If you’ve never accepted the free gift of salvation that God is offering to you, just say these words: Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me of my sins. I accept the gift of grace and sacrifice Jesus Christ came to earth to give me. Thank you, Jesus, for what you did for me on the cross. Amen.  Friend, if you’ve just prayed this prayer and meant it in your heart, I want to welcome you into the family of God! Tell someone today who Jesus really is and what He has done for you!