If you miss the sacrifice, you will miss your life's calling.
~ Beth Moore
In other words, if you don't take the opportunity to make a sacrifice to God, to sacrifice so that it really costs you something, you may have a good life, even a godly life, but you will miss your true life's calling. Every day is a decision between sacrifice and selfishness.
Therefore I urge you, dear brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.
~ Paul, in his letter to the Romans
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Becky, what is sacrifice? I guess what I am saying is that each of us might see sacrifice differently and how do we know if the sacrifice we offer is what God is looking for and pleasing in His eyes?
ReplyDeleteIs is similar to the widow's offering - so small but meaning so much because she had so little to her name?
Sacrifice has always puzzled me because some give up their lives and some give up their children and some give up their wealth and some give up everything. And, how often should sacrifice be given - daily, weekly or once in a lifetime but consistently.
Not trying to be argumentative in the least. Just wonderful what take you have on this thought. And - if it was taken in the literal sense, "...offering your bodies as living sacrifices..." might include suicide or self inflicted wounds.
Being a living sacrifice means giving up what I want for what God wants. I've been studying ancient Babylon, where the theme was "I am, and there is no one besides me." In other words, "It's all about me." We are living in a culture with the same theme - not referring only to America, but to all modern westernized cultures.
ReplyDeleteBeing a living sacrifice means that I recognize that life on earth is not all about me, but all about God. It means denying myself if I know that what I want is in conflict with what God wants. It could mean saying no to a career opportunity that I want. It could mean living somewhere that isn't my dream. It could mean giving so that it pinches me, not just giving out of my excess. It could mean giving up my plans or my wants or my convenience in lieu of someone else's. How do I know if it's a sacrifice? Mostly, that's between God and I. Not meaning, that I'm refusing to tell you, but that's how I know. The more I know God, the more I can tell. I cannot determine for someone else what their sacrifice is, and they can't determine mine.
Am I doing it? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. But, I am determined to keep studying and keep striving. As a lot of pastors like to say, "The problem with a living sacrifice is it keeps climbing down off the (figurative)alter."
It is like the widow's mite. It is not literally sacrificing your body; it is a spiritual thing. The last required literal sacrifice was Jesus on the cross. Anyone who uses this verse otherwise is not interpreting it correctly. If you read the next verse, so this verse is in context, you can see that it does not pertain to killing or mutilation. A person who has committed suicide can not go on to do the things urged in verse 2. And, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit - suicide and self-mutilation is destroying the temple.
Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, perfect, and pleasing will.
(Romans 12:1,2)
Here's another version: So, brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
Beth Moore's point is that we miss out on the blessing of a fulfilling life if we choose to avoid making the sacrifice(s). We can still be God-followers, but miss out on an amazing life because we'd don't want to be stretched or uncomfortable.
A word of caution: anyone can prove anything from the Bible if they take one verse out of context. Scripture must be studied in its context. What do the surrounding verses say? Who was the writer addressing? And...what someone is proving must be found true in light of the rest of scripture. If you find one verse that contradicts many other verses, it's time to study it more closely to see if what you are understanding it to say is what was intended by the writer.
Didn't intend for this to be so long, but hey, it's my blog!
Yes, it is your blog and your answer was very insightful and informative.☺
ReplyDeleteWhat bothers me is that mankind is interpreting what God said. And, men are flawed. Through translation after translation the Bible has been changed and distorted. Yes, I rely on the belief that the Bible is God-inspired; however, with all of the various translations how in the world do we know which one is close to the original intent?
Man is vain and when man tinkers with something that was once perfect, mistakes happen. Given that, it is so difficult for man to admit a mistake or take correction (on the whole).
The Bible translated literally in the ancient language of the time has a wholly different flavor than what we are exposed to today. So, how do we know? How do we know that what we think is what was intended and that what we are reading isn't a watered down version of the Almighty thought or an embellished version of the same?
I realize that we must trust; however, given the fact that there are so many different variations of the Word and each person believes that he or she is following "the one" how do we do what we do without totally feeling like confused bugs running in circles?
I don't trust what man interprets because each man that says he is interpreting correctly has an ulterior motive - he wants to be viewed as right.
The Muslims, the Jews, the Catholics, the Protestants, the Lutherans - all say that they are correct in their interpretation of the Bible. How can we sit in a pew or a Bible study class and know that what we are listening to isn't twisted (even a little) by someone else's thinking or for that matter but what we want to think or hear?
About translations...
ReplyDeleteI'm a little rusty on this - you could look all this up by googling Bible translation - but I'll do my best.
The original Hebrew and Greek language is constructed differently than English. Like Latin, the placement of the nouns and verbs is different from English. In addition, there are words in the original language that don't have exact equivalents in English and vice versa. Therefore, it is not possible to make an exact word for word translation that makes sense.
Personally, I prefer translations that were done by groups of scholars of different religious bents - it may work better at eliminating any biases. But, I think translation is mostly a matter of personal preference. I think King James has beautiful language, but I find it harder to read, and definitely not as kid-friendly as the New International Version or the New Century Version (both quoted in my previous comment).
Paraphrases are a bit different. They have extra words added for explanation and are intended to be more easily understood. They are less literal than other translations. Paraphrases are usually labeled as such. The Living Bible and The Message are both paraphrases. The Message is interesting to read as it is written in American vernacular. It's easier to understand, but less useful for in-depth study.
Most people I know have their favorite translation, but having read from several different ones, they are mostly the same. No, the words are not exactly the same, but the major message points are. God's basic message to mankind is the same regardless of the translation, so choose the translation you enjoy the most and are the most likely to keep reading. My suggestion would be the New Century Version.
I don't remember the numbers to quote, but I was reading earlier this year about how the Bible was translated and how many original manuscripts were found, and how close they were in what they said. The number was amazing. You could probably find some good info on the web.
I may add more later - I have to get kids to bed.
I sincerely believe that God has preserved the meaning of scripture through the ages. And as I said, I really don't think the translations differ all that much on the big stuff.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know if what you're hearing about the Bible is true? You have to read the Bible yourself, and you have to take your brain to church.
A great verse is Acts 17:11 "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." The Bereans didn't accept anything they were taught until they checked it out for themselves.
It takes time and effort. This has been my experience over many years: At first, reading the Bible is like reading a history text, with some philosophy thrown in. You are reading to get the overall story of it all. Over time, you start to notice certain themes repeated in different sections of the Bible. The more you read and re-read, the more you start to notice and remember. Then, when you are hearing someone speak or teach, you start to question if what they are saying lines up with what you already know. If it doesn't, you are prodded to dig deeper and read again. Sometimes you change your belief; sometimes you don't. And sometimes you still don't know. God is a God of Mysteries - some He reveals to us, but some He doesn't.
The bottom line is you won't know if what you're told is truth if you don't check it out for yourself. You pray for understanding and you start reading. And really, the Big Message of God does not change depending on the doctrine of the particular church you choose. The incidentals may, but not the Big Message.
For instance, the Lutherans and the United Brethren have different practices for communion. I understand what each bases their communion doctrine on; neither violates scripture, they just see it different ways. But, both denominations agree on the Big Message - Jesus, part of the Godhood, came to earth to pay the sin debt for mankind, and anyone who seeks his forgiveness and accepts him as Lord will be with him for eternity rather than spend eternity in separation from God.
Those most at risk of buying into the twisted truth are those who don't check it out for themselves. For example, I like Oprah - she has a great TV personality - but she has bought into some pretty twisted truth in the past few years. And folks who don't check it out are buying into it too.
Besides, the alternative doesn't make sense to me. Should I say I'm a God-follower, but refuse to read the Bible because I might not have every detail 100% correct? Will my understanding of God grow and be more correct if I refuse to try? I think it makes more sense to read and study and listen and pray and wrestle with it. This week I'm completing a 12 week study that has stretched my brain, has made me see some things more clearly, and has left me with more unanswered questions than I started with. Even so, I'm sad to see it end.
I agree that to say you are a "God Follower" and not to have read, or believe, the Word of God is silly to say the very least. Not sure about some of the "out there" philosophy that is popping up.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that folks are looking for some comfort but want to make that comfort fit into a mold that is to their liking. In turn, lots of different recipes for the same "dish" begin to explode onto the airwaves and in print.
I love to cook and I am a good cook. When I cook I use pure ingredients not look-alikes. I use butter and not oleo. I use sugar and not a substitute. I use vanilla and not an imitation. The result for me is a dish that is full bodied, full flavored and delicious. Something that I am proud to share with others. In turn, if I changed the recipe to include all "altered" ingredients, I'm not sure what I would end up with but it certainly wouldn't resemble the original and not have the same texture.
To follow a make-up-as-you-go-and-fell-comfy-with religion or ideation is exactly what you get as if you used all substituted ingredients. The Bible is the ONLY recipe and shouldn't be changed; however, mankind seeks to change it to their liking and that is a sad, sad shame.
I like your analogy, and I'll even add to it.
ReplyDeleteThe make-it-up beliefs happen because some folks don't read the recipe. They see the picture of the recipe (comfort, spirituality, relationship with God), and don't want to take the time to actually read the recipe (the Bible). Instead, they start using whatever ingredients they think are in the recipe. And, of course, it doesn't turn out right, because God has some unexpected ingredients (forgiveness, suffering).
However, I think our greater problem is not reading the recipe as opposed to changing the recipe. And I won't know if someone is trying to make substitutions in the recipe if I don't read it myself.
And the amazing thing about reading this recipe is, I learned something new the first time I read it, and I keep learning new things as I re-read it as well.
I often find that people change things for a few reasons: to make it easier, because they don't have all ingredients and are too lazy to go out and get them or are in a hurry. Sometimes the recipe is changed to be more in compliance with a particular diet. The person still wants to eat chocolate cake but his or her medical condition does not allow it at a meal.
ReplyDeleteSo, the tinkering starts and often what is presented in the end doesn't remotely have the appearance or full flavor of the original or - it looks like the original but is void of flavor and substance.
See, we agree - I think☺
Absolutely, I agree that the original recipe is best. Are you up for reading the original recipe with me? How about reading through the Gospel of Luke? It's been a while since I read it, and it's where the traditional Christmas story comes from, so it's just in time for the holidays.
ReplyDeleteMark Driscoll started a series on Luke a month or so ago. The first sermon talks about who Luke was, so you can get a little background on the author and his authenticity. I'll email it to you. Mark is a little rough around the edges, but very easy to listen to and very in depth in his study.
Interesting that you brought up trying to wrap your head around the idea of the Trinity. The best I could ever come up with (in human terms) is that I am a mother and sister and aunt and cousin - yet I am the same person.
ReplyDeleteMy simple mind can accept that concept☺
I will not give up on listening to the pastor because I like the way he talks - very relaxed and I like the mental pictures he paints in my head with his explanations. And, of course, I adore history and he sure knows his history.
Happy to see that you could get into my blog! WOO-HOO, we are on the way!
Here's another analogy - this one courtesy of Mike Warnke, Christian comedian.
ReplyDeleteIt's as simple as cherry pie. A good southern cherry pie has a gooey filling that all runs together. From the outside, you can cut the pie into three pieces (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), but the filling (God essence) all runs together. Three separate pieces (persons), but all the same pie (Godhood).
Well, you would have to bring food into it, wouldn't you?☺ Sadly, I'll stick with my idea because otherwise, heck, the Trinity would be in my belly - I ♥ cherry pie!
ReplyDelete