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. John 3:16
Sacrifice is the act of giving up something valuable to you to help someone. It involves giving up something, not for your pleasure but for the sake of others. God, in His bid to reconcile man to Himself, sacrificed His only son to be able to bridge the gap and deliver man from the strong hold of sin (John 3:16). No matter what you sacrifice today—your time, money, or resources—it is not comparable to the sacrifice God has already made on your behalf.
Even Abraham was reluctant in presenting his son Isaac as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:1-12). The most important sacrifice that God requires of you is keeping your body holy (Romans 12:1). The gain of sacrifice is unending, though it might be painful (Psalm 126:5-6). For your sacrifice to be acceptable, you need to release yourself unto God (2 Corinthians 8:1-5), give with love (1 Kings 3:3), give willingly (Genesis 22:9-10), give as an act of worship (Genesis 22:5), and finally, give with expectation (Hebrews 11:17-18).
Some blessings are attached to sacrificing to God, such as:
- provoking God to action (Genesis 9:1-3);
- it can also remind God of His promise (Genesis 8:20-22, Genesis 9:1),
- lastly, it can invoke God’s divine visitation (1 Kings 3:4-5).
