Sacrifice – Our Loving Grace
They say that “Love is Sacrifice” . Allow me to share a truth of one of the most loving, sacrificial acts anyone could ever do. Many people teach that Christ’s greatest act of sacrifice was when he gave his life on the cross of Calvary for you and I. I would like to present to you another account of an equal, if not greater, sacrifice prior to His death on the cross. Christ resided in His rightful place in the Glory of Heaven having a oneness with His Father and the Holy Spirit. There was ultimate unity within the Triune God-Head: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As God was searching the hallways of Heaven for a perfect sacrificial lamb so that mankind could receive reconciliation with the Lord God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, stepped forward and said, “Father, send me.” Jesus Christ loved us so much that He offered Himself as a sacrifice long before ever dying on the cross. He gave up all of His wealth and comfort of the glorious heavens to come to this earth as a poor son of a carpenter.
Christ’s birth is none other than one of the most humble to be had. He was born in a lowly manger with no appropriate bedding for his mother or a place to lay her newborn child other than the feeding trough for the animals. His childhood was filled with hard work in a family where wealthy extravagance was nonexistent. They worked for everything they had, and that was not much. From the recorded childhood accounts, we only know that He was raised in a God-fearing family. Both of his earthly parents had received a direct instruction from the Holy Spirit and they followed those instructions. We also see from the record that He was already prepared to perform the will of God the Father at the young age of 12. At 30 years of age, Jesus began his earthly ministry and began to build His church. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf, and restored limbs to the lame. All of the miracles of Christ during his earthly ministry are well documented throughout the gospels. Yet, one of the most important and lasting miracles was when Jesus Christ provided the ultimate loving act by giving Himself as the sacrificial Lamb of God. See John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (and) John 3:16-17 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
With this one act, all sins; past, present and future of all mankind were reconciled for those choosing to accept His free gift of salvation. He states in the scripture: John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
While Christ offers this freely as a gift, it is up to you to accept the gift. No gift given, is truly a gift, until it is received. You have the ability to receive this gift of love right where you are. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:9,10, 13 (9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
May God receive All Glory and All Praise!
Sherry Cozart