This Is Sacrificial Love
This Is Sacrificial Love
Lord, why did you need to sacrifice your Son on the cross?
I did what the law could not do. I sent my own Son in a body like the bodies you sinners have. And in that body I declared an end to sin’s control over you. This is real love—not that you loved me, but that I loved you and sent my Son as a sacrifice to take away your sins. He personally carried your sins in his own body on the cross so that you can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
Romans 8:3; 1 John 4:10; 1 Peter 2:24
What kinds of sacrifices do you ask me to make?
Give your bodies to me because of all I have done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ, who loved you and offered himself as a sacrifice for you.
Romans 12:1; Ephesians 5:2
How can I pray for a sacrificial heart?
Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Above all, may I live as a citizen of heaven, conducting myself in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to you.
Psalm 143:8; Philippians 1:27; Philippians 2:17
Sacrifice is not just giving things up; rather, it is a substitution. You give up one thing to obtain something of greater value. God uses your sacrifices to shape your heart to be more like his—one that is more loving, selfless, and generous. Read Philippians 2:5-7: “Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave.” What words from this passage stand out to you and most touch your heart? Meditate on what God has sacrificed for you.
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