A spiritual sacrifice occurs when we consent to God’s will above our own. The offering is directed by God’s Spirit, Word, and Providence, not by our own preference or desires. When our own preferences and desires are not in alignment with God’s will, we must put God’s will above our own.
At 1 Peter 2:4-5, we read,
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We Christians are part of a new, holy priesthood, who offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In order to make our relationship with God work, we must from time to time offer spiritual sacrifices. Further, in fact, in order to make our marriages, families, friendships, churches, workplaces, and communities work, we must from time to time offer spiritual sacrifices. In accordance with the will of God, we must give of ourselves.
At Romans 12:1-2, we read,
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Please note that our bodies are often the originating source of many of our normal and natural desires. Additionally, our bodies can also be the source of inordinate desire (a/k/a lust). In order to serve God, we must put God’s will above our desires, whether normal or inordinate. We must seek to live in the will and timing of God. This is an act of true and authentic worship. Also note that we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We must spend time in meditation on God’s Word, while in God’s Spirit. However, many day-to-day human activities are completely consistent with God’s will for our lives. Things like taking care of our children, building up our marriages, going to work, and getting adequate sleep, nutrition, and exercise are all a part of God’s will for our lives. God’s will is “good and acceptable and perfect.”
At Psalm 51:16-17, we read,
For You do not delight in sacrifices, otherwise I would give it. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.
David understood that the Old Testament sacrificial system was a teaching aid. God’s ultimate plan was not the continual offering of an animal sacrifice. In instituting the sacrificial system, God was teaching us the need for atonement. God was also teaching us to make a sacrifice of our inherit independent nature and autonomy. God was teaching us humility. Further, I want to remind you that seeking God’s will is not the same as seeking a feeling or emotion. Seeking God’s will is a conscientious way of living. It is thinking that in order to please God, I should think this or that, or I ought to do this or that. We can live this new way of being only by God’s Spirit, Word, and Providence.
From time to time, we must accept suffering in our lives as a part of God’s will. At 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, we learn that God gave Paul a thorn in his flesh to keep Paul from exalting himself because of Paul’s extraordinary revelations from God. We are not given a specific description of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” Three times Paul prayed for the removal of his “thorn in the flesh.” But God responded to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
At Ephesians 5:1-2, we read,
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Being that Jesus is the Son of God, He could have easily defeated His earthly enemies, but He perceived (by means of God’s Spirit, Word, and Providence) that it was God’s will for Him to consent to and accept death by crucifixion on a Roman cross. He submitted to the will of His Father. Human history advances when we accept God’s will above our own. Every spiritual sacrifice includes the idea of telling God, “Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). Every spiritual sacrifice is an act of trust in God. At Psalm 143:10, we read, “Teach me to do Your will, For You are My God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
At Hebrews 10:5, we read,
Therefore, when He [Jesus] comes into the world, He says, “You have not desired sacrifice and offering, but You have prepared a body for Me.”
The Old Testament sacrificial system was a shadow of something greater. Continual animal sacrifices were not God’s ultimate plan. Spiritual sacrifices are the greater reality. God the Son received a physical body so that He might give His physical body to the will of the Father. However, the Son’s sacrifice was first a spiritual sacrifice, followed by, secondly, a physical sacrifice. Jesus, like every human, undoubtedly wanted to enjoy a long, healthy life and avoid pain and suffering. But the Son of God said, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). Sometimes, doing God’s will is contrary to our normal instincts and natural desires.
Towards the end of His earthly ministry, the Jewish authorities were seeking to arrest Jesus. At John 10:39-40, we read that Jesus “eluded their grasp,” and He traveled beyond the Jordan River where John, the Baptist was first baptizing converts. Beyond the Jordan River, many came to Jesus and believed in Him there (John 10:41-42). Then Jesus heard that Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, was very sick (John 11:1-2). After hearing this news, but after waiting two days, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again” (John 11:7). His disciples responded to Jesus, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and yet You are going there [to Judea] again?” (John 11:8). Jesus explained to His disciples that He was going back to Judea to awaken Lazarus from sleep (i.e. resurrect him from the dead) (John 11:11). Jesus and His disciples understood that returning to Judea was extremely dangerous. Thomas told the rest of the disciples, “Let’s also go, so that we may die with Him” (John 11:16).
Jesus knew that by returning to Judea, His sacrifice and crucifixion would be imminent, but He returned to Judea because of His love for His Father and Lazarus. Jesus was going to offer the ultimate spiritual sacrifice by placing God’s will above His own. Jesus was going to willfully accept crucifixion on a Roman cross. Jesus accepted God’s will above the natural inclination to avoid pain, suffering, and death. So, we, too, are directed to go out into the world, and from time to time, we must offer spiritual sacrifices. By doing so, we can make our relationship with God work, and we can also make our marriages, families, friendships, churches, workplaces, and communities work. We must seek God’s will above our own by means of God’s Spirit, Word, and Providence.
For more information on spiritual sacrifices, see this YouTube Bible Class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU1TFL_NY0o
