Sacrificing for God
J. Allen Blair
Every Christian should be concerned about the need for the Gospel in the world. Is your primary goal in life to share the Gospel with your loved ones, your neighbors, your fellow employees, and the world?
A little girl was taken to New York City to see the sights. One of the things she saw was the Statue of Liberty. She was fascinated with the statue, which has stood for many years, holding high the torch of liberty. After the excitement of the day, sleep did not come easily. "Daddy," she said, "I am thinking about that beautiful lady out there, all by herself with nobody to help her hold up her lamp. It is dark out there. Shouldn't we be helping Miss Liberty to hold up her lamp?"
In Isaiah 60:2 we read, The darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. This is a picture of our world of darkness today due to sin and unbelief. Millions grope in the darkness of ignorance, superstition, and paganism because they don't know the One who is the True Light. Jesus said, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). Jesus Christ is the light God has sent into the world to lead men and women out of the darkness of sin that they might come into peace and blessing, which He alone can give.
God speaks to His own people, That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15). We who are in Christ should shine as lights. This word lights could also be translated as luminaries-heavenly bodies that give light! As the moon and the stars reflect the light of the sun, you and I, who have been born again, should be reflecting the light of the Son of God to those all around us who are in the darkness of sin.
This is a tremendous responsibility. This cannot be done without sacrifice on the part of the Christian. So many of God's people are living for themselves, forgetting their God-ordained obligation to carry the light to the countless millions lost in the darkness of sin. The lost will be reached for Christ when Christians get a vision of the job that needs to be done and, sacrifice for the Lord they say they love.
Sacrifice has always been associated with redemption. The Lord Jesus sacrificed His precious blood. Missionaries sacrifice their lives. All the great missionary movements of history have been born out of sacrifice.
Count Zinzendorf dedicated his estate and set an example for the Moravians, who through extreme self-denial and sacrifice, were able to send out one missionary for every ninety-three members. John Wesley, though he made thousands of dollars from his writings, continued to live on a low economic standard. Sacrifice, which is the obligation of every believer, is rarely seen in Christians today.
Returning missionaries who have spent years on the mission field are alarmed at the extravagance, luxury, and waste of Christians here at home. Few of us in soft, comfortable surroundings live and act like strangers and pilgrims. Little do we know by experience what our Lord meant when He said, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head (Luke 9:58).
When will the church of Jesus Christ declare a war on waste and ease and launch a realistic effort to take the Gospel to every creature. The church needs to be brought to her knees in repentance and to her feet in evangelism. Probably, the greatest hindrance to the Gospel today is the unconsecrated wealth of those who profess to be the people of God. Possessions have possessed us. We must learn to do without things to reach those without Christ.
Christians need to be reminded that every time our watches tick, some soul slips into eternity without Jesus Christ. These souls are gone forever. Never will they have another chance. There is only one way of salvation. If we have not told them the way, they may be lost forever. We have missed the opportunity. One thing that can never be recovered is a lost opportunity. By the grace of God, we can do something about reaching the lost. If we are willing to lay our all on the altar and sacrifice for Christ, the job can be done.
Let me ask you, Christian friend, have you been paying the price? Have you been sacrificing for the Lord? Are you in business for God? Is your chief aim and desire in life the same as that of our blessed Lord, to seek and to save that which was lost? Or are you interested only in things, achievements, stocks, bonds, or investments? Whose are you and whom do you serve? Are you sold out to Jesus Christ? Are you sacrificing for Him?
Oswald J. Smith, who for years pastured The People's Church in Toronto, Canada, inspired his people to support no less than three hundred and fifty missionaries. In one of the 1,200 hymns he wrote are these words: "I have seen the vision, and for self I cannot live. Life is less than worthless, till my all I give."
How can we recover the lost note of sacrifice? We cannot do it just by giving a little more to missions, or even by making a generous donation so we can write it off on our income tax. Sacrificial living and sacrificial giving will come only as we first yield our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. We shall have no vision of the lost until we have a vision of the Lord.
In Isaiah 6:1 the prophet says, I saw also the Lord sitting. Then, moments later, as the challenge came to Isaiah to go to his wayward people and give them the message of life, he responded to the call of God by saying, Here am I, send me. Before he vowed to accept the responsibility of going, he realized the importance of giving his entire life over to the Lord. Complete yieldedness to Christ will always result in a burden and a concern to reach the lost for Christ
My Christian friend, time is short. Let us fulfill the purpose for which Christ saved us, to declare His glory among the heathen, and His wonders among all people (Psalm 96:3).
If you have never received Jesus Christ into your life, make your decision for Him. He gave His all for you, sacrificing His blood on the cross that your sins might be forgiven. Enter into a new life with Jesus the Son of God, who will transform your life.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Are You Home Alone?
If you are a Christian, you are never alone! Dr. Blair's tract, Has God Forsaken You, is the message for this month in print. It's free! Write us a note and we'll send it to you, free!