Thoughts on the Meaning of Sacrifice

[olderguy]

This may be the wrong place for this, but I didn't know where else it might go.

I was thinking about how in OT times sacrificing something was their main form of worship. Whether it was grain, wine, animals, (leave out humans) the general idea was to give something to God that the person considered of value. Then I wondered if we're still doing some sort of sacrifice today for God? I think we are, but it's very different. Granted we don't burn up valuable things anymore, but we still make sacrifices for God. The main one that spurred me to make this thread was prayer. One thing most people consider of great value is their time. So when we dedicate time to praying to God there's an inherent sacrifice in it.

Thoughts or comments?

 

[juvenissun]

This may be the wrong place for this, but I didn't know where else it might go.

I was thinking about how in OT times sacrificing something was their main form of worship. Whether it was grain, wine, animals, (leave out humans) the general idea was to give something to God that the person considered of value. Then I wondered if we're still doing some sort of sacrifice today for God? I think we are, but it's very different. Granted we don't burn up valuable things anymore, but we still make sacrifices for God. The main one that spurred me to make this thread was prayer. One thing most people consider of great value is their time. So when we dedicate time to praying to God there's an inherent sacrifice in it.

Thoughts or comments?

Praying is communication, and is not a sacrifice, even praying takes some time.
Doing service work in a church is a sacrifice today. It not only takes time, it take other forms of resources from a person.

Most importantly, the purpose of sacrifice today is entirely different from that in the OT time. It is OK if one does not give sacrifice today.

 

[Albion]

This may be the wrong place for this, but I didn't know where else it might go.

I was thinking about how in OT times sacrificing something was their main form of worship. Whether it was grain, wine, animals, (leave out humans) the general idea was to give something to God that the person considered of value. Then I wondered if we're still doing some sort of sacrifice today for God? I think we are, but it's very different. Granted we don't burn up valuable things anymore, but we still make sacrifices for God. The main one that spurred me to make this thread was prayer. One thing most people consider of great value is their time. So when we dedicate time to praying to God there's an inherent sacrifice in it.

Thoughts or comments?

Sacrifice is still a part of corporate worship in Christian churches. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, so of course we do not literally offer any such sacrifices anymore, but in the worship service we offer ourselves and also offer our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving for his one great sacrifice on the cross.

 

[Paradoxum]

It seems to me that sacrifice is a legalistic way of thinking about one's relation to God. That it's similar to trying to atone by upholding the Law, rather than by relationship with the Savior (or however you want to phrase it). Not that I believe in God now.


"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

 

[andy b]

ive never quite understood sacrifice as its fundamentally against so much of my core values ...that's tuff for me because i truly want to embrace jesus

 

[lesliedellow]

Sacrifice means making something over to God. That can be time spent in prayer, provided that it is not merely self serving.

 

[Albion]

duplicate

 

[Albion]

Sacrifice means making something over to God. That can be time spent in prayer, provided that it is not merely self serving.

But every religious act can't be considered a sacrifice, don't you agree? The Hebrews certainly didn't consider prayer or thinking about God to be temple sacrifices, for example. They've been referred to in this thread.

 

[Nooj]

It seems to me that sacrifice is a legalistic way of thinking about one's relation to God.

in what sense is it legalistic, and what do you mean by legalistic?

Praying is communication, and is not a sacrifice, even praying takes some time.
Doing service work in a church is a sacrifice today. It not only takes time, it take other forms of resources from a person.

Most importantly, the purpose of sacrifice today is entirely different from that in the OT time. It is OK if one does not give sacrifice today.

what was the purpose of sacrifice in that time?

 

[FireDragon76]

God doesn't need sacrifices.

 

[Albion]

God doesn't need sacrifices.

Probably not, but the Hebrews offered them, Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice, and the church has offered them for 2000 years.

 

[Colter]

This may be the wrong place for this, but I didn't know where else it might go.

I was thinking about how in OT times sacrificing something was their main form of worship. Whether it was grain, wine, animals, (leave out humans) the general idea was to give something to God that the person considered of value. Then I wondered if we're still doing some sort of sacrifice today for God? I think we are, but it's very different. Granted we don't burn up valuable things anymore, but we still make sacrifices for God. The main one that spurred me to make this thread was prayer. One thing most people consider of great value is their time. So when we dedicate time to praying to God there's an inherent sacrifice in it.

Thoughts or comments?

Sacrifice was an element of primitive, evolved religion because man developed the erroneous idea that he was born into default or debt to the Gods; an original sin.

God loves us as a Father, not a slave master. Jesus taught sincere repentance, seeking forgiveness and in turn forgiving others. The joy of realizing Sonship with a Loving God, leads to sincere service, not sacrifice mindedness.

 

[olderguy]

Someone said God doesn't need (want) sacrifice, but He does. He wants us to sacrifice our pride, stubbornness, and our desires of the flesh, for His ways. The Bible calls this sacrifice of the heart.

I got into thinking about this because I was wondering how bad it would be to say prayers that the Bible indicates are wrong. But a well known religion considers right. At first I thought there would be no harm in trying them. But then I thought of when sacrifices were the main form of worship to God. I then thought, we don't do that anymore. Or do we? Sacrifice means giving something valuable to God. Modern man considers his time of the utmost value. How often have you heard "Time is money". So dedicating an hour saying prayers that are questionable by the Bible may be just as bad as the ancient Jews sacrificing a pigeon to a pagan goddess because the person was desperate for help. Unfortunately, God doesn't always answer prayers. We don't know why. I'm sure this happened in OT times too. And since the Jews used to take foreigners in, I'm sure a foreigner told a Jew, try worshiping to my god and I bet you'll receive help. The problem was, once too many Jews were doing that God usually destroyed them. So I concluded that saying prayers my understanding of the Bible indicates are wrong, is worse than what I'm going through now. It's the same as making sacrifices to a pagan god was in OT times.

This is what lead to me making this post. I never thought of prayer as sacrifice before. But now that I realized it is a type of sacrifice, I'll always see it as that.

 

[Colter]

Someone said God doesn't need (want) sacrifice, but He does. He wants us to sacrifice our pride, stubbornness, and our desires of the flesh, for His ways. The Bible calls this sacrifice of the heart.

I got into thinking about this because I was wondering how bad it would be to say prayers that the Bible indicates are wrong. But a well known religion considers right. At first I thought there would be no harm in trying them. But then I thought of when sacrifices were the main form of worship to God. I then thought, we don't do that anymore. Or do we? Sacrifice means giving something valuable to God. Modern man considers his time of the utmost value. How often have you heard "Time is money". So dedicating an hour saying prayers that are questionable by the Bible may be just as bad as the ancient Jews sacrificing a pigeon to a pagan goddess because the person was desperate for help. Unfortunately, God doesn't always answer prayers. We don't know why. I'm sure this happened in OT times too. And since the Jews used to take foreigners in, I'm sure a foreigner told a Jew, try worshiping to my god and I bet you'll receive help. The problem was, once too many Jews were doing that God usually destroyed them. So I concluded that saying prayers my understanding of the Bible indicates are wrong, is worse than what I'm going through now. It's the same as making sacrifices to a pagan god was in OT times.

This is what lead to me making this post. I never thought of prayer as sacrifice before. But now that I realized it is a type of sacrifice, I'll always see it as that.

That's not sacrifice, that's just growing up.

Service to others, for fun and for free.

 

[toLiJC]

This may be the wrong place for this, but I didn't know where else it might go.

I was thinking about how in OT times sacrificing something was their main form of worship. Whether it was grain, wine, animals, (leave out humans) the general idea was to give something to God that the person considered of value. Then I wondered if we're still doing some sort of sacrifice today for God? I think we are, but it's very different. Granted we don't burn up valuable things anymore, but we still make sacrifices for God. The main one that spurred me to make this thread was prayer. One thing most people consider of great value is their time. So when we dedicate time to praying to God there's an inherent sacrifice in it.

Thoughts or comments?

the faith of Jesus is more or less a self-sacrifice, but as for the rituals that do not avail anything in Him, it is written:

Hebrews 10:5-10 "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

because the important is the effective ministry/service for overall salvation unto abundant and everlasting life in Him, that is why He said:

John 4:22-24 "we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews(i.e. of the true spiritual servants). But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth(i.e. and in righteousness): for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

Blessings

 

[Smidlee]

Cain offered sacrifices to God before Abel did. Cain offered to God the sacrifices of works which was rejected while Abel offered to God sacrifices of faith which pointed toward Christ. All sacrifices in the OT pointed toward Christ as the Law brought only death.
Cain was a do-gooder who tried to please God by his own efforts. Abel's faith lead him to shed the blood of a lamb while Cain's works lead him to shed the blood of his brother.

 

[olderguy]

That's not sacrifice, that's just growing up.

Service to others, for fun and for free.

That makes zero sense.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

Sacrifice means an act in propitiation or homage. One brings a gift to the king (or god) to curry favor; or to offer a heartfelt apology for some lapse of duty or decorum.

The idea of sacrifice in the Mosaic Law period was much for these two functions. More attention is usually paid to the idea of atonement for sin. There are a number of these outlined in the Book of Leviticus.

In Christianity, Jesus has already - past tense, over and done - provided Himself the sacrifice for atonement of all sin. So the formal sacrifices of sheep, oxen, pigeons or doves no longer apply. We no longer have to present a sacrifice in order to buy back our salvation or good standing with God.

Which leaves the concept of 'homage'. As people, most of us give gifts to those we love (phileo or storge, perhaps even eros). Is it so out of line to consider a gift of homage to God? Of course, I rather expect the Lord has all the neckties and after shave He desires or needs, so the 'gift' is more in the way of sacrifice. The only thing we have to offer - and truthfully, He doesn't need what we have, either - is our service and love.

So if there is a modern version of sacrifice, I think this has to be it. A surrendering of our time or funds, expended in His more or less direct service. Always accompanied by our love and worship.

And the reason is homage, not forgiveness or petition.

 

[TillICollapse]

I'd say a form of modern day animal sacrifices still exist within even the US. Consider those who purposefully eat at Chik-Fil-A in order to support what they view as being more pleasing or acceptable choices to the focus of their worship. They may attempt to boost Chik-Fil-A, while avoiding other businesses who offer similar products but are not in line with their concepts of what is acceptable. This could be considered a form of indirect animal sacrifice. "The chickens we kill and eat at this establishment are acceptable, the ones over there are not. Those who support the killing of those chickens are playing with fire," etc and so forth. It is not direct animal sacrifice, however it may be considered indirect animal sacrifice. A modern version.

 

[Smidlee]

I'd say a form of modern day animal sacrifices still exist within even the US. Consider those who purposefully eat at Chik-Fil-A in order to support what they view as being more pleasing or acceptable choices to the focus of their worship. They may attempt to boost Chik-Fil-A, while avoiding other businesses who offer similar products but are not in line with their concepts of what is acceptable. This could be considered a form of indirect animal sacrifice. "The chickens we kill and eat at this establishment are acceptable, the ones over there are not. Those who support the killing of those chickens are playing with fire," etc and so forth. It is not direct animal sacrifice, however it may be considered indirect animal sacrifice. A modern version.

You don't think people probably goes to Chik-Fil-A because their good chicken sandwich and biscuits?