Why Sacrifice?

To sacrifice is neither to seek glory for oneself, nor punishment for one's own sin, nor pleasure in pain; rather, it is a freewill offering of oneself out of love. An act of sacrifice decreases selfishness and increases our love for God and one another. Though the Lord has already paid the price for our sins in His suffering and death on the cross, suffering continues to have a place on our salvation. In sacrifice, we are sanctified in love.

"And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10.10)

United To The Cross

How often hearts run from the cross
Rather than take its grief and pain;
When eyes can only see the cost,
Grace is discarded with disdain.

To sacrifice is to submit
All selfishness, in offering
Up of oneself, and to permit
The loss of self in suffering.

Only by grace, can souls offer
Themselves sincerely to the Lord;
Prepared in love, they can suffer
With Him - hearts held strong in accord.

Behold the Lamb who takes away
The sins of all who heed His voice;
The cross is the means and the way
To life for all - it is our choice.

With hearts united to the cross,
Old ways are discarded as dross.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Romans 12.1)

Christ crucified, call my heart to be united with Yours upon the cross, that my heart may be sanctified in sacrifice for love of You and my fellow travelers on this journey. Amen.