What kind of sacrifice pleases God? What does He reject?
1 Samuel 15:22- What kind of sacrifice pleases God? What does He reject?
What is a sacrifice? The Oxford dictionary describes it as “to give up something important to you or valuable to you or to do something that seems more important.” The Biblical definition of a sacrifice is “an offering rendered acceptable to God”.
1 Samuel 15:22 says: "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hear ken than the fat of rams."
Bible sacrifices can be placed into several categories: i. Old Testament animal sacrifices ii. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and iii. The spiritual sacrifices made by New Testament believers.
The Old Testament sacrifices which were under the Old Covenant provided a way for the Old Testament saints to maintain a right relationship with God. ,.l.l,They never gave eternal life. They could only cleanse the flesh from ceremonial impurity (Heb.9:13). They were not able to provide forgiveness of sins, even after making the sacrifices the worshipper still had a painful consciousness of sin (guilt). The sacrifice had to be repeated year after year. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. (Heb.10:2-4)
Jesus Christ offered his body as a final sacrifice “once and for all” and God had no desire for any further sacrifices. Jesus’ sacrifice had abolished the need for levitical sacrifices. It has given us a New Covenant with God where there is eternal life, forgiveness of sins and a personal relationship with God.
SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES MADE BY NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS So, as we come to New Testament application, what are the sacrifices with which God is well pleased? Truly, we are "to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). These sacrifices are only acceptable to God because of Christ work in you. Here are a few of those spiritual sacrifices:
i. The sacrifice of a broken heart (Psalm 51:17). ii. The sacrifice of obedience to the word of God (1 Samuel 15:22).
iii. The sacrifices of righteous living (Proverbs 21:3; Hoses 6:6).
iv. The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15 -"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.")
v. The sacrifice of giving (Hebrews 13:16 -"But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.")
Note: to communicate means to make common to others and it includes financial giving. See also Philippines 4:18. vi. The sacrifice of ourselves to God (Romans 12:1 -"I beset you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service").
vii. The sacrifice of a life given in service to others (Philippines 2:17- "Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all").
I am sure that there are other spiritual sacrifices, but this is a good place to start.
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