sacrifice

The Greatest Gift to Mankind

Thank you God for the most precious gift of Your only Son; all because You love us beyond measure.

Celebrate the Joy of Christmas!

Why do we need Jesus?

What did He do?

How did He do it?

What does it mean for us?

Several months ago, at the Senior living center where my mom lives, we began answering these four questions in our monthly Bible study. We based our answers on a passage in the Bible in the book of Titus. Think! How would you answer the questions above? Do you agree that you need Jesus or are you unsure? Are you able to say what He did or how, or why it was necessary? How does the understanding of these answers change your life?

Let’s do a quick recap. Why we need Jesus – because we are sinful, imperfect, hating what is good, and disobedient to the Truth. We want our own way, we seek our own gratification, we think we are better than others, and we look down on all those who oppose our way of thinking. This is very clearly stated in verse three of our studied scripture.

The second question we answered is, What did Jesus do. When we consider what Jesus did, we need to think of the true meaning of God’s kindness. God’s very character is kind. He is perfect in providing exactly what we need even though we do not deserve His blessings. Because of God’s loving-kindness towards us, He sent His Son to save us. Jesus willingly laid aside His deity and became man in order to take upon Himself the penalty of death we owe for our sin. The reality is, we do not deserve His blessings.

Jesus paid the price for mankind’s sin – How did He do this? By willingly being born on the earth as a baby for the purpose of saving us. God sent His only Son to suffer and die for the sin of the world. Man is undeserving of this perfect sacrifice, yet because of God’s mercy, those who accept Christ as their Lord and Savior are washed clean of their sin.

Now, let’s consider the last question – What does this mean for us? – which fits beautifully into this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. In our culture, the holidays are all about Santa Claus and presents. As a Christian, this season is about remembering the birth of Jesus, the greatest gift ever given to mankind.

Read Titus 3:3-7, then let’s concentrate on the last verse of this passage.

Titus 3:3-7 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Jesus was 100% God and man at the same time, choosing to live as man to fulfill being the perfect sacrifice. Without God’s kindness working in our heart to understand Him and recognize our need for a Savior, we would be eternally lost, without any real hope now and without hope for the future.

Those who believe are justified by His grace. Being justified means we have been freed from the penalty of our sin. Where sin once controlled us, now we are free from its power. Because of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, we are declared righteous in Him. This is not because we deserve God’s blessing but only because of God’s grace. God’s grace alone allows us the benefit of His favor; we receive His blessings because of Jesus’ work on the cross. God’s grace allows a sinner’s heart to accept Jesus’ sacrifice and receive eternal life. Salvation is a gift given freely and must be accepted freely. There is nothing we can do to earn it and we certainly do not deserve it.

Romans 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Because of Jesus, we have been made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. When you are an heir, you share in something given by another. Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior makes you a child of God and an heir of Heaven.

Galatians 4:6-7 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

The section of scripture in Titus 3:3-7, is the Gospel. Five important truths to consider:

The meaning of GRACE – undeserved blessings from God

Who MAN is – a sinner who cannot save himself.

Who GOD is – perfect and holy yet choosing to extend mercy towards sinful men.

Who CHRIST is and what He did for us – Jesus Christ is 100% God; He was born to the earth in human form. He willingly suffered for men in order to save them from eternal separation from God; Jesus died to save men from the penalty of sin and arose from the dead claiming victory over the power of sin.

What FAITH is – believing without seeing; fully trusting in God’s plan of redemption and accepting His gift of forgiveness through His only Son Jesus. Saving faith is trusting in Jesus alone for salvation.

What does the truth of our redemption through Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, mean for us? Forgiveness for sins, hope for the future, and joy inexpressible.

John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

1Peter 1:8-9 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Luke 2:7-11 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

We need Jesus’ perfect sacrifice to redeem our souls to righteousness. When we accept the gift of His undeserved favor towards us, we stand as His children, holy and acceptable to God the Father. Then we have the promise of everlasting life with our Savior in Heaven. Thank you God for the most precious gift of Your only Son; all because You love us beyond measure.

Fervent Love

There is no distinction in our need of a Savior. We are all saved through the blood shed of Jesus Christ. No matter who we are, what we have done or where we have come from, our destruction is imminent without God’s act of great love for mankind.

1Peter 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

First, the assumption for those being addressed is they have acted in obedience to the truth. This means they have heard the gospel, have acted in faith through the work of the Holy Spirit, and are in the process of sanctification, learning to be more like Jesus.

The readers of Peter’s letter have developed a sincere kindness and affection towards those who are of the same mind – the ‘one anothers.’ This love is intentional and pure. The KJV says, “love one another with a pure heart fervently”.

Obedience begins in a heart yielded to God’s commands. We hear His truth, we understand His truth, then we act upon His truth in obedience. These actions look different than the world’s actions. And they result in love for one another. There is a recognition we are all in this together, seeking to walk a path honoring to God.

Because obedience to truth is essential, we are challenged to consider our own response to the Gospel.

How has God, through the work of His Holy Spirit, manifested His love in your heart?
Have you yielded to His commands; are you striving to follow God in all circumstances?

Obedience involves action and it may not always be what we would choose. Consider this example – you offer your help to someone, and they willingly accept. This alone may take us by surprise because we can easily say words which sound good but have no sincere meaning. Sometime what someone needs is a bit more time consuming or difficult than what you anticipated.

We might love one another the way we think we should, when it fits into our schedule or comfort, but what about loving one another the way God tells us to? It takes effort to obey the truth. Our response often is to watch out for self first or to act based upon our feelings. We have a built-in protection mechanism of survival and preservation. However, when we recognize that our true value is in Christ, a heart of humility softens our selfishness. This means you will be pleased to sit and talk with someone – even if they say the same thing over and over – and you will be pleased to scrub a floor for someone – even when your own floor needs attention. You will be pleased to spend time with those who are ‘difficult’ and those who are ‘easy’. Yielding to God will result in a genuine sacrificial love for one another.

Try consistently praying for your own heart towards those whom you have a ‘difficult’ relationship. For myself, God is always faithful to change my heart and attitude towards individuals, even to the point of feeling genuine care and concern. This truly is remarkable when you realize God has replaced animosity with care having fixed your own problems. This is only from the work of the Holy Spirit and is a testimony of your salvation.

The KJV uses the word unfeigned in 1 Peter 1:22. Its meaning is ‘without hypocrisy’ or ‘without dissimulation’. There is no deceit or ‘hidden’ agenda for self-gain in this type of love, only a sincere desire to see another’s best interest.

Consider our greatest example of love. Read Paul’s words to the church at Thessalonica, “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for [anyone] to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another”, 1 Thessalonians 4:9.

Sincere love is genuine. It is honest. It does not seek to give a false impression. It must come from the heart before resulting in action. Otherwise it is a façade. Picture a historic mining town. There are several you can visit in California, and some have preserved their history well. Many of them have a similar look with the center of town lined with buildings where all mercantile transactions took place. The fronts of these stores look very detailed and have exquisite framing and fretwork. It is obvious that skilled carpenters put their creative thoughts into making each building look unique. However, if you walk around to the back of these buildings, what you see is that each is roughly the same – a square or rectangle shape with a façade on the front. Sincere love does not act so that others might see, it acts so that others might be blessed.

What do we learn about love from God?

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Philippians 2:5-8

Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Love is sacrificial. Sincere love for one another does not differentiate between background, race, appearance, social status, accomplishments, or anything that might set us apart in the world. It does not judge an individual who thinks different than yourself. Sincere love is possible because a believer recognizes that each person has the singular need of God’s redeeming love which is available only through the sacrificial offering of His Son. There is no distinction in our need of a Savior. We are all saved through the blood shed of Jesus Christ. No matter who we are, what we have done or where we have come from, our destruction is imminent without God’s act of great love for mankind. We are destined to wrath if we do not accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus.

Take the wealthiest, the poorest, the highly-educated, the non-educated, the largest, or the smallest – the Gospel is the same for everyone and it is received in the same manner for everyone, by humbly admitting the need for a Savior and accepting Jesus’ death and resurrection as a gift from God. Truly, not one individual is better than another or has more importance when all are bowed at the foot of the cross.

Consider what it requires to prefer another above self.

Perhaps even when you are tired and feel you have nothing else to give, you may need to stretch and give just a bit more.
Preferring others above self may mean setting aside your schedule for someone’s need at that moment.

Think about your willingness to forego ‘your time’ to respond to a request for help. Are you willing to sacrifice your comfort to serve others? Practically speaking, many of the things I might need to get done will wait without much consequence. We need to be willing to give up our own interests, our rest, and our comfort, to help another. While we may not be able to ‘be there’ for everyone, we do not want to miss the opportunities that are placed before us.

Do you sincerely love your brothers and sisters in Christ, preferring their needs above your own?

1Peter 3:8-9 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

1Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

Hearing, understanding, and responding to Truth produces faith which leads to repentance resulting in a soul purified, yielded in obedience and characterized by a sincere love for fellow believers. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary says, “Love to the brethren is the evidence of our regeneration and justification by faith”.

We are to ‘fervently’ love one another from the heart. This is intentional love, characterized by purpose and willingness to labor for one another; having a strong and tender affection for one another. Perhaps one of the greatest proofs of God’s work upon a heart is the love and kindness shown toward another. Those individuals Peter addressed had been following the world in their deeds and desires. Their repentance and trust in Christ should have turned them from selfishness to service. Peter challenged them in their obedience to the truth, to love one another fervently.

Fervently means we intentionally love one another. Our love is purposed, more than just talk, but accompanied by action. Love takes the time to consider what would encourage someone and then it follows through with a plan. Intention with no action has no value. Sincere love has a heart that desires to see others prosper. Love takes sacrifice and selflessness.

We are only able to love from the heart sincerely and fervently because of our relationship with Jesus.

Right Attitude

Jesus was purposed by God to turn us toward Himself, to confirm our standing in His holy presence.

An attitude is, “A complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways”, WordWeb.

Describe your attitude. What are your thoughts? What are your actions? What do they say about you?

What things affect your attitude? How does your attitude affect your behavior?

Our conduct or behavior is a result of who we worship, who we love, who we honor, or who we admire. Largely, the way we act towards others, reflects what we think of ourselves. If we think highly of ourselves, we will think less of others. We will be focused on what others are doing wrong or not doing right or how they have offended us, rather than on how Christ would have us serve. On the other hand, when we are humble, others are lifted higher. We will automatically be an encourager and not think of ourselves as a victim, blaming others for our dissatisfaction. We will extend grace towards others just as God has extended His grace towards us.

Consider the purpose of every decision you make, and every word you speak. Look at who benefits, what your goals are, and who is honored. Think about the focus of your pursuits, the way you spend your time and resources, and what you hope to accomplish. Our behavior – the things attributed to how we act – is a picture of our character.

We have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, who willingly became the sacrifice for our sin. Perfect and spotless, Jesus suffered and died to take our penalty upon His body. He not only paid the ultimate price for our sin, but also secured heaven as our inheritance.

Because of who God is, and because of what He has done, we are to seek to be holy as He is holy. This means we choose to die to self, no longer living for worldly acknowledgement and pleasures. Instead, we live in Christ, desiring to be like Him. Our purpose is to exalt His name; our lives are driven by His love for us and our reverence of Him. In the following verses, Peter continues to lay out the reason to strive towards holiness as he reminds his readers of what has been accomplished for their sake. We are called to holiness and these instructions are for our benefit also.

1Peter 1:20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you

Jesus was foreknown before the foundation of the world.

Romans 16:25-26 “Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith”.

Christ was always the plan for mankind’s redemption, even before the world existed. Albert Barnes’ NT Commentary says, it was “predetermined that He should be the great atoning Sacrifice for sin”. The Brethren NT Commentary states, “The fact that the Word existed in the glory, love and knowledge of the Father even before the creation of the material world … this is the providence of God”.

It is incredible to think that God, in His perfect love for mankind, had already planned for His Son to be the atoning Sacrifice for our sin.

John 17:5 "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was”.

God, in His perfect knowledge, chose to fix mankind’s problem of sin before man even existed. God is eternal; He has no beginning; He always has been – and He loves us enough to go to extreme measure to have a relationship with us. Therefore, be holy in your walk because of what He has done.

Ephesians 1:3-6 “Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”.

Proverbs 8:23 “I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was”. KJV

We are to strive to be holy – not based on others’ actions or lack thereof – but based on Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sin and the gift of eternal life we now possess.

What does this mean for you? How can you apply this truth?

Jesus was manifest for our sake.

Romans 16:25-26 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, [leading] to obedience of faith.

To ‘establish’ us means to turn resolutely in a certain direction, to confirm. Jesus was purposed by God to turn us toward Himself, to confirm our standing in His holy presence. Read Paul’s address to Titus:

Titus 1:1-3 Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, [even] His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior.

Jesus has always been. He appeared at the perfect time – for all mankind. God purposefully sent Jesus to die – for your benefit. The end of verse 20 says ‘for the sake of you’. There is a reason Christ died. Through His death we are reconciled to God. God’s interest in mankind was resolved in Jesus Christ.

Does your attitude reflect your worship of Jesus?

Tag: sacrifice

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Right Attitude

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