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The Bible says in Leviticus 22 that the people could not offer anything that had a blemish, for it would not be acceptable. They had to have an accepted sacrifice. Sometimes, some of us spend a lot of time trying to do good and it’s not accepted. God’s not interested in you doing good. He’s interested in you doing right. There’s a difference! A lot of people just do good stuff and they’re nice. This life of a Christian… If some can lay down their life for a nation, should we not be able to give up our lives for the King of Kings?
God expects us to bring a sacrifice and to be a sacrifice. There’s a sacrifice that cost us something. 2 Samuel 24:24a, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” This thing is going to cost you! I have a life-long pastor-friend who has an adult daughter with cancer, another daughter that died last year from cancer, and he’s in the hospital getting ready to have heart surgery for four blockages. He said to me, “My God is sweeter than He’s ever been and more precious than He’s ever been. Nothing in my life has ever been a waste. I lay it down so that I might glorify Him.”
We live in a generation that knows nothing but to go in and flip the switch and the lights come on; get the fast foods. Get it now! Just because it looks like it doesn’t cost, doesn’t mean it’s not going to cost. Nothing’s free. Christianity has got to make a shift. Stop telling this next generation, “Come to Jesus. It’s all good.” We tell them to come to the next concert and Jesus will bless them and bless them… Then, when something goes down wrong and tragically, they don’t know how to handle it.
“That I might know Him and the fellowship of his suffering.” There’s some pain in this thing. It costs to serve God. It costs to be a Christian. Young people, it’ll cost you to stand up for Jesus. It’s costly grace. Freedom will cost you. Sacrifice is a hard thing to come by, today. We bring the Lord cheap sacrifices. We sing songs with our heads and not our hearts. We write checks but won’t give Him any time. To be a Christian will cost you!
