How and what specifically do we sacrifice?

Scriptural Usage of the Term “Sacrifice”

“The word “sacrifice” may be used from different standpoints. If an animal were killed for some benevolent reason or purpose, it might be spoken of as a sacrifice, particularly if it were something done in harmony with the Divine arrangement. But the mere killing of an animal would not be sacrifice. A dog might be killed without being sacrificed. But if the dog’s life were surrendered for the purpose of scientific experiment, we might say that it was given in sacrifice to science. From this standpoint we should view the matter of sacrifice. The lives of God’s consecrated people are surrendered for a purpose.

At our consecration we present our bodies as living sacrifices. We give up to the Lord our life, our human’ bodies and everything that we possess. It does not follow, however, that God accepts this sacrifice to be put to death in some special manner. Some may spend their lives in serving the Lord’s Truth, and may be said to be sacrificed as truly as though they had died at the stake. We may say to the Lord, All my life is in your hands; do with it as you please. If it means joy or pain, sacrifice or pleasure, we surrender our own will in the matter and become like unto Jesus, who said, “I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” – John 6:38.

What Do We Sacrifice?

The sacrifice of Jesus was made at Jordan, but it was finished at Calvary. His consecration was absolute. The killing of the bullock (typified in the Tabernacle picture) is symbolical of what Jesus did when He surrendered His will. And so with us, following in His footsteps we become dead in the sense that we sacrifice our wills (this was typified by our passing beneath the first vail into the “Holy”), but in what manner the Lord may accept that sacrificed will is His affair. We give it freely, that the mind of Christ may dwell in us richly.

We part forever with the right to our wills, but we do not sacrifice our lives, although we know that the giving up of our wills ultimately leads to the giving up of our lives (as we pass beneath the second vail into the “Most Holy”), but here again we have nothing to do with the parting with our rights. When Jesus becomes our Advocate, He takes us in charge. From the time we give up our wills, our bodies are counted as His Body. We merely give up our wills in the matter and leave everything for Him to dispose of.

He attends to the sacrificing; for He is the High Priest; we are not. (The High Priest was the only one who did the actual sacrificing and the presentation of the sacrifice.)

Similarly, the great outcome is in the Lord’s hands. During the Gospel Age He imputes of His merit to the Church. When He has finished the work of sacrificing He will apply the merit of this great sacrifice, which He calls His own, for sealing the New Covenant for the world. But we have nothing to do with the actual sacrificing. We leave it all to our Attorney, or Advocate.

The New Creature is certainly the owner, or controller, of the body and is made so by the Lord. We as New Creatures have a work to perform with our body. When our Lord accepts us as His servants, we are to use all our talents as His stewards. In that sense of the word, the body will be under the control of the New Creature until death.”

Life-Rights Merely Imputed to the Church

Our position is somewhat different from that of our Lord. We had no earthly life-rights to begin with; and we had, therefore, none to give away. They were forfeited by Adam’s sin. But if we become the Lord’s disciples (through baptism into his death), if we surrender all to Him and accept the merit that He is willing to impute to us, our great Advocate will count us as members of His Body and permit us to share in His sufferings. When He imputed His merit to us all rights passed to Him. He gave His members whatever right they have and whatever privilege of earthly right comes to them.

When it shall be necessary for our Lord to use these rights in the future for the world, He will be quite competent and privileged to do so. Having never violated the divine law He will have the full right to use, command and direct in respect to all of His earthly life rights, which He did not forfeit, but which He laid down with the understanding that He should use them again in giving life to the world, so that He would be called the Father of mankind, in respect to their future life.

Nowhere in the Scriptures is the statement made that Christ came to sacrifice Himself. What the Scriptures say is that He came to do the Father’s will. He did not refuse to drink the “cup” which the Father prepared for Him, but drank it to the dregs. And for His obedience to this will, even unto death-no matter how long or how short a time the Father should be pleased to have that life continue-He received the reward. He gave over all into the Father’s hands. This was a sacrifice; for He had a right to use His life. But His obedience to His Father’s will led to the sacrifice for which He obtained the reward.” (R5085)

This is the key sacrifice which all those baptized into Christ make, but what about the present day to day sacrifices, daily sacrifices, which we are called to suffer for Christ sake, those which we suffer for being IN Christ and for standing for the truth?