By Pastor Segun Doherty
Bible Passage: 2 Sam 25:24-25
“And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” – 2 Samuel 25:24
Faith: It is acting as if it is so, so that it can be so because God said so. It was the faith of Abraham that made him obey the instructions of God which was accounted to him for righteousness (James 1:25).
Sacrifice is giving your most precious and costly possession up for God. God tested Abraham to check if he was living a life of surrender by asking him to sacrifice his only son. If your giving to God is not painful like that of David, you can’t receive a gainful reward. Anytime we give to God, it’s not because God needs it after all, He is the all sufficient God. Many at times, believers give out of guilt and anger. A Christian life is a life of surrender and sacrifice. What has your Christian life cost you? If you are a born again Christian and things in your old life are still hanging around you, you will have to check your life. Giving to God should be total and complete. Can you say of a truth that you have surrendered your all?
Surrendering starts with the realisation that everything we have is actually not ours (John 3:27). All we actually have belongs to God and He expects us to surrender all to him. Surrender is different from Sacrifice. It is possible to make a big sacrifice and still be in control, but to surrender is better than obedience and sacrifice. You can obey the laws of God and not surrender. The difference between sacrifice and surrender is a blank check i.e. you saying to God that you are His without restrictions. We should be able to live for him who surrendered His life for us. Don’t use others as a benchmark for a life of surrender and sacrifice, let Jesus be your benchmark for obedience, sacrifice and surrender. God expects us to come with our hands open to Him. Apostle Paul in Acts 9 asked two questions; Who are you Lord? What will you want me to do? Many Christians only ask the first question and leave the second out.
Conditions for a life of Sacrifice and Surrender
- Revelation: Without revelation from God, it becomes a burden for you to live a life of surrender. You may not know His ways until you get a revelation (Hosea 4:6);
- Love for God: You can't sacrifice your most costly and most expensive easily except you truly love God (1 Kings 3:3-5, Deuteronomy 4:6);
- Expectation: If you are expectant, you will be able to sacrifice anything for God (Proverbs 24:14);
- Faith: It is acting as if it is so, so that it can be so because God said so. It was the faith of Abraham that made him obey the instructions of God which was accounted to him for righteousness (James 1:25).