Christian Sacrifice
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” (Hebrews 13:15).
Let’s consider this verse; it seems to offer a paradox in that speaking of words passing through the lips becoming a “sacrifice.” That speaks of suffering and deprivation of rights as a free citizen. Freedom of speech has been in the past in the United States dearly defended and someone or some group who challenges that right puts a burden on most honest citizens too great to bear. Indeed very government at times inflicts this on its citizens.
Sacrifice: The term is used metaphorically to describe selfless good deeds for others or a short term loss in return for a greater gain. Recently it has also come into use as meaning doing without something or giving something up as for the good of one’s family or in the event of the lenten season & etc. Parents are said to “sacrifice” in order to give children a favorable start in life. There are sharper images that arise when a parent gives up a part of him or herself and bears actual pain for their children.
That doesn’t seem to be serious yet consider an average person who claims to be a Christian or perhaps “a good person.” It is an inconvenience at times to observe obedience to so called small things. “Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.” It places such a person in an awkward and often an embarrassing position. That is an unnecessary vexation and a sacrifice many are unlikely or unwilling to bear.
Consider this passage of scripture concerning the Apostle Paul and his Christian brother Silas. In obedience to Jesus Christ they encountered a difference of opinion with pagans in the Roman colony of Philipi.
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed” (Acts 16: 16-26).
In this illustration these men were expressing their rights as Romans to speak of their religion. What they did was a good thing these men, using the young girl for a medium of livelihood, were bilking the people, while it was willingly on their part yet it was immoral. Through superstition they were deceiving the citizens of Philippi.
Through the power of The Holy Spirit Paul silenced the unclean spirit present in the girl and ruined the means of livelihood of these men.
Paul and Silas were treated very badly for doing a good service. They were stripped of their clothing, flogged and thrown into prison and locked in the stocks.
For the Christians this was the sacrifice they were called upon by their faith to receive. Instead of cursing and railing upon the Romans who had maltreated them they turned a curse into a blessing.
Paul, being a Roman citizen, could have appealed to Caesar; he chose instead to suffer the Romans to punish them and to appeal (sacrifice; offer the fruit of his lips) to God. The Apostle chose to praise God and sing psalms to the worship of the Almighty in the name of Jesus.
They were ultimately freed from their prison by an earthquake and in the process the Philippian jailor and his family accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as savior. It was the beginning of a great Christian work in that city. Paul spoke very lovingly of them later in his letter to the Philippian church. The entire story is written in the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
In this regard Christians may be called upon to “sacrifice” rights of citizenship for the greater good of the Kingdom of God. Christians are suffering death, starvation and privation all over the world as we speak for “sacrifices” such as this.
Are you willing let alone prepared for these “sacrifices?”
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