Sometimes it’s some of the simplest of statements that are made in a message that catch my attention. My daughter and I recently attended a gospel music concert in Asheville at Brookstone Church.  At one point during the concert, the pastor of the church spoke.  As part of the presentation of the gospel, Pastor Jim Dykes talked about offering our lives as a sacrifice to God.  One comment he made that really caught my attention was this:

No sacrifice that was offered on the altar ever got up to walk away. 

Selah.

If you look through the Old Testament, there are precise instructions on how to build an altar and how to offer the sacrifices upon the altar.  One instruction in Leviticus was this:

“The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. ¹³ The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.”  Leviticus 6:12-13 (NIV)

As Christians, we often quote this verse: 

How often do we hear that verse, we make an effort to offer ourselves to God, but then we get up and walk away to live how we want to.  No, my friend.  When we lay our lives on the altar of God, that is where we should stay.  Our lives should continually put off the sweet smelling aroma like the pleasing sacrifices that the Children of Israel would offer to God.  It should be a continual offering, a continual burning for Him.  The fire should never go out.

How do we do that?

Openly professing God and doing good is living a sacrificial life.  And it’s done through Jesus. Staying in close communication with God by having a strong prayer life and worshipping Him is another way of living sacrificially, as David states in the Psalms.

After the event was over, my daughter and I talked about everything as we headed home.  I noticed when the pastor was speaking, she typed something in her phone about the same time I had grabbed a pen to write down the comment that had stood out to me.  She told me that the comment she had taken a hold of was this:

You don’t just slip into sacrifice.  You make a choice.

My daughter immediately related that to joining the military.  When someone signs up to join the military, it isn’t a simple decision or process.  Martha had thought and prayed about her decision to join the Navy for a long time.  To be accepted into Officer Candidate School, she had to take written tests, physicals, pass background checks and sign many papers.  She had to take an oath, promising her allegiance and life in service to her country. It was an intentional decision and took much effort.  It wasn’t easy thinking about leaving her home and family behind.  But she followed the path she felt God was leading her on.  And once in the military, she had to obey each and every command.  Nothing was optional.  She had to do what she was told to do, how she was told to do it.  Every movement, even the way to hold a spoon when eating, was done precisely how she was instructed.  And she followed each command because she willingly chose that life.

One example of taking a firm stand for God was the story of Joshua.  He gave this challenge to the Children of Israel.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

So yes, it is a conscious, deliberate choice we have to make to sacrifice our life to God.  Perhaps the reason some people have trouble living that life of continual sacrifice is because they are trying to just slip in.  They want just enough of Jesus to reap the benefit of eternal life without giving up full control of their life.  However, like the sacrifices of old, we either give it all, or not at all.

But before getting caught up on the thought of sacrifice and giving up control, look at the outcome of truly surrendering to God.

Real surrender, real sacrifice, results in receiving freedom and adoption into God’s family.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:1-18 (NIV)

Choosing Christ isn’t just saying a quick prayer and then living how we want.  It is a firm decision to allow Him to take over our life.  We lay our life down in sacrifice to the One who sacrificed all for us.  And when we do that, our lives are more alive than ever before.

So I have two questions:

First: Have you ever truly laid your life on the altar before God?

And, secondly – Are you still there?