Posted on by Abe Austin

The Nature of Sacrifice- Matthew 20:18-19, 28; John 15:13

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

COMMENTARY

Even as the Son of man came not to give his life a ransom for many
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
The way Jesus viewed his mortal life was quite distinct. Where so many of us covet our lives and insist on using them for our own purposes, he instead saw his as something to be given as a ransom, something to be laid down for others. We see our lives as a jealous possession. He saw it as a currency, one which could be spent for the redemption of others.
I think that when most of us hear the word “sacrifice” we think that we are giving something up to be destroyed. Essentially turning something of worth into no value. But the example of Christ is not that things sacrificed or made devoid of worth. Rather they are spent for the enriching of our fellow man.
While we are not called to die for the sins of all mankind, we too can make our lives a currency in the treasury of God. We can “spend” our time in the service of others. We can “give” our attention to enrich our brothers and sisters. We can “donate” our energy to spread humanity throughout the world.

Posted on by Abe Austin · 2 Comments

The Nature of Sacrifice- Psalm 50:5, Exodus 24:8, Matthew 26:28

Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

COMMENTARY

Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice
Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you
For this is my blood of the new testament
There are some passages of scripture that I read, and I feel like I understand their reasoning immediately. Then there are some that I read, but I frankly do not understand them. Instead I get the sense that I am teasing at ideas that are still beyond me. One such example of feeling out of my depth is when I consider the three verses that I shared above.
It seems that there is something about sacrifice being a necessary component of our covenants with God. I’m not entirely sure why these two are so connected, but I get a sense that they really are. The Law of Moses was a covenant instituted by regular animal sacrifice, and the Higher Law was a covenant instituted by the great sacrifice of Christ.
In Hebrews 9:15-22, Paul gives us a small treatise on covenants and sacrifices, in which he states that no testament is in force until after the death of its testator. Why, exactly, I do not know, but there it is even so.
I suppose that performing a sacrifice as part of entering into a covenant makes the experience far more impactful in the heart of the disciple. Also, making that sacrifice would be a representation of what the covenant life will surely require multiple times in the years that follow.
But still I think there are things here that I do not understand, and so my mind continues to turn these verses over. I hope my thinking-out-loud on them is helpful for you, it certainly has been useful for me.

Posted on by Abe Austin

The Nature of Sacrifice- Personal Example

In a previous study I examined the differences between sacrifice and consecration, and I talked about how I was afraid that God would ask me to sacrifice my love for writing, where in reality He only sought that I consecrate it for a greater good. Of course, there are other things which God has asked me to sacrifice, but I do not regret the loss of any of them.

Here is one example.

I didn’t play my first video game until my mid-teens, but once I tasted them I fell deeply in love. As soon as I got away to college, and had control of my days, I would play them non-stop, never mind what classes I was supposed to be attending. After a few years I was able to ease off the gas somewhat, but basically if I didn’t have to be doing something else, then games was where you would find me.

It wasn’t that I thought that video games deserved such a high priority in my life, I knew perfectly well that they were quite trivial in the eternal scheme of things. But at that point I needed them. At that point there were a lot of unhealthy habits and lingering wounds all around me. I wasn’t dealing with them, and video games were one of the only things that gave me a distraction from them all. I thought it was peace.

Interestingly, God never actually asked me to sacrifice video games, He just gave me real peace. He pushed me to address those underlying wounds and fears, and then soothed the resultant pains with His love. I didn’t need to hide from those hard parts of life anymore, because they were genuinely being healed.

Then, naturally, I started playing games so much less. I sacrificed them without even thinking about it. Now that the real world was finally a place that I could live without shame, I was much more interested in engaging with it. I became a better husband and father, and started spending genuine quality time with my family.

In fact most of the gaming I do now is social. I play a lot more board games and card games, because it is easier to include other people in them. Our family regularly works through puzzles and legos together. Many of the video games that I purchase now are specifically chosen for their cooperative elements, so that I can play them alongside of my wife and son.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t ever play single-person games during my me-time, but it is far less than before, often with a few months between sessions. More importantly, when I do play them, it is for the actual enjoyment of them, not to escape. I do not need them anymore you see. I do still have needs, but God has given me something far better to take care of them.

Posted on by Abe Austin

The Nature of Sacrifice- John 12:24, Matthew 16:25

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

COMMENTARY

Except a corn of wheat die, it abideth alone
Whosoever will save his life shall lose it
Each one of us is given something at birth: a life to live. It is the greatest gift we possess, and it is ours to do with as we will. Understandably, we tend to put a lot of value in that life and guard it jealously. We avoid anything that we deem a danger to it, and prickle at the notion of someone else taking control of it. These instinctive tendencies of ours are good things, and they represent a healthy mentality.
But then, sometimes, the one that gave us that life asks us to give Him back a part of it. In some cases He even asks for all of it! And then those protective tendencies start to prove a hindrance. They naturally balk at the request. If we listen to them, and refuse our creator’s request, then we might be able to keep our life, but now it will be alone and empty.

But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit
Whosoever will lose his life shall find it
If, however, we overcome the natural man, we might be able to give a completely bizarre and unnatural response, instead. We might agree to part with that which we have. In this case we take our precious life and hand it over, saying “it isn’t for me to choose anymore, God, you steer this thing where you want it to go.”
Make no mistake, it is a hard thing to do. Even Jesus hesitated at the prospect of it, and wondered if the cup could be taken from him. But, in the end, he settled on the mantra “not my will, but thine be done.” And because of it, he was resurrected, and the life he gave up was replaced by one that was better. So it will be for each of us as well. We have to be willing to part with the good things we have if we are to ever have space to receive the better.

Posted on by Abe Austin

The Nature of Sacrifice- Galatians 2:20, Matthew 10:38-39

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

COMMENTARY

I am crucified with Christ, but Christ liveth in me
I have already discussed how the nature of our sacrifice is to reform us to be in the image of Christ. This passage from Paul further stresses that Christ is also our exemplar in that sacrifice. Yes, he performed his atonement to cleanse our sins, but he also did it to demonstrate for us what we must do.
There is a beautiful intersection here of Christ’s sacrifice and our own. We sacrifice to become like him, and he sacrifices so that that is even possible. Were it not for his atonement, then it wouldn’t matter what we tried to sacrifice, we wouldn’t be able to experience the necessary change of heart. We might take a leap of faith, but there would be nothing to catch us on the other side.
This signifies that there is an order to sacrifice. Christ’s is the first, the prerequisite that allows us to make our own. Strange as it might sound, the freedom that Christ wins for us is the freedom to sacrifice; the freedom to not have to hold onto the old.

And he that taketh not his cross is not worthy of me
He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it
And now consider Christ’s famous pronouncement that only those who are willing to lose their life shall find it. He is not telling us that if we give up our old life then we’ll get it back again later. That wouldn’t be a sacrifice, after all, that would be a loan. No, what we give up will truly be given up, and the life that he promises we will find is not our old one back again. The life that we find will be an entirely new one: his life. We are to bear our cross, be “crucified with Christ,” and trust that as we do this new life will emerge.

Posted on by Abe Austin

The Nature of Sacrifice- 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Peter 2:5

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

COMMENTARY

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump
To offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ
Continuing the point from before, this new verse also speaks of how we are meant to change our old nature to align with Christ. And this change necessarily requires some sort of sacrifice. Quite simply we cannot put on a new piece of our Savior, until we have first made space for it by getting rid of something else. Thus, sacrifice.
This is why animal sacrifice was never sufficient to save souls, for it did not require any actual change. Those that came to the temple to only give up an animal missed the whole point of it. That offering was always meant to be coupled with one of these “spiritual sacrifices” that Peter mentions.

Even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us
When we see the sacrament prepared on the altar, we are witnessing what God is willing to offer to save us: the life of His son. But if we eat and drink, say “thank you,” and leave, then we, too, are missing the entire point. Because God’s offering was always meant to be matched with another…the “spiritual sacrifice” that we bring in return. The ancient Israelites never came to the altar empty handed, and neither should we.
Of course what we offer will not be on the same order of magnitude as what God has. That’s alright, it doesn’t have to be equal. But we should be offering something. Perhaps we could be giving up an old sin? Perhaps we could be making a new commitment for good? Just so long as it is something which states “I see what you have given up for me, God, and I will honor it by giving up my own inferior part, and taking the better one that you offer to replace it.”

Posted on by Abe Austin

The Nature of Sacrifice- Moses 5:6-8

And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.

COMMENTARY

I know not, save the Lord commanded me
I feel that Adam’s reasoning for performing sacrifice perfectly captures the simple faith behind so much of our own obedience. Why do you go to church? Pay your tithing? Hold back that insult? Tell the truth that harms you? Perhaps for some of these things we have learned the reason why, but at some point I think the answer for each of us is “I dunno…it just seemed like the right thing to do.”
Now I am a firm believer in doing the right thing because it is the right thing, that is more than reason enough, but at the same time I do believe that there are deeper reasons, even if I do not yet comprehend them. Just as I believe that there are reasons and rules for every behavior in physics, even if I do not know what they all are.

This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father
Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son
In this case we learn what the reason for animal sacrifice was: to signify the greater sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Performing this ritual was to help the disciples of the Old Testament understand that their sins required atoning, and that it would be the blood of the lamb which would ultimately fulfill that need.
But this second line, the one about doing all that we do in the name of the Son, gives us the reason for our other types of sacrifice. Why do you give up your addiction? Your anger? Your idle wastes of time? Because by the Son’s sacrifice you were purchased, and his name is upon you, and now you are to become an embodiment of him. You are to do the things that he would do, and not the things that he wouldn’t. So sacrifice, that you may better become him.

Posted on by Abe Austin

The Nature of Sacrifice- Question

Some things in the gospel are very easy to talk about with others: grace, love, forgiveness, and peace for example. But other things are more difficult to broach, such as the element of sacrifice. Sacrifice, by its nature, means a painful experience. Indeed if there is no pain involved, then it isn’t really a sacrifice.

Yet discussing sacrifice is not only difficult because of the pain associated with it, but also because of the sweetness. Many people testify that their most sacred moments have come directly from their sacrifices. Indeed, both words have at their root the Latin term sacer, which means holy. Sometimes these moments are too private to share, and those that experience them can only encourage others to find their own.

But why is sacrifice such an integral part of the gospel? And why is pain essential to perfection? I would like to explore these questions and others with my new study, taking into consideration the root of all sacrifice: that of the Jesus Christ to redeem mankind.

In the meantime, I would love to hear about your own experiences with sacrifice. How have you known what you should sacrifice and what you should hold to? What were the effects of your surrendering? What did you receive in return for your loss?

Posted on by Abe Austin

Peace in the Storm- 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, Alma 7:12

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

COMMENTARY

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
By definition, the most common storms we face will be the usual afflictions of life: sickness, death, betrayal, doubt, pain, wars, misunderstanding, ignorance, and vice. No matter our lifestyle these are unavoidable.As Paul himself describes in these verses, we are troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down.
But Paul also asserts that we can be all of these things, yet still not overcome. We can be buffeted by the storm, but not overwhelmed by it. That sounds very encouraging. If the storm cannot be removed entirely, at least it can be limited from swamping us entirely. But hearing this promise one naturally has to ask “but why? And how?”

Always bearing the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body
And he will take upon him their infirmities, that he may know how to succor his people according to their infirmities
Paul anticipates that question, and in his very next verse points to the dying sacrifice of Jesus which buoys us up in life. It is that alone which holds the storms of life at a manageable level.
Thus if we were abandoned in this fallen world then these storms would overwhelm us. We might stand against them for a time, but eventually we would break and succumb. Each of us would become jaded, cynical, and faithless.
But for those that will accept his help, Jesus planted himself in that exact same storm alongside of us. He knows how the waves hit, and he knows how to bolster us where we would otherwise fall. The storm does have the power to destroy us, but it does not have the power to destroy us and Christ together.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Sacrifice and Consecration- Summary

I had very personal reasons to do this particular research. Which makes sense, this is a personal blog. But even if my situation was different from yours, I do believe that the principles we have discussed are generally useful.

The differences between sacrifice and consecration are an excellent example of how the gospel is both wonderfully simple and delightfully complex at the same time. To satisfy both laws all one has to do is give to God whatever their conscience moves them to give. One’s duty is not any more complex than that.

But behind that simplicity there are systems and reasons. Behind the “what” we are supposed to do there is always the “why” we are supposed to do it. I am grateful for a God who recognizes that we will be naturally curious, and takes the time to explain things to us. My faith is reaffirmed whenever I go to the scriptures, and there discover that He already wrote the answers before I even conceived of the questions.

We Sacrifice Our Obstacles

Jesus might have done away with animal sacrifice, but that does not mean that sacrifice itself was done away with. That law is still in full force. The only difference is that instead of giving up our animals, we give up whatever things obstruct us from fully following God.
Most obviously this means our sins. We sacrifice anything that he has declared unworthy, anything that makes us feel guilty. We also sacrifice our excesses. For example, there is nothing wrong in entertainment and media…though we need to keep these indulgences within moderation.
This is not all, though. At times our conscience will prompt us to perform other sacrifices, too, even of things that are not inherently evil. I once had a dream to become an artist. I tried my hand at it and found it did not provide me the joy and fulfillment that I had hoped for. Artistry is a very right thing for some people, but after some soul searching I concluded that it was not right for me. I let that dream go.
3 Nephi 9:19-20- And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings
And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

We Consecrate Our Talents

There are things that we do not need to sacrifice, but that we do still need to offer to God. These offerings are called “consecration.” It means that we will set apart this thing for His work and His glory. This fundamentally alters the thing that we offer, but it does not destroy it.
Our talents are an example of something that we consecrate. Each of us has unique abilities and skills, and we are meant to use them for building up God’s kingdom. He does not ask us to give up the things that we were born to do, but He does ask us to do them in the way that He intended.
For myself, I have decided to consecrate my writing to God. Any novel that I intend to publish will purposefully be written with His messages at its core. It will be designed as a tool for promoting His kingdom and helping His children. But this is just the right choice for me and it might not be the right one for you, even if you are a writer. It is a personal thing that you have to work out with God.
2 Nephi 9:39- But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

Consecration Preserves Forever

In the end our talents die with us. That which we perform on Earth, one day we will perform no more. And if we used our talents to obtain worldly wealth or glory, then all those will be lost when we pass on.
But if instead we used our talents to give a goodness to the world, that good will persist after we are gone. And if we used our talents to give glory to God, that glory will yet remain with Him because He is undying.
And God has declared that it is His intention to share His glory with us, and so that glory which we gave to Him will be returned to us in the hereafter. It would seem that karma does not end in the grave.
The more we understand consecration, the more we will want to commit our lives to it. In fact the idea is that we commit our whole selves to God, which then allows Him to restore us back in full measure. Each of us will live again, but only those who consecrate will have their heart waiting for them on the other side.
Matthew 16:25- For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.