The dictionary defines sacrifice as “the giving up of something valuable or important for somebody or something else considered to be of more value or importance.” In baseball, that means to intentionally hit into a situation that gets the hitter put out in order to advance a runner closer to home. In chess, you sacrifice one piece to advance another closer to checkmate. We sacrifice when we give unwanted items to charity so that there is more room for new things in the closet. We have twisted the concept of sacrifice to mean the giving up of something I have so that I may obtain something better.
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:15-16
As the writer of Hebrews concludes his primer on the Christian life, he covers many subjects – our love for each other, the sanctity of marriage, the love of money, and respect for the leaders God puts in the local body. He then begins a narrative on the saving work of Jesus on the cross. He explains this work in terms of the sacrificial duties of the priests in the Jewish religion. His audience was primarily those Jews who had converted to Christianity, so they would understand the analogy and be strengthened in their struggle to avoid being drawn back under the rule of the law. His statement that we must “go out to Him outside the camp and bear the disgrace He bore,” is to underscore the fact that our sacrifice has been made once and for all. We no longer need to bring blood to the altar because Jesus has finished that work. Our witness is outside the wall, in a world that is not our home, but a temporary place of ministry in which God has placed us.
This passage reminds us that, while the sin sacrifice was made final by Jesus, we as Christ-followers have need to continue with other sacrifices. The writer specifically addresses the sacrifice of praise – that acknowledgment that we understand who God is, and as a result, we can do nothing but praise the name of the one who has chosen us to be a part of His family. The King James Version of the Bible translates verse 15 as “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.” The use of the metaphor of “the fruit of our lips” personalizes this offering. We must always offer the best that we have as offerings to the Father and the sacrifice of praise is no exception.
The Scripture says that we are to offer this praise continually. I believe that this is meant to be a literal lifting the fruit of our lips to God in every thing we do. Remember, this passage follows a description of the offering that Jesus made for us on the cross. God gave His best as an offering given to redeem a lost world from the grip of sin. That is our benchmark. Our sacrifice of praise – our spiritual sacrifice – is something given to Jesus solely for the glory of His name. There is no expectation of anything in return. We are just giving to Jesus that which is due to Him.
In the late 1600’s, Thomas Ken wrote a hymn that very few people know. It is called “Awake My Soul, And With the Sun.” One of the verses contains these words:
Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.
This verse pretty well sums up the spirit of the message in this passage. By the way, the last verse to the hymn by Thomas Ken has been sung as the Doxology since the 1700’s.
We serve an awesome God!!!!!
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:15-16
As the writer of Hebrews concludes his primer on the Christian life, he covers many subjects – our love for each other, the sanctity of marriage, the love of money, and respect for the leaders God puts in the local body. He then begins a narrative on the saving work of Jesus on the cross. He explains this work in terms of the sacrificial duties of the priests in the Jewish religion. His audience was primarily those Jews who had converted to Christianity, so they would understand the analogy and be strengthened in their struggle to avoid being drawn back under the rule of the law. His statement that we must “go out to Him outside the camp and bear the disgrace He bore,” is to underscore the fact that our sacrifice has been made once and for all. We no longer need to bring blood to the altar because Jesus has finished that work. Our witness is outside the wall, in a world that is not our home, but a temporary place of ministry in which God has placed us.
This passage reminds us that, while the sin sacrifice was made final by Jesus, we as Christ-followers have need to continue with other sacrifices. The writer specifically addresses the sacrifice of praise – that acknowledgment that we understand who God is, and as a result, we can do nothing but praise the name of the one who has chosen us to be a part of His family. The King James Version of the Bible translates verse 15 as “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.” The use of the metaphor of “the fruit of our lips” personalizes this offering. We must always offer the best that we have as offerings to the Father and the sacrifice of praise is no exception.
The Scripture says that we are to offer this praise continually. I believe that this is meant to be a literal lifting the fruit of our lips to God in every thing we do. Remember, this passage follows a description of the offering that Jesus made for us on the cross. God gave His best as an offering given to redeem a lost world from the grip of sin. That is our benchmark. Our sacrifice of praise – our spiritual sacrifice – is something given to Jesus solely for the glory of His name. There is no expectation of anything in return. We are just giving to Jesus that which is due to Him.
In the late 1600’s, Thomas Ken wrote a hymn that very few people know. It is called “Awake My Soul, And With the Sun.” One of the verses contains these words:
Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.
This verse pretty well sums up the spirit of the message in this passage. By the way, the last verse to the hymn by Thomas Ken has been sung as the Doxology since the 1700’s.
We serve an awesome God!!!!!
