Where Bible Study Makes A Difference

Sacrificing Self In A Post-Modern American Culture (Part 1)

Its about me, about meits all about me. This is the current banner for American society. Weve arrived at a corner of dangerous thinking produced from a post-modern culture. Self-esteem, self-exaltation (pride), or the lone-ranger mentality appears to be the way of the so-called Christian church today. Christendom seems to be suffering from men being concerned only about self. Theres no sacrifice anymore! We want to feed our own belly now. Marriage has gotten hit hard with these ideals as well. I am not marrying you unless you unless you have this, make this and do this Lets sign a prenuptial agreement.just in case you start losing your mind. Forget the bible, do what pleases you; this is the attitude prevailing today. Only use scripture when it fits our necessary justification for such foolishness.

Thinking like this is far from agreement with the biblical admonishments of the scriptures. These things oppose the very lifestyle the Lord has called for Christians to live. What ever happened to considering others more important (Philippians 2:3-4)? Has this idea has flown completely out the window in America?

There is hope though, and believers must continue looking to the Word of God in order to fight against these attitudes of our American culture. One thing we can observe is a close examination of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, revolution begins when the Word of God is exalted (Nehemiah 8-9).

In Ephesians, we find the following passage gripping the church with urgency to apply to their lives. Although it is pointing directly at responsibilities of the Spirit-filled husband, we as a church can glean from the central focus of the passage. That focus being Jesus Christ:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Keeping in accordance with the rich blessings found in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1-3), the Christian husband in Ephesus was to be an imitator of God (Ephesians 5:1) by exemplifying love towards his wife. The command from God was, Husbands, love your wives! Pretty clear what the responsibility here is for him. In proper submission, the husband submits to God by loving his wife. Love becomes the driving force as the husband is filled with the Spirit of God (Ephesians 5:18). The next question which should immediately come next to our minds is; how is the husband to love his wife?. Directly following is our answer: just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her. The love of the husband is to be likened, or better stated, following in submission to the love of Jesus Christ. The husband learns how to love properly by imitating the love personified in Christ.

We should not ignore the great implications this passage has upon the Body of Christ. It is not just a statement applicable to husbands and wives, but the whole church can take refuge in it. Now the text is saying to understand the role of a husband in marriage, he must examine the self-sacrificing love of the Lord Jesus Christ towards the Assembly of God. But we can glean on how to break free from the self-focus this fallen society by also examining the love Jesus expresses.

LOVE AND SELF-SACRIFICE FLOWING TOGETHER.

Just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.

It is of no question here that Jesus loved the church. Egapsen (or Agapao)is the Greek word used to describe the supernatural unconditional love Jesus expressed towards His Church. It is a love that is never selfish in nature. It is always self-sacrificing. Love and sacrificing self can be clearly viewed here as twins. The same combo is seen in John 13:1-17, when Jesus washes the stinking dirty feet of the His disciples to give them an example of what love they are to show. Service of this kind requires a love that goes beyond Ill pray for you brother/sister. This love demands our sacrifice! Question, would you be willing to sacrifice an annoyance with bad smells to wash a dirty germ-infested foot? Jesus is explaining to us His slaves do this. It explores the lowest road of humility in order to please God This is the sacrificial love in which men figure out one is a disciple of Jesus (v34-35).

Our love and sacrifice must be different from the worlds. The world may give to the poor, or let a person stay with them until their financial stable. But normally that is in accordance with their convenience. As long as they dont have to sacrifice too much, helping out is okay (not saying they never sacrifice). Heres where the Christians strives to be the light to a dying society. His love and sacrifice should be opposite of the worlds. So lets go back to the husband exemplifying Christs sacrificial love.

and gave Himself up for her

There it is. In His love for the church, He sacrifices Himself. He didnt just say I love you, He proved it through His behavior. Paradidomi emphasis one being given over or handed to another. In other words Christ freely suspended His rights and gave His life over as a sweet smelling sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2). He voluntary became the substitution of a penalty aimed at us ungodly sinners. He willingly was made a shame while possessing a heart beating for the church. We are to imitate the same sacrifice. Christ sacrificed for us in the following scripture examples:

Galatians 1:4 – who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father

John 10:17-18 – For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

Romans 5:6-8 (KJV) – For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Does your neighbor see love and self-sacrifice going together in your lifestyle? Are you getting dirty for the kingdom, so dirty youll go without a bath for weeks just for God to save His elect? Have your needs been exalted over the needs of others in the Body.

We must not allow our minds to become comfortable with the riches of America. We cannot sit back and be a lazy church. Our call is to sacrifice like the Ephesian husband. Putting down our needs so the love we have for another can be lifted up. Going beyond for the struggling brother or sister should be our motivation. It should even pour out to all around us. What a difference that truly makes!

Who are we sweating for in the Body? Who are we sacrificing for? There has got to be a place where our sacrifice is like that of the husbands here in Ephesians. Our wants must be denied. We are called to love and sacrifice for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ. He did for His church; we should do this to as representatives for the Kingdom on this earth. May this scripture encourage you:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; forwhatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)