One
of the most "objectionable" facets of the gospel (Good News) of Jesus
the Christ to many people is that God the Father was willing to
sacrifice His only begotten Son for our sin. How can a loving God
sacrifice His own Son?
Most people particularly in the "western world" would readily state that they do not believe in sacrificing even animals much less human beings no matter how great the perceived "benefits" would be... They would consider those things "barbaric"... REALLY???
What we confuse as "civilized" is in reality, just our distance from the act of sacrifice so we don't actually see the taking of the life in sacrifice. In reality we are just as responsible for the taking of life in a sacrifice as those that perform those actions for us.
90% of humans on the face of this earth live (are kept from death) through blood sacrifice. We partake of the daily sacrifices of the animals we eat. All of us even those that don't eat meat live by the taking of life (Animals and Plants) in some way or another. We are not so aware of that because to some degree we don't consider the life of those things as important as our own lives and well being. But it is utterly true in Humanity that we live solely as a result of the taking of life. We live because we are willing to sacrifice life.
The human species (especially in the so called "civilized world") unlike other species has taken the "need to sacrifice life to live" to a degree that is almost self destructive. We sacrifice whole forests and jungles to live in shelters that are way more than we need. We even sacrifice the air we breath for our convenience. We in the West constantly benefit from the sacrifice of decent human wages. We think nothing of partaking of the sacrifices others here locally and in 3rd world countries who are forced into being sacrificed just to survive.
Somewhere in the world there is always somebody willing to even sacrifice countless human lives (blood sacrifice) to gain or defend territory. Even if nobody is killed, someone else's freedom and sovereignty is being sacrificed for the benefit of others. People look the other way because in some way, some of us will benefit. We in the USA live here and benefit from it solely because someone was willing to sacrifice native populations who were only fighting to defend their territory. A horrible blood sacrifice for those of us who came later to benefit from. We live here as a direct result of blood sacrifice.
Friends that's a lot of sacrifices being required by us over the history of mankind. And we are all guilty of sacrificing someone or something for our own benefit. Humanity is locked into an endlessly sacrificing downward spiral. Yet we take no thought about it for the most part.
Finally, in the "ultimate sacrifice" of blood, when one of our soldiers, police or firefighters or even a civilian lays their life down willingly for the sake of others, we honor them as heros. The best of the best.
"God so loved the world that He gave (sacrificed) His only begotten Son, so whoever would believe in Him "and the sacrifice of His own life) will not perish but have everlasting life."
Jesus was the sacrifice made by God to end all sacrifices. And that day will surely come when the full results of that sacrifice are made fully manifest on earth... We will be judged by whether we honored Him or not in our lives...
Most people particularly in the "western world" would readily state that they do not believe in sacrificing even animals much less human beings no matter how great the perceived "benefits" would be... They would consider those things "barbaric"... REALLY???
What we confuse as "civilized" is in reality, just our distance from the act of sacrifice so we don't actually see the taking of the life in sacrifice. In reality we are just as responsible for the taking of life in a sacrifice as those that perform those actions for us.
90% of humans on the face of this earth live (are kept from death) through blood sacrifice. We partake of the daily sacrifices of the animals we eat. All of us even those that don't eat meat live by the taking of life (Animals and Plants) in some way or another. We are not so aware of that because to some degree we don't consider the life of those things as important as our own lives and well being. But it is utterly true in Humanity that we live solely as a result of the taking of life. We live because we are willing to sacrifice life.
The human species (especially in the so called "civilized world") unlike other species has taken the "need to sacrifice life to live" to a degree that is almost self destructive. We sacrifice whole forests and jungles to live in shelters that are way more than we need. We even sacrifice the air we breath for our convenience. We in the West constantly benefit from the sacrifice of decent human wages. We think nothing of partaking of the sacrifices others here locally and in 3rd world countries who are forced into being sacrificed just to survive.
Somewhere in the world there is always somebody willing to even sacrifice countless human lives (blood sacrifice) to gain or defend territory. Even if nobody is killed, someone else's freedom and sovereignty is being sacrificed for the benefit of others. People look the other way because in some way, some of us will benefit. We in the USA live here and benefit from it solely because someone was willing to sacrifice native populations who were only fighting to defend their territory. A horrible blood sacrifice for those of us who came later to benefit from. We live here as a direct result of blood sacrifice.
Friends that's a lot of sacrifices being required by us over the history of mankind. And we are all guilty of sacrificing someone or something for our own benefit. Humanity is locked into an endlessly sacrificing downward spiral. Yet we take no thought about it for the most part.
Finally, in the "ultimate sacrifice" of blood, when one of our soldiers, police or firefighters or even a civilian lays their life down willingly for the sake of others, we honor them as heros. The best of the best.
"God so loved the world that He gave (sacrificed) His only begotten Son, so whoever would believe in Him "and the sacrifice of His own life) will not perish but have everlasting life."
Jesus was the sacrifice made by God to end all sacrifices. And that day will surely come when the full results of that sacrifice are made fully manifest on earth... We will be judged by whether we honored Him or not in our lives...
