Sacrifice – Love – Unity

From “Catch the Glorious Fire” by Ps Paul Quadros

When confronted with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, different believers have reacted differently. What is the price to pay for a born-again believer in Tehran, or Bahrain or any holy place in Saudi Arabia compared with Colorado, USA or Buenos Aires, or Oxford, England? What is the type of lifestyle that the gospel requires? If there are three key elements in God’s relationship with man they are sacrificial love in unity in Christ (God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him can have eternal life in Him. If you have the Son, you have life). The Lord has made it such that there is no other way to receive such fellowship, love and eternal life.

Consider the life of Peter. Here is a man that having had supernatural encounters with the Lord Jesus Christ, consider the double miracle of the abundance of fish (in the sea) and also already cooked (multiplication of fish and bread) and also many healings and deliverance from demonic attacks of many kinds. Peter has high moments in his spiritual walk with Jesus preaching the gospel, praying for the sick, casting out demons, receiving revelation (about the Christ as the Son of the living God). He also has low moments in his refusal to accept the cross as the destiny and call of Jesus Christ (he had other plans), use of the force (cutting a soldier’s ear), denial of Christ… He has experienced very high and very low moments in his walk.

When challenged with expressing his love and support for Jesus he was not willing to risk his life. In fact, in his obedience to Jesus he could not even dedicate one hour to Him in prayer. He has a great reason for the highest possible self-condemnation. However, he joins Jesus back after resurrection (welcomes the love of Christ in a breakfast prepared for him) and accepts the restoration that Jesus offers. After 50 days of learning and waiting on the Lord in prayer, he receives the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. He is then transformed and changed in a short time to face death. The fear of death cannot hold him any longer even though some of the believers are stoned or murdered because of their confession. He has become a living sacrifice.

The Lord is looking for those who would deny themselves, take up their cross and follow after Jesus. Sacrifice is needed. A complete surrender to the will of God, and to seek the Lord with all our hearts is what He is looking for. God will then provide for us supernaturally. He is determined to be the only source of our life so that even in spite of a world system, we still live by faith (revelation of His divine plan). Understanding the significance of living sacrifice is central to our relationship with the Lord and one another in love (1.John 3.16). Any other type of relationship will bring us into deception and religion. Dying daily and living by faith are two of the basic requirements that the Lord has if we are to fulfill every single plan He has for us (His Name be glorified, His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This prayer can only be fulfilled as we live by the power of God, by faith in His Word, and as living sacrifices in this world)