Sacrificial Faith

2^nd Samuel 24:17-25; Psalm 121; John 21:15-23

Rev. Chris Harbin, Rocks Baptist Church—Pamplin, VA

05 June 2005

Faith seems an easy word to use. It often sounds comforting, simple, and perhaps even glib. At times it may even appear to have lost all meaning whatsoever. We hardly think of faith as demanding, and yet the Bible speaks of true faith as inseparable from sacrifice. Is sacrifice really that important to faith? Shouldn’t we be able to live faithfully without sacrifice? Shouldn’t Jesus’ sacrifice mean that our lives should not be inconvenienced by issues of faith?

What Costs Me Nothing:

The people of Israel were suffering greatly from a plague throughout the land. David went to offer sacrifice to God, praying that God would stop the plague and protect the people. When David came to the place where he intended to build an altar for sacrifice to God, the owner of the place offered to give David the animals and items necessary for the sacrifice. David said, “No.”

David knew that faith and trust in God was the most important part of offering sacrifice to God. The man who owned the threshing floor and the oxen offered David everything he might need, but that would have made the sacrifice meaningless. David told Araunah, the owner of the threshing floor and oxen, that he could not offer to God something which had cost him nothing.

David showed us by his attitude and words that sacrifice and offerings to God is not like paying bills. The specific amount would not seem as important as the fact that our offerings declare confidence in God’s provision—faith expressed in sacrifice.

Help From God Alone:

The nations often looked to the hills or mountains as the abode of their gods. The gods were considered to live in the heights, looking down on humanity in some sort of haphazard way, deigning to help at some times and not at others. Life was rather uncertain, for there was no guarantee that the gods would answer the pleas of the people. Against the uncertainties of life, the people often tried to “stack the deck” by praying to several gods or seeking divine aid through various means at once.

Against this backdrop, the psalmist declares a unique faith. He is not concerned about the source of his help. He is not concerned about the timing of the aid that Yahweh would bring. Amid uncertainty, he declares confidence in God. He declares God’s faithfulness. His confidence is placed in Yahweh, and Yahweh alone. He needs no other source to meet his needs or protect his life. When he lifts up his eyes to the hills, there is no confusion, there is no uncertainty. His hope is sure.

Sacrificial Care:

Peter was still in turmoil. With the shock of Jesus’ arrest and trial before the Sanhedrin, he had denied even knowing Jesus. He had been utterly confused that night. All that he had longed for had been dashed to pieces when Jesus had been arrested and carted off to a death sentence. What he thought he knew about Jesus had somehow failed him. With the resurrection, things were different, but there were still the nagging questions of guilt over his betrayal. How could he ever again take up his position of leadership among the Twelve after denying having known Jesus?

It was a nagging fear and concern for Peter, but it did not seem to bother Jesus very much. Did Peter have what it took to serve Jesus? Could he be trusted again and live up to the challenge of faithful service? Amid Peter’s despondency, questioning, and doubt, Jesus called Peter back to service.

“Peter, do you love me?” It was a question that Peter just could not answer the way he wanted to do. Jesus used the term for sacrificial love. Peter could not answer in kind. His answer back was less than Jesus’ question. The one who had declared that he would lay down his life for Jesus had denied even knowing Him! He just could not bring himself now to declare the same confidence in his ability to trust and follow. He still trusted Jesus, but he no longer trusted himself. Jesus was more confident—“Feed my lambs.” “Peter, do you love me?” Again, Peter could not match the question regarding sacrificial love—a love that would not stop at any cost. Jesus, however, did not give up on Peter. There was still a place of service for him. Peter may have felt inadequate, but Jesus was willing to give him another chance, calling him to faithful service—“Take care of my sheep.”

“Peter, do you love me as a brother?” Jesus used Peter’s word, a lesser degree of love. He knew of Peter’s inner struggle. He recognized that Peter wanted to serve in sacrificial faithfulness, but was afraid of his own limitations. Jesus took Peter where he was and called him again to service—“Feed my sheep.”

With this third call to service, however, Jesus gave Peter some new assurance. He let Peter know that he would indeed express in action the kind of loving service he could not express in words. Peter was unsure of his own abilities to carry through in sacrificial service, but Jesus’ confidence was strong. Where Peter was grossly aware of his failures to live out the measure of his words, Jesus now assured him that his actions would outstrip the limits of his confidence in himself.

Peter had started out confident in his own qualities, abilities, and strengths. Now Jesus charged him to live and serve beyond the limits of self-confidence. Faith would require that Peter trust God to provide him with the confidence necessary to serve in sacrificial love. Heretofore, Peter had been living on the basis of a faith that didn’t really cost him anything. Prior to Jesus’ betrayal and arrest, it was all too easy to declare confidence, faith, and the determination to serve when there appeared to be no cost involved at all. When words about a cross were expressed in action, all of that changed. Peter would have to trust that God would be faithful and would grant him the strength to be faithful as well.

The kind of faith that Jesus requires of Peter is by its very nature demanding. It requires the kind of sole confidence in God that the psalmist expressed. It requires expression through offerings and deeds that come at a cost. It requires a quality of love that stretches us beyond the limits of what we reasonably expect of ourselves. Are we up to the challenge? Will we allow faith to carry us where we would be afraid to go on our own? Will we express our faith in meaningful ways, or hold it hostage to the constraints of our convenience?

—©Copyright 2005 Christopher B. Harbin

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