We are continuing to look at walking in love. Ephesians 5:2 says: "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." Our walk of love must be a sacrificial. Sometimes it will not be convenient or desired by others, yet those that choose the path of discipleship will persevere. One aspect of sacrifice is being a victim. Have you ever felt like a victim from the attacks of those you tried to love? Have you ever felt used by someone you tried to help? My wife and I learned first hand that sometimes sacrificial love can really hurt. We met a homeless couple with two children. We allowed them to move into one of our properties without paying. We told them that they could stay three months free so that they could save their money to get their own place. After three months they became very angry at our generosity and tried to burn our home to the ground. The mother for some reason focused her hatred on my wife and it was my wife that had done the most for them. My wife's response was to continue to love and pray for them even in the face of their abuse. Walking in love sometimes means that you will be a victim and we need to accept that part of the walk.
Jesus Christ is the perfect model of a sacrificial walk of love. He became the ultimate victim by dying for our sins at Calvary. The Barnes New Testament Commentary explains His sacrifice: "Christ is here expressly called a Sacrifice--the usual word in the Scriptures to denote a proper sacrifice. A sacrifice was an offering made to God by killing an animal and burning it on an altar, designed to make atonement for sin. It always implied the killing of the animal as an acknowledgment of the sinner that he deserved to die. It was the giving up of life, which was supposed to reside in the blood, and hence it was necessary that blood should be shed. Christ was such a sacrifice; and his love was shown in his being willing that his blood should be shed to save men."
Jesus Christ was willing to walk sacrificially; are we willing to do so also as His disciple? Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is far more than praying a prayer or jumping around at upbeat worship music. Walking in love is being always ready to be a sacrifice, to be a victim for the one you love. Today, seek God and ask Him to enable you by the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in love.
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