Understanding the nuances of a language becomes essential when translating the Bible from the original Greek into another language.
What do we mean by sacrifice? What gets in the way is a modern, North American lack of understanding of the meaning of true sacrifice as portrayed in the Holy Scriptures. The concept of making our lives a living sacrifice is very difficult for most Americans to truly comprehend because of our strong sense of individualism and self-reliance. Many denominations (outside of Friends) speak of the imputed righteousness of Christ, which they understand to be His salvific death on the cross. However, those same denominations tend to focus very little on our need to participate in our own deaths to self and to become living sacrifices for Him. We follow Christ’s example by becoming living sacrifices, by no longer being conformed to worldly practices, but by a transforming of our mindset, our whole way of thinking, in conformity to His leadings.
What roles do one’s family, tribe, and culture have on an individual as that person ages? Is self (the ego) more important than God? Is God more important than self? Is it possible to reject and sacrifice one’s self for God? Is tribe more important than self? What does the New Testament have to say about self and making oneself a living sacrifice for God? What kind of exemplar did Jesus display?
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