The Power of Sacrificial Love: Embracing Our Calling

The cross wasn’t forced upon Jesus; He willfully chose it. Why? Because His heart was filled with unconditional, perfect love. He saw your future flaws and freedom and said, “They’re worth it.” His heart endured pain so yours could be made whole. Jesus doesn’t run from your suffering; instead, He stepped into His own so He could walk with you through yours. His love isn’t shallow; it’s sacrificial.

Jesus died so that we can live. How often do we truly sit with that? Jesus, God of All, King of kings and Lord of lords, our Messiah, our Creator. He left the luxuries of Heaven, stepped into humanity to be among His greatest treasure, and lived the perfect life we could not live just to die for us. He died for me. He died for you. How beautiful that is. But praise be to God, He got out of that grave!

Jesus paid the ultimate price, knowing we might never choose Him. He gave us everything, and so often, especially in American Christianity, we can become complacent in our faith if we are not careful. We have to be watchful of ourselves because, if not, it becomes easy to adopt a mediocre, shallow faith. We end up living a mediocre, shallow life, doing things on our terms and treating Jesus like a good luck charm. He is the Lord and Savior of our souls and calls us higher. This type of living has been prevalent in our society for far too long.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the suffrage of Jesus Christ...Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.”

We must have an active pursuit of the heart of Christ just as He has an active pursuit of us. Passivity is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is not a synonym that is interchangeable with the fruits. Passivity is not a Kingdom characteristic. Passivity is not like Christ. Be engaged, be active, and empty yourself at the foot of the cross every time.