3 Expectations of Christians

Offer Up Sacrifices

1 Peter 2:5 NASB95

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

God calls Christians to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. The New Testament mentions 7 spiritual sacrifices Christians are to offer up to God: 1. Our bodies 2. Our Praise 3. Good deeds. 4. Sharing & Giving 5. Reconciling Sinners 6. Loving one another 7. Prayer

Our bodies are living sacrifices

Romans 12:1 NASB95

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

What we do with our bodies must worship God. We cannot use our bodies for sinful purposes but for righteousness. Romans 6:13

Romans 6:13 NASB95

and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

To offer our bodies up as living sacrifices we are to put away sinful ways and use our bodies as instruments of righteousness. It is important to do both. Some focus on the first and gauge their sacrifice as good as long as they don’t do the things they used to do. However that is an incomplete sacrifice. The second part of the sacrifice is to use your body to fulfill the calling of God on your life. In doing this you are presenting your bodies as instruments of righteousness.

Sacrifice of Praise

Hebrews 13:15 NASB95

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

We are to praise God for who He is and what He has done. God is the one true sovereign God who is holy, omniscient, omnipresent, unchanging, and holy in being. There is none greater than God. We are to praise His holy name!

Moses praises God when God delivers Israel and says in Exodus 15:2

Exodus 15:2 (NASB95)

“The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him.

God in His being is to be praised by all Christians.

Not only are we to praise God for who He is, but also for what He has done. He has brought salvation to man and given Him everlasting life. We can praise Him for that until the day we die and for all eternity. But God has also, blessed us beyond measure in our lives today. We are to be grateful and praise His Holy name.

Good Deeds

Titus 3:8 NASB95

This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

Good deeds involve other people’s needs before our own. When we see someone in need and have the ability to help it is our responsibility and duty to help. By doing so you are offering up the sacrifice of good deeds.

One may ask why good deeds are a sacrifice. Because doing good deeds always cost you something. Either time or resources or both. When you do them in the name of Jesus you are offering Him a sacrifice.

Sharing

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (NASB95)

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

God loves a cheerful giver. When we give our gifts and tithes with joy it brings a smile to God’s face. Some people may give and give begrudgingly. This person would be better off not giving at all. God is more concerned with the heart of giving than the actual gift. God does not need our gifts, but loves when we give cheerfully.

Reconcile Sinners

Romans 15:15–16 (NASB95)

But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Paul went to a pagan group of people known as Gentiles to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to minister to them. These were a people that had no concept of the One true God. Some who had spirituality had false gods. But for the most part Gentiles lived for themselves and made their own rules that they lived by. They were consumed with living for themselves.

Paul went to them and shared the fact that they were sinners before God and in need of a Savior. He shared that Jesus is their Savior.

When wee seek the lost to reconcile them to the Father through Jesus Christ it is a tremendous sacrifice.

Love for One Another

1 Peter 4:8 NASB95

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Peter writes that above all we do we should be fervent in our love for one another. The word fervent means to have passionate intensity. We are to love each other so much that the sins that we commit against one another does not affect the love we have for one another.

This is difficult because our natural response to someone who sins against us is to get revenge on them. God calls us to forgive them and restore the relationship. Matthew 5:23-24

Matthew 5:23–24 (NASB95)

“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

We should not let our differences and difficulties affect our love for one another. By loving one another unconditionally we are exhibiting Christ-like love.

Prayer

Matthew 6:6 NASB95

“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

The sacrifice of prayer is one of transparency, honesty and trust in God. When we pray we are to go into the inner room. This is for total privacy so we can be totally transparent with God. When we we are honest with God, He rewards us and does not punish us.

These 7 sacrifices are expectations a living stone and a royal priesthood. Just as the priests in the old testament were expected to offer sacrifices, so are we to offer the sacrifices acceptable to God.

Proclaim the Excellencies of Christ

We can proclaim the excellencies of Christ because He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

1 Peter 2:9 NASB95

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

We all have a story to tell. Everyone of us at one point in our life were walking in sin and darkness. We had no hope or concern for God. God chose the Christian to proclaim His marvelous light.

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

We all have the power of the indwelling Spirit to be witnesses of Christ.

Acts 2:22 NASB95

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—

We can share the miracles of Jesus in the Bible, but we can also share the miracles of Christ in our own lives.

Acts 4:20 NASB95

for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

The Christian cannot be silent about their experiences with Christ

Acts 5:31–32 (NASB95)

“He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

We are to proclaim Jesus as king and subject ourselves to His authority by obeying His commandments.

Keep Your Behavior Excellent

The way we do this is by 1 Peter 2:11

1 Peter 2:11 NASB95

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

The fleshly lusts that wage war against the soul are Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19–21 (NASB95)

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

All of these lusts we must abstain from because they wage war against our soul. They corrupt us and rob us from the Holiness that God commands of us.

Instead we are to do good deeds so people will exalt God. Matthew 5:16

Matthew 5:16 NASB95

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

When we are actively engaged in kingdom work, people will recognize and will give glory to God. They will give glory to God because the engagement of kingdom work brings about God-size results!