Surrender vs. Sacrifice

"For I desire mercy and not sacrifice; knowledge of God and not burnt offerings." 

Hosea 6:6 

After reading this verse in Hosea, all I could think about were two words: surrender and sacrifice. What do these two words look like in life and what is the difference between the two?

To surrender means to relinquish possession or control to another, to submit to the power, authority, and control of another....I think the step that follows surrendering to God is an act of sacrifice– the action of actually giving up these things. Surrender is to accept the call before you, but sacrifice is the literal carrying out of surrender.

"Surrendering (He accepted His call) to the Father’s will, He emptied Himself, became man and was found in the form of a servant whereby the Lord Jesus willingly gave Himself sacrificially (actually carried out in His life and through actions) that God’s will might be fulfilled in and though His life and death." 

Christ voluntarily surrendered Himself (emptied Himself) and anything and everything that stood in the way of the glory and gain of His Father through the sacrifice of His life.

Jesus' sacrifices actually began when He emptied himself of His privileges and the prerogatives that were His as the second person of the Trinity. In becoming man, He veiled and laid aside the voluntary use and glory of His many attributes as God the Son. Then, in this life on earth, He did without wealth, position, status, and even acceptance in that He was rejected by His own.

Surrendering to God’s agenda may mean sacrificing the things we hold most precious—our goods, reputation, comfort, convenience, and a whole list of other things we hold so tightly in our hands as well as those things we hope and plan for.

While part of our surrender is sacrificing those things that are appealing to our flesh, Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice; a sacrifice much bigger than our minor inconveniences. He sacrificed Himself for us, we surrender to this Truth. This Truth, that Jesus died for us so that we might live in freedom with Him, changes everything. It is almost impossible for us to even comprehend what that may mean, but that is why we continue to worship Him and continue to seek knowledge of Him...our entire lives are a process of sanctification, preparing us for the day we will come to know Him and the fullness of the Truth that set us free.

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." 

Micah 6:8 

Lord, help me surrender my life to you every hour of every single day because you paid the sacrifice for me. Forgive us for our lack of understanding, but give us your living hope as we walk in faith. Help me know the Truth of who you are more and more...

"Faith is not the absence of doubt, but the presence of belief."