Sacrifice sometimes hurts us to our core and can often leave us feeling a little vulnerable and exposed, especially when it comes to our finances.

Five Offerings Required in the Old Testament Are Broken Into:

1. Thank-you offerings (grain offering, fellowship offering)
2. I’m sorry offerings (burnt offering, sin offering, and guilt offering)

Sacrifices were not to manipulate God for personal gain; rather, they represented thankful responses for God’s blessings, effected forgiveness of sins, and restored fellowship with God and neighbors. Both the poor and the wealthy received complete forgiveness by means of their obedient observance of the sacrificial rites, regardless of the monetary value of their offerings.

There are places in God you only access on the mountain of sacrifice. Share on X

Four Sacrifices That Still Exist Today in the New Testament Church:

• Jesus’ sacrifice (Hebrews 10:14 – “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”) Christianity is not the sacrifice we make, but the sacrifice we trust.
• The sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15 – “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”)
• The sacrifice of the body (Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”)
• The sacrifice of finances (Hebrews 13:16 – “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”)

1. Financial sacrifice is a test.

“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” – Genesis 22:1

Through every season in life, there is a test that we face before we reach higher levels. God tests us when we sacrifice our finances, and, as a matter of fact, God also allows us to test Him in the area of finances.

If you want God to bless your finances, you must first put them in His hands. Although sometimes it may feel like you are giving up your stability here on earth, financial sacrifices to God will actually bless and build your treasures both in heaven and on earth.

When Israel entered the Promised Land, they sacrificed Jericho to God. Sacrifice brings a new season.

2. Financial sacrifice is when you give what you love, not what you don’t need.

“Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’” – Genesis 22:2

Sacrifice isn’t meant to be convenient or comfortable. Our attitude should replicate that of David, who said that he would not offer to God what would cost him nothing. In this moment, let us reflect on our heart and faith.

Don’t offer Ishmael when God asks for Isaac. Sacrifice is something that is outside your convenience.

3. Financial sacrifice opens the heart to God’s presence.

“And Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.’” – Genesis 22:5

There are peaks in God’s mountain that only those who sacrifice can enter. There are things in God that you will only access through sacrifice. Obeying God when He leads you – which always leads to some form of sacrifice, discomfort – open new places in God to you.

Don’t offer Ishmael when God asked for Isaac. Share on X

4. Financial sacrifice is an act of worship.

“And Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.’” Genesis 22:5

The first mention of worship in the Bible is in this verse, where Abraham offered Isaac. There was no worship team, instruments, or even songs just obedience to God’s voice. I truly believe that when worship comes out of sacrifice to the Lord, it releases a fragrance into the atmosphere.

Mary brought a year’s worth of income in a perfume bottle and poured it at the feet of Jesus – it filled the whole house.

Sacrifice is not a waste; it’s an act of worship.

The Greek god of wealth is named Plutus. The Bible uses the word Mammon to describe wealth as a spiritual power competing with God.

• Money has a spirit on it. It either has the Spirit of God on it or the spirit of mammon.
• Mammon says to buy and sell; God says to sow and reap.
• Mammon says to cheat and steal; God says to give and receive.
• Mammon says to take; God says to give.
• Mammon is selfish; God is generous.

Pride Vs Poverty

The spirit of pride says, “Wealth comes from hard work.”
The spirit of poverty says, “Wealth comes from the devil.”

Pride says, “You should be proud of what you have.”
Poverty says, “You should be ashamed of what you have.”

They are both traps because they are things-focused rather than God-focused.

The spirit of pride tries to make people think we paid more for things than we did. The spirit of poverty wants people to think we paid less.

Poverty feels the need to justify purchases and possessions because it equates blessing with evil. It causes you to say, “I can’t let you think I spent very much money on anything because that would mean I’m not spiritual.”

Pride wants people to think that we paid more. Poverty wants people to think we paid less. Gratitude doesn’t care what people think; it only cares what God thinks.

5. Financial sacrifice releases supernatural faith.

“And Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.’” – Genesis 22:5

When we sacrifice, God deposits faith that comes from Him into our hearts. When a sacrifice is done in obedience, it attracts faith for miracles.

Selfishness will attack you before giving. Grief will attack you after you give.

Many people “get” faith, but when you sacrifice, faith gets you.

If it’s hard for you, you’re paying the price; if it’s easy for you, someone paid the price. Share on X

6. Sacrifice establishes you in the fear of the Lord.

“And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’” – Genesis 22:12

There are three fears we can experience:

• Natural fear, which protects from harm.
• Demonic fear, which is harmful.
• Fear of the Lord, which is reverence for the Lord.

Lay down the things you are afraid to lose.

When it comes to finances, so many people are driven by fear. For example, fear of what people think can drive someone to spend like crazy to impress others. Fear of the future can lead a person to save obsessively, leaving them afraid to enjoy money and to invest. The man who hid (saved) his talent was driven by fear. I truly believe that behind sacrificial living is the fear of the Lord.

An angel said to Abraham, “Now I know that you fear God.” To overcome all other financial fears, we must embrace the best fear: the fear of the Lord.

7. Sacrifice brings God’s provision.

“Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” – Genesis 22:13

The first mention of God the Provider was when God provided Abraham a sacrifice to offer instead of his son.

When we sacrifice, we open ourselves up for God’s provision.

Those who sacrifice cease to look to their job as a source; God becomes the source. Job becomes the resource.

8. When you sacrifice, God promises to make you a blessing to others.

“And said: ‘By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.’” – Genesis 22:16–18

After the sacrifice Abraham offered, it pleased God so much that not only did God provide a ram for Abraham, but He also swore to bless him so much that he would be a blessing to the nations.

So many people get confused with the idea of blessing or prosperity, thinking that God prospers us so that we can be filthy rich. However, here we see something else. God wanted to make Abraham the blessing. The purpose of real prosperity is to use our resources for the betterment of the world.

A blessing is when God increases your impact, not just your income.

A blessing is when God increases your impact, not just your income. Share on X

9. Sacrifice helps to heed God’s voice.

“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:18

This was not the first time Abraham heard God’s voice, but God highlighted the fact that Abraham was not mistaken in heeding the voice of the Lord to offer up his son.

Sometimes people think that the thoughts that come into their mind to sacrifice come from the devil or from themselves. However, let’s remember the first time the Bible mentions that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit – it was into the wilderness to fast for 40 days. That is a sacrifice.

What if God did not speak to you to sacrifice, but you came up with that on your own? If that’s the case, congratulations, you are now thinking generous thoughts on your own. You must have a renewed mind.

Don’t forget, a lot of times God’s voice sounds like yours. Take risks to heed what you hear and watch God meet you at the point of your need. No matter how clearly you hear God, it will require risk to heed Him. We don’t give to get; we get to give. Our motives are to please God and to become more like Him.

10. The sacrifice of one generation becomes the foundation of another.

• Abraham offered a sacrifice on Mount Moriah – Genesis 22:2–14
• David offered a sacrifice on the same place. The famous words,“I will not offer God something that costs me nothing” were uttered on this mountain – 2 Samuel 24:16
• Solomon built a temple on this mountain – 1 Chronicles 3:1

The sacrifice of one generation becomes the success of another. Therefore, if things are easy for you, someone paid a price; if things are hard, you’re probably paying the price. 

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