Most religions have a common theme: sacrifice yourself for your god and your god will reward you.  But true followers of Jesus do not think like that because it is not true to the Bible.  Yes, we certainly understand that God does not want us to live for ourselves, and that sacrifice is an essential part of our discipleship ... but it can never be to gain favour with God (Luke 18:9-14).  We are already accepted by Him when we repent, believe in Jesus Christ and receive His mercy.  This new relationship is a privilege, freely given and gladly accepted: nothing we do can add to our security in God.

The Apostle Paul speaks in a gentle way, not as a super-saint, but as a saved sinner - an equal child of God with the church members in Rome, a brother amongst other brothers and sisters who are all dependent on God’s mercy (1 Timothy 1:12-16).

However, in the same way that children need to be taught how to respond to parental love, they must learn to please their parents and take a responsible place in the family - so do Christians in God’s family (Ephesians 5:10).  So, Paul urges those who have been saved by the precious blood of Christ  who gave everything for them (1 Peter 1:18-19), to re-orientate their lifestyle. Instead of being self-pleasing, they were to be God-worshipping.  But their worship was not to be restricted to church meetings.  Every part of their lives should show that they belong to Jesus, by living as He did – sacrificially (John 6:38), pleasing Father God.

It is easy to talk about being holy and pleasing God, but our old nature keeps calling us back into self-centred thinking and living (Romans 7:18-20). That is why believers need to ask, ‘How can I best live sacrificially, like Jesus, in this situation?’  Then we must do it!  Always, the instinct of our flesh will try to find 'what is in it for me', but the Holy Spirit will be urging, 'what is in it for Jesus' reputation?'  That battle is so strong that the Apostle has to urge the believers in Rome to serve rather than be served by others; to work hard rather than slack off; to give rather than receive, as an expression of God's love to others (Romans 12:9-21).  None of this is easy, but it is the proper way to express our relationship with God who has given us a free pardon for all our sins although at great cost to Christ.  Put simply, sacrifice is an essential part of the normal Christian life: anything less is ungrateful disobedience.