Our heavenly Father accepts our worship and service when we first freely give ourselves to Him. The Christians in Macedonia in great trial of affliction and in deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. How is this possible? The apostle Paul explained it: "...they were freely willing...they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the Will of God" (2 Cor. 8:2-5)!

God desires His children out of love to freely give themselves to Him. Paul described freewill sacrifice for Christians in his letter to the Romans, when he wrote: "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" (Rom. 12:1). The child of God gives himself to the Lord completely both in body and spirit. Every aspect of his life is dedicated to worshiping and serving the Father and the Son.

This lesson of our freewill sacrifice is built upon the great and literal sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (Eph. 5:1,2). No greater sacrifice can be given than the Son of God willingly and freely giving Himself for the sins of mankind! Jesus Christ is the true freewill sacrifice upon which all other freewill sacrifices are accepted by God.

When we partake of the Lord's Supper we are remembering the freewill sacrifice that allows us to come before the throne of God. We are acknowledging that upon the sacrifice of Jesus, the freewill sacrifice of ourselves is accepted by our Father.

By Ron Drumm.