Would you sacrifice yourself for God?

[bigvindaloo]

My understanding of Jesus's words is that one cannot demonstrate any greater love than by sacrificing your life for another. Do you love God enough to be prepared to commit your soul through ultimate sacrifice for him? Is this a valid demonstration of true Christian faith?

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

My understanding of Jesus's words is that one cannot demonstrate any greater love than by sacrificing your life for another. Do you love God enough to be prepared to commit your soul through ultimate sacrifice for him? Is this a valid demonstration of true Christian faith?

Dying is the easy part. Living in this world is the sacrifice, and this of course ends with death. We have already made the choice to sacrifice our lives for God, it's just a matter of remembering.

 

[BucephalusBB]

if I would sacrifice my life for another it would be because of the other. not God.
Is sacrificing yourself not suicide and therefor a sin?

 

[PureX]

Dying is the easy part. Living in this world is the sacrifice, and this of course ends with death. We have already made the choice to sacrifice our lives for God, it's just a matter of remembering.

I agree. It's like asking an individual cell in my body if it would sacrifice it's life for me. It's already part of me. It's existence is part of my existence. It's life is already my life. And it's death will be a part of my death.

 

[Bishka]

I would sacrafice myself for God and his kingdom, yes.

 

[Green Gaia]

Under what circumstances would it be necessary to sacrifice yourself for a God?

 

[Bishka]

Under what circumstances would it be necessary to sacrifice yourself for a God?

Someone was threatening to kill you unless you denounced your beliefs is one that comes to my mind.

 

[michel]

My understanding of Jesus's words is that one cannot demonstrate any greater love than by sacrificing your life for another. Do you love God enough to be prepared to commit your soul through ultimate sacrifice for him? Is this a valid demonstration of true Christian faith?

I would, if I thought someone would profit from my doing so.

Is this a valid demonstration of true Christian faith?

Valid ? I don't know. Probably not, because we are supposed to live our lives here, until the end. The only problem with this scenario is that I don't know how I could be convinced that it was indeed God asking me to do this.............

 

[Willamena]

Someone was threatening to kill you unless you denounced your beliefs is one that comes to my mind.

But that is done for you, not for God. They are your beliefs, not God's. It is you sticking to your principles.

 

[Bishka]

But that is done for you, not for God. They are your beliefs, not God's. It is you sticking to your principles.

Let me rephrase it, someone killing you for believing in God and doing His work. To me, that is an ultimate sacrafice for God.

 

[Green Gaia]

Someone was threatening to kill you unless you denounced your beliefs is one that comes to my mind.

No, that would be sacrificing yourself for your beliefs. God is not involved. Sacrificing yourself for God implies that you must die or God will impacted negatively.

 

[Green Gaia]

Let me rephrase it, someone killing you for believing in God and doing His work. To me, that is an ultimate sacrafice for God.

But that is still doing it for your beliefs. God is not impacted in any way whether you live or die.

The OP asked, "would you sacrifice yourself FOR God." I understood that to mean you must die instead of God. I want to know when that would ever be necessary.

 

[Bishka]

But that is still doing it for your beliefs. God is not impacted in any way whether you live or die.

The OP asked, "would you sacrifice yourself FOR God." I understood that to mean you must die instead of God. I want to know when that would ever be necessary.

Oh, sorry about the misunderstanding--I'm still waking up!

It wouldn't. God never will die, so there would be no reason for anyone to be put in His place.

 

[Super Universe]

To answer the OP, I do not believe that there is ever a need to sacrifice anything for God.

You cannot give your life for God. He does not wish you to commit suicide even at the hands of others.

If you were a Jew and the Nazi's lined you up and asked you to denounce your faith or you will be shot, what do you do?

You denounce your faith. You save your life. Your words do not change your ideals. You were forced.

Do you think God will think you are weak? You are surviving. The wrong is not placed upon you it is placed upon the Nazi soldiers. Do you think that God does not know what they did?

Does burning the American flag change anything about our country? It's dyed cloth!

What is meant by sacrificing yourself for others is selfishness.

When placed in a situation where a being only knows itself, is unsure about the motivation of others, and has no feeling of connection to God, what will it do?

Will it live for itself, wasting, littering, taking, and using more than it's share at the expense of others?

Or will it live for others, doing good although there is no return, picking up trash although it is not on it's own property, giving extra food to those who have not yet eaten?

Are you in service toward your own life or are you in service toward others?

 

[Bishka]

To answer the OP, I do not believe that there is ever a need to sacrifice anything for God.

You cannot give your life for God. He does not wish you to commit suicide even at the hands of others.

If you were a Jew and the Nazi's lined you up and asked you to denounce your faith or you will be shot, what do you do?

You denounce your faith. You save your life. Your words do not change your ideals. You were forced.

To me deny my faith in God and that He does exist to save my own pitiful existence, is an absoltuley ridiculous idea. I'd rather die then deny God.

 

[Green Gaia]

What does you dying do for God?

 

[Bishka]

What does you dying do for God?

I don't know, but to deny Him and live? I'd rather not live like that. For me the real issue is denying God, not dying or whatever, but denying my Father in Heaven, someone who I know exists. For me, that would be the ultimate betrayal to God.

 

[Ðanisty]

I don't know, but to deny Him and live? I'd rather not live like that. For me the real issue is denying God, not dying or whatever, but denying my Father in Heaven, someone who I know exists. For me, that would be the ultimate betrayal to God.

Actually, all it would really have to be is a lie. Tell a lie to the people who would harm you. God will forgive you for a lie, won't he? Wouldn't he surely know that you haven't truly denied him?

 

[Green Gaia]

I don't know, but to deny Him and live? I'd rather not live like that. For me the real issue is denying God, not dying or whatever, but denying my Father in Heaven, someone who I know exists. For me, that would be the ultimate betrayal to God.

So.. I'm just trying to understand this line of thinking here, please don't take offense... so, it really has nothing to do with God, but only your guilt?

I have 2 two kids. Someone has a gun to my head and says, "say you don't have children and you live." Of course I'm going to say it! Otherwise I die and leave my children motherless, how does that help them?

 

[Willamena]

To me deny my faith in God and that He does exist to save my own pitiful existence, is an absoltuley ridiculous idea. I'd rather die then deny God.


I don't know, but to deny Him and live? I'd rather not live like that. For me the real issue is denying God, not dying or whatever, but denying my Father in Heaven, someone who I know exists. For me, that would be the ultimate betrayal to God.

To me, this says that you are a very honest person, who could not conceive of being untrue to yourself on this issue. You feel no significant difference between saying a thing and meaning it.

But God would know the difference. Wouldn't He forgive you for saying He didn't exist to save your life, but still believing the opposite?

If so... then it is still about your principles.