55 Bible Verses about Sacrifice

On hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill. Go and learn what this means--'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'; for I did not come to call the religious, but the outcast."

The Law, though able to foreshadow the Better System which was coming, never had its actual substance. Its priests, with those sacrifices which they offer continuously year after year, can never make those who come to worship perfect. Otherwise, would not the offering of these sacrifices have been abandoned, as the worshipers, having been once purified, would have had their consciences clear from sins? But, on the contrary, these sacrifices recall their sins to mind year after year. read more.
For the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to remove sins. That is why, when he was coming into the world, the Christ declared-- 'Sacrifice and offering thou dost not desire, but thou dost provide for me a body; Thou dost take no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. So I said, "See, I have come' (as is written of me in the pages of the Book), "To do thy will, O God."' First come the words-- 'Thou dost not desire, nor dost thou take pleasure in, sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sacrifices for sin' (offerings regularly made under the Law), and then there is added-- 'See, I have come to do thy will.' The former sacrifices are set aside to be replaced by the latter.

I have been crucified with Christ. So it is no longer I that live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and, as for my present earthly life, I am living it by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I entreat you, then, Brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, for this is your rational worship. Do not conform to the fashion of this world; but be transformed by the complete change that has come over your minds, so that you may discern what God's will is--all that is good, acceptable, and perfect.

It is the love of the Christ which compels us, when we reflect that, as one died for all, therefore all died; And that he died for all, so that the living should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose for them.

Through my union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am persuaded that nothing is 'defiling in itself.' A thing is 'defiling' only to him who holds it to be so. If, for the sake of what you eat, you wound your Brother's feelings, your life has ceased to be ruled by love. Do not, by what you eat, ruin a man for whom Christ died! Do not let what is right for you become a matter of reproach. read more.
For the Kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and gladness through the presence of the Holy Spirit. He who serves the Christ in this way pleases God, and wins the approval of his fellow men. Therefore our efforts should be directed towards all that makes for peace and the mutual building up of character. Do not undo God's work for the sake of what you eat. Though everything is 'clean,' yet, if a man eats so as to put a stumbling- block in the way of others, he does wrong. The right course is to abstain from meat or wine or, indeed, anything that is a stumbling-block to your Brother. As for yourself--keep this faith of yours to yourself, as in the presence of God. Happy is he who never has to condemn himself in regard to the very thing which he thinks right! He, however, who has misgivings stands condemned if he still eats, because his doing so is not the result of faith. And anything not done as the result of faith is a sin.

With reference to food that has been offered in sacrifice to idols-We are aware that all of us have knowledge! Knowledge breeds conceit, while love builds up character. If a man thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet reached that knowledge which he ought to have reached. On the other hand, if a man loves God, he is known by God. read more.
With reference, then, to eating food that has been offered to idols-we are aware that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. Even supposing that there are so-called 'gods' either in Heaven or on earth-and there are many such 'gods' and 'lords'- Yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom all things come (and for him we live), and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come (and through him we live). Still, it is not every one that has this knowledge. Some people, because of their association with idols, continued down to the present time, eat the food as food offered to an idol; and their consciences, while still weak, are dulled. What we eat, however, will not bring us nearer to God. We lose nothing by not eating this food, and we gain nothing by eating it. But take care that this right of yours does not become in any way a stumbling-block to the weak. For if some one should see you who possess this knowledge, feasting in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is a weak man, become so hardened that he, too, will eat food offered to idols? And so, through this knowledge of yours, the weak man is ruined-your Brother for whose sake Christ died! In this way, by sinning against your Brothers and injuring their consciences, while still weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat makes my Brother fall, rather than make my Brother fall, I will never eat meat again.

Therefore, my dear friends, shun the worship of idols. I speak to you as man of discernment; form your own judgment about what I am saying. In the Cup of Blessing which we bless, is not there a sharing in the blood of the Christ? And in the Bread which we break, is not there a sharing in the Body of the Christ? read more.
The Bread is one, and we, though many, are one body; for we all partake of that one Bread. Look at the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices share with the altar? What do I mean? you ask. Than an offering made to an idol, or the idol itself, is anything? No; what I say is that the sacrifices offered by the Gentiles 'are offered to demons and to a Being who is no God,' and I do not want you to share with demons. You cannot drink both the Cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake at the Table of the Lord and at the table of demons. Or 'are we to rouse the jealousy of the Lord'? Are we stronger than he? Everything is allowable! Yes, but everything is not profitable. Everything is allowable! Yes, but everything does not build up character. A man must not study his own interests, but the interests of others. Eat anything that is sold in the market, without making inquiries to satisfy your scruples; For 'the earth, with all that is in it, belongs to the Lord.' If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you consent to go, eat anything that is put before you, without making inquiries to satisfy your scruples. But, if any one should say to you 'This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol,' then, for the sake of the speaker and his scruples, do not eat it. I do not say 'your' scruples, but 'his.' For why should the freedom that I claim be condemned by the scruples of another? If, for my part, I take the food thankfully, why should I be abused for eating that for which I give thanks? Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to the honor of God. Do not cause offence either to Jews or Greeks or to the Church of God; For I, also, try to please everybody in everything, not seeking my own advantage, but that of men in general, that they may be saved.

And so Jesus, also, to purify the People by his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go out to him 'outside the camp,' bearing the same reproaches as he; for here we have no permanent city, but are looking for the City that is to be. read more.
Through him let us offer, as our sacrifice, continual praise to God--an offering from lips that glorify his Name. Never forget to do kindly acts and to share what you have with others, for such sacrifices are acceptable to God.

Then came up one of the Teachers of the Law who had heard their discussions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them wisely, he asked him this question: "What is the first of all the commandments?" "The first," answered Jesus, "is--'Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is the one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.' read more.
The second is this--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost love thyself.' There is no commandment greater than these." "Wisely answered, Teacher!" exclaimed the Teacher of the Law. "It is true, as you say, that 'there is one God,' and that 'there is no other besides him'; And to 'love him with all one's heart, and with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength,' and to 'love one's neighbor as one loves oneself' is far beyond all 'burnt-offerings and sacrifices.'"

The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and exclaimed: "Here is the Lamb of God, who is to take away the sin of the world!

Then, within the space between the throne and the four Creatures, and in the midst of the Councillors, I saw, standing, a Lamb, which seemed to have been sacrificed. It had seven horns and seven eyes. (These eyes are the seven Spirits of God, and they are sent into all the world.) The Lamb came forward; and he has taken the book from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And, when he had taken the book, the four Creatures and the twenty-four Councillors prostrated themselves before the Lamb, each of them holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense. (These are the prayers of Christ's People.) read more.
And they are singing a new song--'Thou art worthy to take the book and break its seals, for thou wast sacrificed, and with thy blood thou didst buy for God men of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, and didst make them a Kingdom of Priests in the service of our God, and they are reigning upon the earth.' Then, in my vision, I heard the voices of many angels round the throne, and of the Creatures, and of the Councillors. In number they were 'ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands,' and they cried in a loud voice--'Worthy is the Lamb that was sacrificed to receive all power, and wealth, and wisdom, and might, and honour, and praise, and blessing.' And I heard every created thing in the air, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them crying--'To him who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed all blessing, and honour, and praise, and dominion for ever and ever.'

We have learned to know what love is from this--that Christ laid down his life on our behalf. Therefore we also ought to lay down our lives on behalf of our Brothers.

The Law, though able to foreshadow the Better System which was coming, never had its actual substance. Its priests, with those sacrifices which they offer continuously year after year, can never make those who come to worship perfect.