Sacrifice That Opens Into Life
The Holy Spirit lives in you and knows what crowds the inner room.
Devotional Credit
Sermon by Rev. Kristen Schildroth, Wakefield First Church of the Nazarene, John 12:23 to 26
Photo Credit
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Easter joy is not thin or sentimental. It is radiant because Jesus first gave Himself without reserve. Rev. Kristen Schildroth traces that beautiful thread in John 12. The grain of wheat goes into the ground and dies, then life springs up. Resurrection glory comes through self-giving love. That is the pattern of our Lord, and it becomes the pattern of our life in Him.
She names what all of us know in ordinary ways. The Holy Spirit often puts His hand on something we clutch, not to punish, but to make room for a better portion. Sometimes that means adjusting habits. Sometimes it means releasing an entitlement. The point is not grim duty. The point is sharing the life of Jesus who laid Himself down and was raised in power.
This is the life of abiding in Christ. We are not trying to gain life by trading work for reward. We already have life in the Son. As we present ourselves to God, the Holy Spirit expresses that resurrection life through our schedules, our preferences, and our relationships. Surrender becomes spacious. Sacrifice becomes doorway, not dead end.
Thank you, Rev. Schildroth, for putting words to this with honesty and hope. You remind us that Jesus gives far more than He takes. He is not subtracting life. He is clearing the channel so that His life can run full and free in us and through us.
Journal Entry, Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have joined you to Jesus. You were crucified with Him, and now Christ lives in you. Count yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Present your body to God as one alive from the dead. This is worship that is fitting, and I renew your mind as you yield to Me.
Whoever loves his life in this age keeps it small. Whoever lays it down for My sake finds life that endures. Take up your cross day by day, not as self punishment, but as fellowship with the Son who loved you and gave Himself for you. As you abide in Me, fruit comes. Apart from Me you can do nothing. In Me you bear much fruit.
You belong to a people, the body of the Messiah. You were buried with Him and raised with Him. Set your mind on things above, where Christ is, and set your heart there too. Put to death what belongs to the old way, and put on the new self which is being renewed after the image of its Maker. I work in you to will and to do for the Father’s good pleasure.
I do not call you to loss without supply. He who did not spare His own Son also freely gives you all things in Him. As you release what I address, I fill the space with My peace, My joy, and power for love. You share in His sufferings and you share in His resurrection life. This is not your effort securing favor. This is My grace training you to say no to what drags you down, and yes to the true life that is already yours in Jesus.
When I nudge you to lay something on the altar, remember, I am your life. I am faithful. I complete what I begin. I keep you, and I lead you into wide places.
Scripture references: John 12:23 to 26, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:1 to 14, Romans 12:1 to 2, Luke 9:23 to 25, Mark 8:35, John 10:10, John 15:4 to 5, Colossians 2:6 to 7, Colossians 3:1 to 17, Philippians 2:12 to 13, Philippians 3:7 to 11, Romans 8:1 to 13, Romans 8:32, 2 Corinthians 4:10 to 12, 2 Corinthians 5:14 to 17, Ephesians 5:2, Titus 2:11 to 14, Hebrews 12:1 to 2, 1 Peter 2:24.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of cleaning out a crowded closet. Every shelf is packed. You keep pushing items in, then the door will not shut. Nothing new or useful can be stored until something is released. In a richer way, the Holy Spirit lives in you and knows what crowds the inner room. When He points to an item, He is not depriving you. He is making space for the life of Jesus to be displayed. Your action is not frantic tossing. Your action is consent.
A simple practice for today. When the Holy Spirit brings up an attachment, pause and open your hands. Say, Lord, I hand You my claim on this, express Your risen life in me as I take the next right step. Then take one concrete step that matches the release, such as turning off a show to read with a child, deleting a shopping tab to finish a task with integrity, or setting a phone aside to give unhurried attention to a spouse or friend.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, thank You that I am united with Jesus who died and rose again. Thank You that in Him I am alive to God, supplied by Your Spirit, and free to present myself to You. I agree with Your wisdom. I welcome Your leading in what to release and what to embrace. I rest in Your goodness, certain that every surrender becomes a doorway into more of Your life in me.