The cause of Christ has always demanded sacrifice.  It began with the sacrifice of our Savior, not just with His death on the cross, but at the very moment He gave up heaven and came to earth to become the propitiation for our sins.  Since then, the halls of history have been littered with examples of saints willing to give the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to advance the gospel.

Paul is one of those saints.  In the end, he was executed at the hands of the Roman government.  He knew beforehand what his fate was going to be, and he approached it with confidence and courage (2 Timothy 4:6-8).  This was no surprise.  The first time Paul was imprisoned by the Romans, he indicated that he was willing to give his life for the cause.

Philippians 1:20 (ESV)
²⁰  As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Paul’s attitude about death was due to his realization that death is gain for the children of God (Philippians 1:21).  The point I want you to see here, however, is that Paul was willing to sacrifice for the advancement of the gospel.  In fact, in Paul’s mind, the real sacrifice would not be dying but living.

Philippians 1:23-24 (ESV)
²³  I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴  But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Paul knew that death would immediately put him in a better place, but still, there was a part of him that wanted to continue to live.  Why?  The only reason was that he knew it would be best for the brethren.  He was always willing to sacrifice.

What are we willing to sacrifice for the cause of Christ?  The gospel, which is the heart of our Lord’s cause, cannot be advanced without sacrifice.  Sometimes it is family that needs to be sacrificed.  Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).  If family ever gets in the way of serving Christ, we must sacrifice that relationship for our Lord and His cause.

Time is something else we can sacrifice for the advancement of the gospel.  Are you willing to give your time for Christ?  Paul exhorted the brethren at Ephesus to use their time wisely.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV)
¹⁵  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶  making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

These are just a few examples of areas where we can sacrifice.  Most of you reading this blog will never have to sacrifice your life for Christ.  We do not live in a situation where that ever becomes necessary.  The question is, will we sacrifice our living to advance the gospel of Christ?  In other words, are we willing to live for Jesus every day, even if it means making sacrifices?  Will we sacrifice time, money, family, friends, personal wants, and anything else needed to advance the gospel?  Remember, without sacrifice, there will be no progress.