Regina,

I think that the two words are similar in meaning. Perhaps one difference would be that when you sacrifice something, you give up something you have, as when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

Denial, it seems to me, would not accept something which is legitimately yours. In both instances there is a personal cost.

When Jesus said we are to take up our cross daily, He was making reference to the Roman practice of forcing a condemned man to carry his cross to his crucifixion – his death. The idea is that we are to die to ourselves when we follow Jesus.

It is one thing to make this commitment, as when one is baptized as an adult, it is quite another to repeat this commitment at the beginning of each day, to remind ourselves and Him that we have died to ourselves and risen to new life in Him.

I don’t think you should be worried about “having sacrificed enough for His sake.” He basically asks you to give Him your life – this includes everything: your possessions, your relationships, your time, your abilities, your future, etc. As we live day by day, reminding the Lord that we are His, He can guide us in our decisions.

For some, like the Rich Young Ruler, it meant the call to give away all his possessions. The missionary, C.T. Studd, a wealthy young Englishman, felt this was God’s call to him, and he did so.

Others recognize that their possessions now belonged to Jesus, but rather than giving them away, they use them as He directs.

The basic thing is that the Lord wants our heart – our very being. Then He can guide us as to how we use what now is His.

Though it is easy to write these words, their implication is costly, and once we have said that we are giving Him ourselves, He will test the reality of our words.

No, I wouldn’t say that sacrifice is the end goal of your ministry – it is really the beginning. The end goal is to glorify God – make Him known. When we keep back things from Him, we limit the freedom of the movement of His Spirit in our lives. It is when His Spirit has free rein that He can more fully use us and thus bring more glory to His Name.