What will we sacrifice for others?
What sacrifices are we willing to make for others, as in Galatians 4:15?

Galatians 4:15—A Snapshot of Costly Love

“ What then has become of your blessing? For I testify that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.”

• Paul recalls a moment when the Galatians were so grateful for the gospel that they would have surrendered even their eyesight—an essential, irreplaceable gift.

• The statement is not hyperbole but a literal measure of their former devotion.


Why Eyes? Grasping the Depth of the Offer

• Eyes represent vision, guidance, livelihood, and beauty—virtually everything a person depends on daily.

• By offering them, the Galatians showed they valued Paul’s well-being and the gospel he carried above their own comfort, ability, and future.


Scripture Echoes of Similar Sacrifice

John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Philippians 2:3-8 – Christ “emptied Himself” and “became obedient to death.”

Romans 12:1 – “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

2 Corinthians 8:3-4 – the Macedonians gave “beyond their ability” out of joy.

1 John 3:16-18 – “Let us not love in word or speech but in action and truth.”


Practical Expressions of Sacrificial Love Today

• Time: rearranging schedules to sit with someone in crisis, teach a child, or visit the lonely.

• Comfort: inviting the difficult neighbor to dinner, opening the home to foster or adopt.

• Finances: budgeting deliberately so another believer can attend seminary, a missionary can stay on the field, or a struggling single parent can keep the lights on.

• Reputation: standing beside a slandered brother or sister even when it costs social capital.

• Career opportunities: turning down a promotion that would uproot a spouse’s ministry or destabilize children spiritually.

• Personal dreams: choosing singleness or a simpler lifestyle to maximize gospel flexibility.


Guardrails That Keep Sacrifice Faithful, Not Foolish

• Alignment with Scripture: sacrifices never contradict God’s moral commands (Matthew 22:37-40).

• Responsibility balance: providing for family (1 Timothy 5:8) while blessing others.

• Prayerful counsel: wise believers help discern when a “good” sacrifice may actually enable irresponsibility or sin (Proverbs 15:22).


Motivations That Keep the Heart Warm

• Gratitude for Christ’s ultimate sacrifice (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

• Joy in reflecting God’s generous character (Ephesians 5:1-2).

• Eternal perspective: treasure laid up in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).

• Love for the body of Christ, recognizing we are members of one another (Ephesians 4:25).


Living Out Galatians 4:15 This Week

• Identify one costly gift—time, resource, convenience—you can deliberately place on the altar for someone else’s spiritual or physical good.

• Remember: sacrificial love is not measured by what remains comfortable, but by what we willingly lay down because the gospel and people’s souls matter more.

How can we regain the joy Paul mentions in Galatians 4:15 in our lives?
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