Today, I’d like to talk about a few vocabularies.  Basically all the definitions of these words are from Noah Webster’s 1828 English Dictionary.  The first word is selfish, defined as “Regarding one's own interest chiefly or soley; influenced in actions by a view to private advantage.”  The definition of selfishly may enlighten us more about selfishness: “The exclusive regard of a person to his own interest or happiness; or that supreme self-love or self-preference, which leads a person in his actions to direct his purposes to the advancement of his own interest, power or happiness, without regarding the interest of others. Selfishness, in its worst or unqualified sense, is the very essence of human depravity, and it stands in direct opposition to benevolence, which is the essence of the divine character.  As God is love, so man, in his natural state, is selfishness.”  In other words, if we remain as who we are, we cannot but be selfish seeking only for our own interest and happiness.  A selfish person’s motto may be, “leave me alone, unless I need your help.  If you want to be kind to me, that’s fine with me, but do not expect me to return.”  He may be a good person and good citizen, but he lives for himself only.  His supreme goodness is to meet his needs and please himself.  He may be sympathetic towards people in miseries, but does not move forward to them for assistance.

 The second word I want to talk about is sacrifice.  Probably the most suitable definition of the word is “To destroy, surrender or suffer to be lost for the sake of obtaining something; as, to sacrifice the peace of the church to a little vain curiosity.  [For example] We should never sacrifice health to pleasure, nor integrity to fame.”  Probably, we can find lots of biblical examples.  One of them is Hebrews 10:12, “But this man [Jesus Christ], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”  He suffered the loss of His life for the sake of bringing us into the kingdom of God.  Philippians 4:18 says, “But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.”  Paul received sacrificial financial support from his beloved believers in the Philippian church.  They made sacrifices for the sake of Paul’s gospel ministry.  Philippians 2:17 says, “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.”  Paul offered his life for the sake of other believers.  Hebrews 13:16, “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”  Good and edifying way of life is a disciplined life for the honor and glory of God, which does not please fleshly lusts.  Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”  Choosing right words to say and singing praises to God are sacrifices for the sake of Him and others.  This teaching is well summed up in Philippians 2:3-4, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  ^{Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.}”  We also need to remember that the definition of sacrifice implies a form of destruction of the one sacrificed.