Sacrifice: The word is used either as a noun, representing the object offered, or a verb as acting to make an offering. In the Old Testament the concept is given to teach principles associated with the atonement, looking forward to the coming of Christ. At the same time it was a symbolic representation of that infinite Sacrifice by the Father through the son to pay for all human sin and suffering.
I find it particularly significant that the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit is required, thus repentance is necessary for personal acceptance of the atonement for forgiveness. While repentance always was a requirement for forgiveness, after the accomplishment of the atonement, the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit was given to replace the symbolic offering of a blood sacrifice.
The word “Sacrifice” itself in the Latin is much more than merely losing something for something better, which has become the colloquial meaning. Literally, the word translates into English from the two roots of the word.
Sacrum means sacred or holy, the ending of the word “. . .fice” being related to the verb facere to make or to do, thus Sacrifice translates into making holy, or that which has been made holy. In other words, it is not enough to feel sad about having given up something, unless someone is brought closer to the Lords, it is not a sacrifice.
Eternal: Most nouns or adjectives carry a quantitative and a qualitative meaning. The quantitative answering to the question “how many or how much”, the qualitative property responding to the question “what kind.” Consequently, when you ask your six year old to measure the width of the table, and he comes back with 52, and you say “what, Hot Dogs?” And he chuckles and says “of course not, Inches”, you realize that the concept of measurement inherently includes both quantitative and qualitative elements.
So it is with the word Eternal. It includes the element of duration of time, and the quality of life experienced in that duration of time. We know very little about the time when our Heavenly Father began to be, except, whatever we can imagine, He was there before that. So it is with the End of Time. In our own experience, there is always a beginning and an end. Birthday celebrations, at best, only last a few hours. My wife had a grandfather who lived 104 years. With 89 years, I am extremely grateful for the richness of my life. One thing is clear to me: the meaning of time is vastly different for me than for my Eternal Heavenly Father.
It is interesting that modern physics suggest that the concept of time in total independence of space is not tenable, and we describe the universe as a four-dimensional space-time continuum. At the same time, to claim that such a description of the universe corresponds to an absolute reality is at best an arrogant presumption.
The quality of life suggested in the term “Eternal” is indiscribeably creative and fulfilling and can only be imagined in the context of John 17:3 “and this is life Eternal, that they know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent,” To me, the term “Eternal” should only be used in the context of considering Divine Possibilities.
Repent: Verbs, that is, action words, are used in a transitive context when they take an object, such as I read the book. Read is used as a transitive verb, and the book is the object. On the other hand, when I say: “I read”, the word read is used intransitively without an object. The word “repent” is inherently intransitive, it cannot be used with an object. Try as you might, you cannot repent me.
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