I met a good friend for lunch the other day and he posed this question:
How would you rank in order – sacrifice, dependence, and obedience?
Based on Scripture, here is my ranking of Sacrifice, Obedience, and Dependence, ordered by how I believe God prioritizes them throughout the Bible:
1. Dependence (Highest Priority)
Why: Dependence is the heart of faith. It acknowledges that apart from God, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Dependence precedes obedience and sacrifice. It is the posture of trust that fuels both.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding…”
Psalm 51:17 – “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
John 15:5 – “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Dependence is the root; obedience and sacrifice are the fruit.
2. Obedience (Next in Priority)
Why: God desires obedience over ritual or offering. Obedience demonstrates love and reverence for God (John 14:15), and it is frequently elevated above sacrifice.
1 Samuel 15:22 – “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 – “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?”
God asks for obedience as an expression of love and fear.
3. Sacrifice (Lowest of the Three)
Why: Sacrifice is meaningful only when it flows from dependence and obedience. God often rejected sacrifices offered with disobedient hearts (Isaiah 1:11-17, Amos 5:21-24).
Hosea 6:6 – “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Psalm 51:16 – “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it…”
Conclusion (Ranked Order):
- Dependence – posture of trust
- Obedience – fruit of trust
- Sacrifice – expression of trust and obedience, but never a substitute
This order reflects not only the logic of Scripture but also God’s recurring emphasis on the heart over the outward act.