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2 Maccabees 7:8 "He replied to them in the language of his fathers, and said to them 'No.' Therefore he in turn underwent tortures as the first brother had done."

 

This is the second of the seven brothers who will each be tortured and killed in turn for refusing to eat pork. At the point of death, this brother says "[T]he king of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws." (2 Maccabees 7:9).

 

That is the goal, right? To be raised up to an everlasting renewal of life with God should be what we are living for, and we don't get there without sacrifice. Unlike the brothers, we most likely will not be tortured and killed for obeying God's law, but we do have to live differently in the world, we do have to give things up and turn away from what the world says is acceptable.

 

These brothers died horrific deaths for the sake of not eating "unlawful swine's flesh" (2 Maccabees 7:2). If ever there was a law that seemed justifiable to break, it would be that one! But they stood firm, encouraged by their mother, while enduring pain beyond imagining and eventual death in order to not violate this most seemingly inconsequential of God's laws. 

 

So what is God asking us to sacrifice for His law? In our case, I think the laws are a lot more significant and the sacrifices much less so than the seven brothers faced. The world has cast some very dire sins as easily ignorable laws. It does not understand when we say "No" to these things. But we must say No, and be willing to sacrifice for our No, if we want to have eternal life.