I grew up going to church but I’m not religious now and I never really understood this part.
Please, no answers along the lines of “aha, that’s why Christianity is a sham” or “religions aren’t logical”. I don’t want to debate whether it’s right or wrong, I just want to understand the logic and reasoning that Christians use to explain this.
This is rather like asking Asians why they all eat white rice when brown rice is healthier.
Not all Christians believe either one of those things. And for those that do, the answer is generally that trying to follow God and be obedient to His will is a sacrifice of gratitude to Him for His sacrifice of salvation.