God Gave Me a Second Chance
Is consecration important? “Nothing less than entire consecration to His service will Christ accept. This is the lesson which every one of us must learn.”1
What is consecration? What is the lesson that we must learn? Is this something that will require a lifetime?
The following study on consecration will simply scratch the tip of the iceberg to stimulate our thinking on a deep subject absolutely vital to our salvation.
We are told, “Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’ This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. . . .
“It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.”2
“God wants every worker who claims to believe the present truth to consecrate himself, body, soul, and spirit, to the work of seeking to save the perishing souls around him.”3
What does “consecrate” mean? It is defined as “to make sacred, to dedicate to some purpose.”4
Do we have a biblical example of this? Yes, we do, but first let us take heed of a few inspired quotes to help us grasp the solemnity of the subject:
“There are thousands who claim to have the light of truth who take no steps in advance. They have no living experience, notwithstanding they have had every advantage. They do not know what consecration means.”5
“There are few really consecrated men among us, few who have fought and conquered in the battle with self. Real conversion is a decided change of feelings and motives; it is a virtual taking leave of worldly connections, a hastening from their spiritual atmosphere, a withdrawing from the controlling power of their thoughts, opinions, and influences. The separation causes pain and bitterness to both parties. It is the variance which Christ declares that He came to bring. But the converted will feel a continual longing desire that their friends shall forsake all for Christ, knowing that, unless they do, there will be a final and eternal separation. The true Christian cannot, while with unbelieving friends, be light and trifling. The value of the souls for whom Christ died is too great.”6
Let us consider the tragic occasion when the children of Israel had fallen into temptation by forming a molten image and worshiping it:
“When Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day” (Exodus 32:25-29).
“When Moses saw the idolatry of Israel and his indignation was so aroused at their shameful forgetfulness of God that he threw down the tables of stone and broke them, Aaron stood meekly by, bearing the censure of Moses with commendable patience. The people were charmed with Aaron’s lovely spirit and were disgusted with the rashness of Moses. But God seeth not as man sees. He condemned not the ardor and indignation of Moses against the base apostasy of Israel.”7
So then, reader, what do we do? Strap on a sword and kill everyone that doesn’t believe like we do? But wait - did Jesus come to destroy or save humanity? To those disciples who, even with good intentions, had murderous thoughts, Jesus gave a strong rebuke, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55, 56). He is our Example.
In light of Christ’s words, let us observe how Moses as a true general reveals what is actually meant by genuine consecration. The consecrated sons of Levi used their swords in defense of God’s law, which had been broken. So we are to be consecrated, and use our swords as explained in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Our sword is the word of God, and we likewise are to use it in defense of God’s law. But notice in our example, which came first - Consecration, or the use of the sword? Obviously, consecration. So it is today. We need to be consecrated first, and then we can come “to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty” and not be cursed bitterly by the Angel of the Lord (see Judges 5:23). Aaron also needed to be consecrated (see Exodus 28:3).
What does “consecration” mean, biblically? The word “consecrate” occurs 28 times in 28 verses in the King James Version. In Exodus 28:3, “consecrate” comes from the root word in Hebrew qadash (kaw-dash). This word qadash occurs in the Hebrew 174 times in 154 verses. It is not always translated as “consecrate,” so we should check other words translated from the root word to find the true meaning of “consecrate.”
1. Sanctify: 70 times in 65 verses.
2. Consecrate: 28 times in 28 verses.
3. Dedicate: 28 times in 28 verses.
4. Purify: 26 times in 24 verses
5. Hallow: 37 times 35 verses
6. Be Holy: 41 times in 39 verses
7. Holy: 613 times in 546 verses
1. Sanctify: 2,043 times
2. Consecrate: 2,461 times
3. Dedicate: 445 times
4. Purify: 1,337 times
5. Hallow: 304 times
6. Be Holy: 21,429 times
Due to lack of space, this article will not examine all this information. But, because “nothing less than entire consecration to His service will Christ accept,”8 we are urged to investigate this further. In the meantime, let us at least examine a few examples:
Examples in the Old Testament:
“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified [consecrated] it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:3).
“Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify [consecrate] them.... And hallow [consecrate] my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God” (Ezekiel 20:12, 20).
The Sabbath is God’s sign to you and me, and the same Hebrew word qadash is used in all three examples to show us that God’s consecrated people will be found keeping the Sabbath holy.
“From the pillar of cloud Christ declared concerning the Sabbath: ‘Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you’ (Exodus 31:13). The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that re-creates the soul in His own likeness. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified [consecrated] through obedience.”9
In the New Testament also we have examples:
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” John 17:17-19.
(Sanctify = consecrate.) This is translated from the Greek word hagiazo.
“Let not one evil word escape our lips, because our lips, our voice, belong to the Lord, and must be consecrated to the Lord and to His service. These lips must not dishonor Jesus, for they belong to Him. He has bought them and I must speak nothing that will offend Jesus. My ears must be closed to evil. Thus day by day we can consecrate ourselves to God. The ears must not be defiled by listening to any gossip that faultfinding ones would have us hear, for I not only cause them to sin in allowing them to talk of others’ faults, but I sin myself in listening to them. I can prevent much evil speaking in thus having ears consecrated to God. I can say before the evil is done, ‘Let us pray,’ then ask God to enlighten both our minds to understand our true relation to one another and our true relation to God.”10
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11).
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). “Sanctuary” was translated from the Hebrew word miqdash whose root word is qadash - “A consecrated place or thing.” We see now that our study of consecration is part of the sanctuary doctrine.
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 6:16; Philippians 2:5).
The word “temple” comes from the Greek naos which means, “a fane, shrine, temple.” God wants our minds to merge into His, our wills to become His, so that we can become like He is: Pure, Holy, Undefiled. We are God’s temple. He wants to change us from glory to glory (from character to character. See 2 Corinthians 3:18; Exodus 33:18, 19; 34:6, 7).
Jesus says, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). “This name is hallowed [consecrated] by the angels of heaven, by the inhabitants of unfallen worlds. When you pray, ‘Hallowed be Thy name,’ you ask that it may be hallowed in this world, hallowed in you. God has acknowledged you before men and angels as His child; pray that you may do no dishonor to the ‘worthy name by which ye are called’ (James 2:7). God sends you into the world as His representative. In every act of life you are to make manifest the name of God. This petition calls upon you to possess His character. You cannot hallow [consecrate] His name, you cannot represent Him to the world, unless in life and character you represent the very life and character of God . This you can do only through the acceptance of the grace and righteousness of Christ.”11
“Our blessed Saviour taught us to pray, ‘Our Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed [consecrated] be thy name.’ Do we realize what is the meaning of this prayer? Do we realize that we must hallow that name in our families, and that if we allow our children to manifest the attributes of Satan, that name is not hallowed in our households? If we want the holy angels to take charge of our little ones, we must bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and teach them to hallow the name of God. We teach them to say, ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ But do you teach them the meaning of this prayer?...
“Do you wonder that God does not walk through the midst of us when we allow Satan to work his way in our households, and when we neglect the solemn obligations that God has placed upon us? Of what avail will be a list of church resolutions, if we have not the Spirit of God in our homes? Christ is watching to see who are training their families for the great family above. Suppose one of your little children whom you have failed to correct, should be taken away in one of its fits of temper, what would be the result? I leave you to answer the question.”12
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed [consecrated] it” (Exodus 20:11).
“The Lord, by close and pointed truths for these last days, is cleaving out a people from the world and purifying them unto Himself. Pride and unhealthful fashions, the love of display, the love of approbation - all must be left with the world, if we would be renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created us.”13
“In the epistle of Paul to Titus, chap. ii, 13, 14, we read, ‘Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify [consecrate] unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ This great work is to be performed for those only who are willing to be purified, willing to be peculiar, and who manifest a zeal in good works. How many shrink from the purifying process! They are unwilling to live out the truth, unwilling to appear singular in the eyes of the world. It is this mingling with the world which destroys our spirituality, pureness, and zeal. Satan’s power is constantly exercised to stupefy the sensibility of God’s people, that their consciences may not be sensitive to wrong, and that the sign of distinction between them and the world may be destroyed.”14
“A solemn statement was made to ancient Israel that the man who should remain unclean and refuse to purify (consecrate) himself, should be cut off from among the congregation (excommunicated, disfellowshipped). This has a special meaning for us. If it was necessary in ancient times for the unclean to be purified by the blood of sprinkling, how essential for those living in the perils of the last days, exposed to the fierce temptations of Satan, to have the blood of Christ applied to their hearts daily. ‘For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?’”15
“Consecrate [dedicate, hallow, sanctify, make holy, purify] yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work.... This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate.”16
“The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary will bear fruit unto eternal life. The contemplation of this sacrifice will be the glory of those who, as the fruit of it, will live through the eternal ages.
“With this lesson Christ connects the self-sacrifice that all should practice. ‘He that loveth his life shall lose it,’ He declares; ‘and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be; if any man serve me, him will my Father honour’ (John 12:25, 26).
“This is the only honor we should seek. And we should seek it with a determination and an earnestness proportionate to the value of the treasure we have in view - eternal life in the kingdom of God.
“Christ claims the complete consecration of man to Himself. This is the condition upon which man is exalted. As he submits his mind, his body, his soul, to God, so he will be honored. Self-renunciation is the great law of self-preservation, and self-preservation is the law of self-destruction.”17
“[Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego] possessed genuine sanctification. True Christian principle will not stop to weigh consequences.... With the most intense longing the children of God desire to know what He would have them do, that their works may glorify Him.”18
Brother and sister, this is a very important subject. Let us consider the importance of this matter and continually seek first the kingdom of God, and be converted daily.
We are to make consecration “our very first work,” so how can we move on to the next step, if we fail to understand the first? How can we consecrate ourselves to God if we don’t know what it means? “Study to shew thyself approved unto God” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Is this a salvational issue?
We are told, “Walk in the light while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you.... Absolute consecration, the entire surrender of the entire being to the work of the spirit of God - this only is acceptable to God.”19
As we become converted each day, we will be conquerors by the blood of the Lamb. God promises to send the Holy Spirit to teach us the right use of our sword, the word of God. Other conversions will follow as others will likewise be taught to remove the controlling power of their thoughts from all worldly connections, to become consecrated conquerors as well. Praise God!