Week 4: The Result of Consecration
The Result of Consecration
In our previous post, we explored the meaning and purpose of consecration. We saw that the meaning of consecration is that we become a living sacrifice, and the purpose of consecration is to allow God to work within us. (Rom. 12:1; Eph. 3:17; Phil. 2:13) The Scriptures make it clear that consecrating to God is a normal, if not always common, practice for Christians. So, how do we consecrate ourselves to God, and how can we bring this crucial practice into our daily walk with Christ? In this post, we’ll explore the practicality of consecration and how to maintain this integral part of our Christian experience.
Romans 12:1 clearly shows us the aspects of consecration. Paul says, 'I exhort you therefore, brothers, through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.' In this verse, we see the basis, motive, and result of consecration. Since God purchased us with the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, we have a 'reasonable' basis to consecrate ourselves to God. 'The compassions of God,' His love, motivates us to consecrate to Him, and a 'living sacrifice' is what we become as the result of our consecration. According to Romans 12:1, it would seem that consecration simply requires us to 'present our bodies.' But what does this mean? Paul understood that consecration is practical; otherwise, he would not have made such a practical exhortation. But he also understood that the body only moves outwardly if the heart is first moved inwardly. Christ wants to make His home in our hearts, and this process requires our entire Christian life. (Eph. 3:17; Eph. 4:13)
For our practice, we need to realize that although consecration is a normal step in our Christian experience, it is not merely a single step. Consecration is not only a gate we enter through but also the way in which we walk with Christ. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus says, 'Enter in through the narrow gate… because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way that leads to life.' The Scriptural principle is that we first pass through the gate, and then we can walk on the way. Our initial consecration to God is a gate that, once entered, enables us to walk on 'the way,' to live a consecrated life. The experience of consecration is remarkably similar to the experience of salvation. Both are based on what Christ Jesus accomplished, and both are motivated by our realization of God’s love. And both only require a simple prayer, our genuine response to God’s love and Christ’s work. To consecrate to God, we might pray like this: 'Jesus Christ, thank you for redeeming me and loving me. I consecrate myself and my life to You.' It’s very possible that we prayed something similar when we first received Jesus Christ. Consecration is a normal and proper response to salvation.
Although our salvation is eternally secure the moment we believe in Jesus Christ, our walk with Christ is ongoing. Similarly, the practice of consecration is continual and progressive. The condition of our walk with Christ Jesus is normal if, when He initiates, we follow. The degree to which we successfully walk with Christ indicates the extent of our consecration. Our consecration, like our Christian journey, should always advance. Therefore, it is not sufficient merely to consecrate in a general way. We should never doubt our past consecrations. Once we pray to the Lord and offer ourselves willingly to Him, God accepts our consecration without exception. But, if we examine our experience of walking with Christ, we must admit that very often when He leads us, we do not walk with Him but rather, go our own way. Such a realization should not discourage us but remind us that consecration is a way. The way of consecration, what Paul referres to as a 'living sacrifice,' can be seen in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, which says, 'For the love of Christ constrains us because we have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all that those who live may no longer live to themselves but to Him who died for them and has been raised.' To be a 'living sacrifice' is to live to God and not to ourselves. To be a 'living sacrifice' is to yield to Christ whenever He leads. To live this kind of life requires us to have many interactions and transactions with the Lord, progressively consecrating all that we are and have to God. The more thorough our consecration, the more absolute our walk with Christ.
What should we consecrate to God? In short, everything. In 1900, E. A. Hoffman, author of numerous famous hymns, wrote 'Is Your All on the Altar?' In the refrain, Hoffman poses a quintessential question to any believer who desires to follow and serve God:
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart, does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest and have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.
Consecration is progressive. We may have consecrated generally, but what have we surrendered to the Lord specifically? Our belongings? Education? Relationships? Our future? Is your all on the altar? The very real effect of consecration is that once we have given something to God, consecrated it to Him, when the choice comes, God will remind us of our consecration. Then, in our walk with Christ, we yield to Him and follow His leading. Countless followers of Jesus Christ have testified to the power and necessity of consecration in their personal walk with Him. Andrew Murray said, 'consecration and faith are the essential elements of the Christian life, the giving up of all to Jesus, the receiving all from Jesus. They are implied in each other. They are united in one word: surrender.' In her book, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, Hannah Whitall Smith presents an exceptional prayer of consecration: 'Here, Lord, I abandon myself to thee. Do thou take entire possession of me. Work in me all the good pleasure of thy will.' And George Müller, well known for his life of faith, declared, 'We have only one life—one brief life; let us seek, with renewed purpose of heart, to consecrate that one life wholly to the Lord—day by day live for God and to serve him with our body, soul, and spirit, which are his.'
When should we consecrate to God? Every morning is a new opportunity to consecrate ourselves to God. God has created time for us, so we should take time for Him. We can take time for God by giving Him our time through daily, renewed consecration. Specific times also provide opportunities to consecrate to God. In the Old Testament, God instructed His people to offer sacrifices at appointed times. (Num. 28-29) As Christians, we can apply this principle to new beginnings and special occasions. We can, and should, consecrate ourselves to God in all of our new beginnings. A new year, a new semester, a new job, a new start. Each is a gift and an excellent opportunity to consecrate ourselves again to God. Simple prayers like, 'Lord Jesus, I consecrate this new year to You.' Or 'Father God, at the start of this new semester, I consecrate myself again to you.' Taking every opportunity to give ourselves to God, to consecrate, is like a spiritual realignment. In it, we acknowledge that we belong to Him and love Him. And that, constrained by Christ’s love, we’re willing to walk with Him wherever He may go. (2 Cor. 5:14; Rev. 14:4)
We hope this post has caused you to see the preciousness of consecration, but above all, that it will lead you to respond to Jesus Christ by consecrating your life and all to Him. Our Christian life, our walk with Christ, should always advance. This requires that we take definite, practical steps. Consecration is one such step, essential and invaluable. And there is no better time than right now to take this step and consecrate to God.
