VI. Relinquish to God the Control of Your Life
CONSECRATION — the act of setting apart, or dedicating, something or someone for God’s use. In the Old Testament, the Temple and its trappings were the most important objects consecrated to God (2 Chr. 7:5–9; Ezra 6:16–17); and Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the priesthood (Exodus 29; Leviticus 8). But even such items as the spoils of battle (Josh. 6:19; Mic. 4:13) and cattle could be consecrated (Lev. 27:28). Before the beginning of the priesthood in Israel’s history, the firstborn of men and animals alike were consecrated (Ex. 13:2). But after the priesthood began, the tribe of Levi served as a substitute in this consecration (Num. 3:12).
In the New Testament, the supreme example of consecration is Christ himself (John 17:19; Heb. 7:28; 10:10). But believers are also consecrated by Christ (John 17:17; 1 Pet. 2:9), and are urged to consecrate themselves as well (Rom. 12:1; 2 Tim. 2:21). Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary
• As I have matured in the faith, I have come to understand something that had missed before.
• I had always believed that you read the Word, prayed, went to church, tried to avoid sin, confessed you sin when you failed, etc.
• I still believe all of those things.
• But the Bible presents another step in finding your way back to God.
• It is a consecration to God!
• I had always assumed that this just happened automatically when you did the other public and private duties.
• But the Bible is clear!
• It calls for us to make up our mind in a once and for all decision to follow Christ completely!
A. Consecration in the Old Testament
1. A Choice - An Act of the Will (Judges 5:1)
Judges 5:1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
2. A Commitment (Ps. 37:5)
Psalm 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
ILLUS: Pig and chicken looking at a breakfast sign advertising ham and eggs. The pig says to the chicken, “For you that is a donation. For me that is a COMMITMENT!”
3. A Capacity (Ps. 40:6)
Psalm 40:6 (AV) Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
• Lit, you have dug ears for me.
Psalm 40:6 (AMP) Sacrifice and offering You do not desire, nor have You delight in them; You have given me the capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a more valuable service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require.
4. A Completeness (Ps. 86:1)
Psalm 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
• Unite my heart!
• Give me a single focus!
• Take the parts that have been withheld from You and Your will.
• May my whole being be united in service to You.
B. Consecration in the New Testament
1. By Presenting Ourselves (Rom. 12:1)
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present [aorist] your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2. By Yielding Ourselves to God (Rom. 6:13-19)
Romans 6:13-19 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
3. By Mortifying Our Flesh (Col. 3:5; Rom. 6:11)
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
4. By Putting Off and Putting On (Co. 3:9)
Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
5. By Taking the Armour of God (Eph. 6:10 ff.)
Eph. 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against fleshb and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
• We are told to put on the amour!
• The verb is an aorist imperative, indicating that this is to be done once and for all!
• In verse 13, we are told to take unto us the whole armout. Again, aorist, indicating that this is to be done in a decisive and once for all manner.
• We are told that this will help us stand against the wiles of the Devil.
• Lord, from now on, I put on your truth to protect my loins.
• Lord, I will protect my heart by covering it with your righteousness (breastplate).
• Lord, I dedicate my feet to you to go where you want, to do what you want!
• And Lord, I make up my mind once and for all to believe you and your word. I will live my life confidently, knowing what you ask of me, by your power I can do it! I take the shield of faith.
• Lord, I give my mind to you by sanctifying it with the helmet of salvation.
• From now on Lord, I will think and act live a believer!
• And Lord, I will take the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, as my weapon to fight the spiritual warfare.
• As you told the Devil in the wilderness, “It is written.”
• So I ask you, have you put on the armour of God?
• Right now say, “Lord, I take every promise, I appropriate every weapon that your Word tells me that you have given me, I take it now once and for all.”
CONCLUSION: FOLLOWING FROM The Encyclopedia of Religious Quotations by Mead
It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men. Phillips Brooks
Loyalty that will do anything, that will endure anything, that will make the whole being consecrate to Him, is what Christ wants. Anything else is not worthy of Him. Burdett Hart
Consecration is handing God a blank sheet to fill in with your name signed at the bottom. M.H. Miller
My body, soul and spirit thus redeemed,
Sanctified and healed I give, O Lord, to Thee,
A consecrated offering, Thine evermore to be,
That all my powers with all their might
In thy sole glory may unite. (Henry Wilson)
Take My Life and Let it Be, Frances R. Havergal
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will, and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love—my Lord,
I pour At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself—and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
QUOTE: Give your whole heart once and for ever to God.—You may have done it before, but do it again. You may never have done it, then do it for the first time. Kneel down and give yourself, your life, your interests, your all to God. Lay the sacrifice on the altar. If you cannot give, then ask God to come, and take. Tell Him that you wish to be only, always, all for Him. We might well hesitate to give the Glorious Lord such a handful of withered leaves, if He had not expressly asked us each to give him our heart. It is very wonderful; but He would not make such a request if He did not really mean it. No doubt he can make something out of our poor nature. A Vessel for His Use. A Weapon for His Hand. A Receptacle for His glory. A Crown for His Brow. F.B. Meyer
ILLUS: Rev. Jerry Parnell and the Rose.
Rev. Jerry Parnell, pastor of the Canaan Baptist Church of Anderson, South Carolina, will often conclude on of his sermons with an illustration using a live rose. He tells how that God gives us a fresh flowing in life, but that over the course of time we make bad decisions that have consequences. He pulls one petal at a time as he talks about alcohol and drug abuse, sexual sins, anger and unforgiveness. He then declares that for some, all you have left is a stem. But our God is so great in grace that he still wants your life. Even if it is only a stem of what it once was. Give what is left. Say, God if you will take the stem … ! What an amazing God we serve.
