08/14/2024
When we speak of consecration, or declaring someone, or something, sacred, who, or what, comes first? Are we dedicating ourselves to the sacred service of the Church, to the defense of religion, or to God Himself? Scripture gives us a clear understanding of how we should focus our consecrated life...
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
Philippians 3:7-8 ESV
God is the sole focus of consecration and we realize this dedication to Him and His will through His son Jesus Christ. So consecration means to be declared sacred, but what is sacred? Sacred is to be connected to God… a believer who is dedicated to His use. To this end we have sacred objects, sacred places, sacred ceremonies, and many other sacred things. For us to be considered consecrated we must be connected to God, so without God nothing is sacred, and likewise, nothing can be consecrated… no building, no land, no gathering, and no person. Nothing. Do we consider ourselves, or our church consecrated?
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."" John 14:6-7 ESV
So often Christians become confused between serving their church and serving God. Because, in an ideal circumstance the church should be guided totally by the will of God, however, it sometimes assumes a role that spiritually confuses people. The church is important through its relationship with God; not the other way around. If we withdraw God from the church it is no better than any secular club... God provides it with its ultimate worth, and makes it spiritually of service to us as we seek to increase our faith and know Him better. The church may have canonized the bible, but the Word is of God, and the men who sought it out were guided by His will.
So Jesus and God, our Father, are alone why we are able to be called consecrated and only they are worthy of receiving our sacred prayers and efforts. It is the teaching, divinity, and sacrifice of Jesus, and the will of God which leads us on... Not the church nor the need to serve others. Serving the church and one another are important byproducts of our faith but they don't hold the pre-immanent place of importance; and Jesus tells us this in Matthew...
“And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."”
Matthew 22:37-40 ESV
Don't misunderstand me here, the church is important because it is comprised of believers and provides us with each other's encouragement, sustenance for our faith, and a vehicle for advancing the gospel and God's will. Many of us sang a song as children... "Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so" and this is a true statement. He loves the church because it is comprised of us...
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”
Ephesians 5:25 ESV
However, the church to which we belong has no soul, and no living body other than those of the faithful who make it up, so it's worthiness of comes totally from those who comprise it. We are accountable to God alone, but we can help one another through our joining together to form a church, to understand God's Word, and to plan for our lives of faith. In fact, we are neighbors in our faith and in seeking righteousness. Pastor E. M. Bounds says this about the institution of church and consecration...
"It is not so much the giving of ourselves to the church. We must focus our eyes on God; He is the Source of all consecration. It is a separation of oneself to God, a devoting of all that He is and has to a sacred use.... It is putting yourself willingly into God's hands to be used sacredly, with sanctifying ends in view." - E. M. Bounds
So this morning I pray that you find and participate in a church, a gathering of believers, who will lead you to the consecration of your life and faith to God, without confusion. A church that will serve you as a vehicle for the advancement of the gospel and your faith through the joining together with others who seek the same dedication and consecration to Jesus and God.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for allowing us to form deep and abiding relationships with you, and through them, and our belief in you and Jesus Christ, to become sacred, consecrated, and holy. Thank you for bringing us together as a Church, and eventually offering us to your Son Jesus as His bride. Help us Lord to remain clear in knowing that the Church is not a building nor is it an institution, but it is us. Just as you abide in us and our body is your temple, so we are the Church and the place where we will meet you as your sacred and consecrated children. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who calls us to Christ, who then brings us to you. Holy are you who abides in us, consecrates us, and makes us sacred as your temple; our bodies and souls thus made holy in this way. Merciful and full of grace are you who washes us clean in the blood of Christ. We pray that you will find us worthy in Him, and seats us eternally at your table forevermore. Praised be your name on that day, and all glory be given you. Amen!
Our bodies are the temple…
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Hebrews 5:7 ESV
Jesus and God abide within us,
““I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.””
John 14:18-21 ESV
And Paul says we are the bride of Christ…
“For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 11:2 ESV
Rich Forbes