Prayer: Father, teach me about consecration today. I see that there was a formula for consecrating the priests to You. Help me to understand how consecration applies to me, in relationship to You. Amen.
Reading: Exodus 29 key: vs. 43-46
43 I will meet with Bnei-Yisrael there. So it will be sanctified by My glory.
44 “So I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar. I will also sanctify Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as kohanim. 45 So I will dwell among Bnei-Yisrael and be their God. 46 Then they will know that I am Adonai their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, so that I may live among them. I am Adonai their God.
Attention: God gave Moses the words, “consecrate” and “sanctify.” Both were important words and concepts to the Hebrew nation. They are important words and concepts for us today. What do both words mean? Did you look them up? Curiosity and critical thinking are important elements in the inductive approach to Bible study. I intentionally do not print the entire chapter or reference verses so that you are required to open your Bible. One of my criticisms of pastors posting all scripture references on monitors, is we become reliant on being coddled and do not carry our Bibles to church. I’m opposed to the electronic Bible software too, because, I believe that carrying our sword (Bible) is another visual testimony to the world. I know that I am showing my age, but I am also expressing a conviction. I carried my Bible to public school.
So, what does “consecrate” mean? According to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (HIBD), to consecrate something or someone is for the purpose of separating to or belonging to God. “They are set apart for the service of God.”
What does “sanctification” mean? Again, according to the HIBD, sanctification is the “process of being made holy resulting in a changed lifestyle for the believer.” For the New Testament believer, the ethical aspect of both consecration and sanctification is the separation of a believer’s life unto God (Adonai). “Sanctification/holiness is to be pursued as a essential aspect of the believer’s life” (Hebrews 12:14).
This is the challenge Paul gives all followers of Yeshua in Romans 12: 1, “I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy, acceptable to God—which is your spiritual service.”
Are you living a consecrated, sanctified life as one who belongs to God (Adonai)? Paul establishes in Romans 6 that there are only two masters. He claims we belong to one or the other, for we cannot serve two masters. Have you determined who your master is? Have you declared who you belong too? Have you presented your body as a living sacrifice unto God? He is waiting for you to declare and to live a holy, consecrated, sanctified lifestyle unto Him.
Action: I will give my life to Adonai, for Him to consecrate me as holy, sanctified, fully His, today.
Yield: Yielding is the act of personal, spiritual sanctification unto God.
Engage: Engage with the Holy Spirit in the transformation of your lifestyle through the Word.
Relationship: Living life with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Father, I give my life as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You. May I from this day forward live a Spirit-filled lifestyle aware of Your indwelling presence. Amen.
Memory Verse: Romans 12:1-2
I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy, acceptable to God—which is your spiritual service. 2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Music Video: Mercy Me—Greater https://youtu.be/GXI0B4iMLuU
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”