Consecration

Consecration What it is and what it is not. The subject of consecration is discussed in the bible in terms of things that are to be done, but little is spoken about how it is to be accomplished. What we are going to study is how consecration is achieved and what can be done that it can be maintained. We don’t know what is going to happen today, tomorrow or next week. We may be faced with situations that require the utmost attention of God; situation where only God can intervene. Consecration is not a thing we should do once a week or once a year, but something we do as part of our daily lives. We cannot expect God to respond quickly to our earnest cries for help when we have lived our lives in a manner that satisfies the flesh. It is foolishness to think that we can pull God out of a box when we need him, get what we need then put him back. Being consecrated places us in a position such that we can approach God without hesitation. Webster’s: 1. The act or ceremony of separating from a common to a sacred use, or of devoting and dedicating a person or thing to the service and worship of God, by certain rites or solemnities. Consecration does not make a person or thing really holy, but declares it to be sacred, that is, devoted to God or to divine service; as the consecration of the priests among the Israelites; the consecration of the vessels used in the temple; the consecration of a bishop.

Consecrate: qadash - A verb meaning to be set apart, to be holy, to show oneself holy, to be treated as holy, to consecrate, to treat as holy, to dedicate, to be made holy, to declare holy or consecrated, to behave, to act holy, to dedicate oneself. The word appears 14 times in the old testament and not in the new. Consecrated: This word is derived from 3 Hebrew words: male et yad Absalom and literally means “full of strength). This word appears 15 times. Each time the words appear, they are associated with someone who is selected and chosen to perform a specific temple function or fulfill a chosen position. It also appears twice in the NT, and is teleioo, which means complete and mature, made perfect by reaching a goal. The question then becomes, how are we to go from consecration to consecrated? We enter a period of consecration for a purpose, a time of preparation. Let’s examine the word together and determine how we are to consecrate ourselves. If we intend to prepare ourselves to walk into the throne room of God, then there must be adequate preparation or consecration.

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Esther 4:13-17 5:1 KJVR Ester prepared herself to address the king in multiple steps. 1) Fasting 2) Put on the royal garments 3) Entered the throne room These steps were essential to be accomplished if she wished to obtain audience. Examining the steps: Fasting: Purpose and intent of fasting. Isaiah 58:6 KJVR Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Fasting is a time of purification, a time of dropping off weights, a time of spiritual and physical cleansing. It is crucially important that we ensure that we are reaching a stage of purification during our fasting period. Not enough just to abstain from food, but must pursue the purpose behind fasting. Exodus 29:4-5 KJVR And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. (5) And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: There is little spoken about how long the purification cleansing was to take. Each person must decide within themselves, between them and God what the requirements of the cleansing are. Philippians 2:12-13 KJVR Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. We are to analyze our own selves and determine where we have allowed things into our lives that do not belong. Ezra 10:1-3 KJVR Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. (2) And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and 2

have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. (3) Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. They made a covenant to put away the women they had taken that were “strange”. We all have taken things into our lives that in some way pollute us. We must carefully examine ourselves to identify those items that cause the pollution and remove them. It may not be easy, but compare that to putting away a wife. It must be done. Romans 12:1-2 KJVR I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. This verse identifies the requirements for acceptance by God – not being conformed. This, as read from the Message Romans 12:1-2 MSG So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walkingaround life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. (2) Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. To God, when dealing with things of the world, he regards them as wives and concubines. Relationship with anything other than him is bad and considered adulterous. Hosea 1:1-2 KJVR The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. (2) The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. 1 Corinthians 6:13-17 KJVR Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. (14) And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. (15) Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. (16) What? know ye not that he which is

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joined to a harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. (17) But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. If you are coupled with the things of the world, then you are of the world. If you are of the world, then being consecrated is not possible. James 3:11-14 KJVR Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? (12) Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. (13) Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. (14) But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. Romans 8:5-8 KJVR For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. If we truly desire to be consecrated, then it is essential that be look at our own selves and determines what manner of person we are. If we find in our lives those things that are not pleasing to God, then we must remove them. Examining our selves is sometimes not an easy task – fasting is the way that God determined that we should identify them. Isaiah 58:7 KJVR Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Once we have identified those things that are not acceptable to God, then we are ready to move to the next phase. What is the next phase? Our attire. We may be invited to dine with him even encouraged, but we are not allowed to present ourselves in any manner that we should choose. Matthew 22:11-14 KJVR And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: (12) And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. (13) Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (14) For many are called, but few are chosen. Zephaniah 1:7-8 KJVR Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. (8) And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, that I 4

will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. It is important that we understand that the apparel that we are to where is provided for us, it is not something that we can decide to put on. Many decide what they should wear instead of letting God do the dressing. Ezekiel 16:8-16 MSG "'I came by again and saw you, saw that you were ready for love and a lover. I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, GOD, the Master, gave my word. You became mine. (9) I gave you a good bath, washing off all that old blood, and anointed you with aromatic oils. (10) I dressed you in a colorful gown and put leather sandals on your feet. I gave you linen blouses and a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing. (11) I adorned you with jewelry: I placed bracelets on your wrists, fitted you out with a necklace, (12) emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tiara. (13) You were provided with everything precious and beautiful: with exquisite clothes and elegant food, garnished with honey and oil. You were absolutely stunning. You were a queen! (14) You became world-famous, a legendary beauty brought to perfection by my adornments. Decree of GOD, the Master. (15) "'But your beauty went to your head and you became a common whore, grabbing anyone coming down the street and taking him into your bed. (16) You took your fine dresses and made "tents" of them, using them as brothels in which you practiced your trade. This kind of thing should never happen, never. God provides the clothing that he has picked out for us, beautiful in his sight. We, through our association with the world, soil the clothing and trade it for others. It is important, then, that we return to the garment that he has selected for us. If we don’t know what that garment is, we are to prepare ourselves to be a bride and he will select the garment. Mark 2:19-22 KJVR And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. (20) But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. (21) No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. (22) And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles. Through our fasting, we are removing old bottles and old garments and preparing ourselves for new garments.

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It is God who chooses the garment and it is God who can maintain the garment clean. We can get to a point of consecration that we begin to readily recognize spots on the garment from the flesh. Jude 1:20-24 KJVR But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (21) Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (22) And of some have compassion, making a difference: (23) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (24) Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Through fasting and diligent search of our hearts and our lives for those things which can separate us from him, we have been clothed by Him. He has selected the garment that best fits our life; he has anointed us with his oil (Holy Spirit) and has declared us pure enough to wear the garments. How important is it that we have on the proper garments? Recall the one thrown out. Look again at Ester. Esther 5:1-3 KJVR Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. (2) And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter. (3) Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom. She had purified herself and made herself ready to be presented. She had put on the correct apparel. When she entered the throne room, she was accepted. We, when properly adorned by the spirit, have authority to enter boldly into the throne room. Attempting to enter the throne room without being prepared, is a man who cannot see what manner of man he is. James 1:21-25 KJVR Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (22) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (23) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. (25) 6

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Also, a person who hears what the requirements are and then passes on has not sought God for the knowledge. That person is double minded, knowing in one hand what the requirements are, and in the other deciding now to do them. This person will be torn between two worlds. James 1:5-8 KJVR If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. If we understand that our consecration occurs once we have been fitted with our garment, then we can enter into the throne room and experience his presence. Hebrews 4:13-16 KJVR Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (15) For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. To be consecrated is not a simple thing, nor does it occur through a passing of time. It is a diligent effort on our part to ensure that we are purified, properly clothed and ready to enter into the throne room. If we put forth the diligent effort, then we shall receive from him. Hebrews 11:6 KJVR But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. If we truly believe that he is, then we should have enough fear and respect to ensure that we are properly consecrated before approaching him. Can we approach him without being consecrated? The passage has been opened. The question that we have to ask is this – if we approach him without being consecrated, will he hear our pleas?

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Romans 13:1-2 KJVR Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. (2) Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. To be properly attired brings many things. Romans 15:13 KJVR Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians 4:20 MSG God's Way is not a matter of mere talk; it's an empowered life. It is the path of true enlightenment Ephesians 1:17-19 KJVR That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Philippians 3:8-9 MSG Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant-dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ (9) and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God's righteousness.

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