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“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” 2 Tim 2:19
If you really want to serve God in spirit and truth, you need to know what Consecration is and how it affects your life as a Christian. We are living in the most challenging time in Christian history when it is becoming extremely difficult for some Christians to live right, as the world around them is getting more polluted by evil and all kinds of atrocities day by day. The high spread of fornication, pornography, cultism, alcoholism, and drug addiction, among other things across the globe, makes this world spiritually unhealthy for any Christian to live except one understands Consecration and practice it daily. In the streets, at the place of work, inside the neighborhood, in the marketplace, at school, and other places around you, your eyes are tempted to see what you don’t want to see and your ears beckoned to hear what you don’t want to hear. There is no better time to teach and to learn the subject of Consecration than now.
What is Consecration?
Salvation is not consecration. That you are born again is not the end of your Christian Journey with God. Rather, redemption is only the beginning of that glorious journey with God. Water baptism is not consecration. There are many Christians who have done water baptism in their church yet they do all kinds of evil. You can receive Holy Communion every day without knowing what Consecration is. Consecration unto God is not a religious ordination. There are many ordained ministers of the gospel who eat and dine with the devil.
Consecration means to be set apart, devoted and holy unto God. It means separation from sin and the ways of the world to serve the living God in righteousness and holiness. It doesn’t matter the times and seasons we may live in, God’s sure foundation is consecration. Time may change, seasons may come and go, civilization or no civilization, the word of God remains the same.
Consecration is not for some selected few Christians. It is for every believer in Christ who wants to be used by God and to make heaven at last. It doesn’t matter who you are, the condition is the same for every Christian- depart from all iniquity. Consecration is a deliberate and intentional departure from sin and iniquity to make your adventure with God a memorable experience. It is your departure from the iniquity that authenticates your adventure with God. Otherwise, everything you do in the name of Christ will just be a jamboree.
The truth is when you depart from all iniquity, it will show. You can fake everything, but you can’t fake consecration. You can deceive people with your looks and religious dressing but God knows those who have given themselves wholly to Him on the altar of consecration. If you depart from lying, pride, immorality, idolatry and still hold to your unforgiving spirit, your consecration is not complete. The Holy Book says that you must depart from ALL iniquity. That is what consecration is.
THE CONSECRATION OF YOUR BODY
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While your spirit is born again, your body is not born again. It needs to be disciplined and controlled every day to enable you to live a holy life. The truth you need to know is that the greatest enemy of your spiritual growth is not the devil, it is your body. Why do people steal, kill, lie, fornicate, cheat and commit all kinds of evil? It’s not the devil. It is their flesh. Most sins people commit and blame the devil for are not the works of the devil. They are the works of the flesh. Now watch this:
“ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” Galatians 5:19-21
The above-listed sins are not the works of the devil. They are the works of the flesh. If you want to live a holy life, you should stop blaming the devil and confront yourself. Until you know who your true enemy is, your victory is not guaranteed. You can’t have victory over sin until you have confronted your flesh and conquered. Victory over the flesh is victory over sin. Now, what do you do to the flesh? The most stubborn being in the universe in the flesh. It doesn’t easily give up on her victim. It is hard at dying. Even when you think that you have subdued the flesh, it keeps on raising its monstrous head again.
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE FLESH
i) Deny the flesh-
“And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” Luke 9:23.
Deny the cravings and lusts of the flesh. Learn to say no to the demands of the flesh. Rebel against the tyranny of the flesh. Until you can say no to the flesh, you are not ready for consecration.
ii) Disown the flesh-
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” Phil 3:7-8.
Disowning the flesh means closing your eyes and deafening your ears to all the profits that the flesh claims to offer. Reject the works of the flesh with reckless abandon.
iii) Discipline the flesh
“But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” 1 Cor 9:27.
If you want to live a consecrated life unto God, you must keep your body under check and balance. Anything you don’t control will control you. When you notice some strange feelings and thoughts springing up in your mind, don’t take them for granted. They are the works of the flesh. You need to control your flesh or it will forever control you.
iv) Crucify the flesh-
“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20.
One teaching that many Christians have not received is teaching about the crucified life. The flesh must die for the Spirit to live. The cracking of the flesh enhances the release of the Spirit man. To die to the flesh does not mean to kill yourself. It means to deaden the desires and cravings of the flesh through daily fervent prayers, fasting, self-control, and unwavering obedience to the Holy Spirit. When you are dead to the flesh, you can live for God in true holiness and righteousness. It has to be an everyday experience. Paul said, “I die daily”. So the flesh needs to die daily. If it died yesterday, it can still wake up today if you fail to keep deadening or crack it.
v) Give Your Body totally to God as a Living Sacrifice-
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“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” Rom 12:1.
The manufacturer knows his product better than any other person. God who created your body knows the best way to handle it. That’s why you need to hand over your body to God and leave it in His hands. If living a pure and holy life is your heart's desire, learn to use your body to serve God. Use your body to praise and dance for God. Let your body become an instrument of righteousness.
IN THE CONSECRATION OF YOUR BODY, TAKE CARE OF THESE THINGS:
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1. YOUR EYES- Turn your eyes away from looking at vanities and evil things. Your eyes are the gateway to your body. Anything the eyes see, the heart will desire. Christ taught us that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Mind the pictures, images, and videos you watch. Pornography will defy your eyes and inflame you with lust. David committed adultery because he couldn’t take his eyes away from the naked woman he saw. If your eyes fell on a wrong image by chance, it is not bad, but it is a sin when you look at it twice. Don’t look twice ( Psalm 119:37, Matt 5:28).
2. YOUR TONGUE- Mind the things you say. It is not the food a man eats that defies him but the words that come out of his mouth. Dirty and ungodly words are evil in the sight of God. Don’t use your tongue to curse, insult and molest people unnecessarily. If you want to practice true consecration, bridle your tongue. ( James 1:26, James 3:6, Matt 12:37)
3. YOUR HAND- Watch the kind of work, business, and job your hand does. Don’t put your hands in evil and dirty business. Keep your hands clean.
4. YOUR LEG- If you want to live a life of consecration to God, there are certain places your legs cannot go to. You can’t be found going to nightclubs and other ungodly places at night or day.
5. the HEART-Take care of your heart (Jer 17:9-10). Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life. Don’t harbor bitterness, hatred, malice, and evil thoughts in your heart. Keep your heart clean.
6. YOUR HOUSE- Your house is supposed to become a habitation of God. Therefore, your house should be holy. Don’t keep or do evil things in your house.
7. YOUR MONEY- God wants His children to prosper but He doesn’t want them to indulge in evil businesses to make money. Ensure that you make clean money from only legit and godly businesses (Jer 17:11).
CONCLUSION: I believe if you have been asking what is Consecration and how to do it? This post has answered your question. Consecration is not a one-day experience. It is a work in progress. One step at a time. Spiritual Growth and maturity don’t happen at once. God takes us from glory to glory, one day at a time. You don’t give birth to a child and expect the child to start walking and talking the same day. The child needs to be fed and nurtured to grow. And as the child grows, his senses will be mature to discern what is good from the bad. That’s how it is with your spiritual growth and maturity. You don’t need to get yourself excessively worried as to why there is still some chaff in your life at this moment. You are a work in progress. You need to appreciate the Lord for every level of transformation and change you have experienced in your life and trust Him for more. May the Lord give you the grace for consecration as you devote your life to serve Him in true righteousness and holiness. Let us pray.
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