Sometimes when I’m reading a passage of scripture there’s one specific word that resonates with me. It’s as if God took a holy highlighter to it. Today it was the word “consecrate”.
To consecrate something means to set it apart. To dedicate it to God’s service. Throughout the Old Testament God commands consecration. Sometimes it’s consecration of the animals for the sacrifice. Other times it’s consecration of the priests that will be presenting the sacrifice. And still other times he commands his people as a whole to consecrate themselves in preparation of what he is going to do in their lives.
Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. – Leviticus 20:7
Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you. – Joshua 3:5
Then you will remember to obey all of my commands and will be consecrated to your God. – Numbers 15:40
Consecrating ourselves to God is an ongoing act. We must regularly remind ourselves that we are children of the almighty Creator and as such, we must be set-apart for all that he has planned for us. We should not be blending in with the godless culture surrounding us. Through daily seeking God in his Word and in prayer, we must be the light in this dark world. (Ephesians 5:8)
But our ultimate consecration is not something that can we can accomplish on our own. No matter how good we may try to be, we will all fall short. – …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. Praise God that he didn’t just leave it that way. Praise God that he didn’t leave us in our “never quite good enough” state to miss the mark and spend eternity separated from him. No – God provided the ultimate consecration of our souls through the blood of his Son Jesus and the final victory over death with his resurrection.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. – Romans 5:8-9
God foretold this ultimate consecration through the prophet Zephaniah.
Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited. – Zephaniah 1:7
God has invited you and he wants to consecrate you through the blood of Jesus. All he asks you to do is to admit that you’re a sinner and ask him to come into your life and save you. He has amazing things in store for those of us that put our trust in him.