A Consecrated Life

I had a dream a few months ago where one of my church sisters said, “We want you to teach about consecration.” I was immediately jolted awake, knowing it was a prompt from God.

To be honest, I had to research it. Not that I didn’t have a general understanding of it, but I really didn’t have much context. The more I researched consecration through the Bible, the more I realized the depth of its significance.

The dictionary definition of consecration means “dedicated to a sacred purpose.” It’s the separation of sin and anything that would come between us and our relationship with God. God wants our dedication. He wants to be the head of our lives, but to do that, we must surrender to His will and consecrate ourselves to Him.

Why is consecration so important?

1. For Him to receive us – God says we must come out from the world and be separate for Him. “Whoever is united with the Lord is one with Him in Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17).  
2. To please Him – Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.”
3. To walk in the fullness of God – We can’t live an unconsecrated life and expect to reap the benefits of God. If we want to reach our full potential in Him, it requires consecration and sacrifice.

What are the benefits of consecration?

• Freedom from Condemnation (Romans 8:1) – “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
• Confidence in Prayer – “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
• Spiritual Power – “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
• Bearing Fruit of Righteousness – “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16)
• Overflowing Blessings – “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
• Overflowing Anointing – “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” 1 John 2:27
• Ever-Abiding Presence of God – “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His spirit.” 1 John 4:13

So, how do we consecrate ourselves? We must prioritize our spiritual lives over our physical lives. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Growth is our responsibility. We must take the initiative to spend time with God and cultivate our relationship with Him.

 It’s amazing how the more time we spend with God, the things of earth tend to fade into the background. Not to say we won’t still struggle because consecration is not a one-time thing. It’s a way of living, and trials and temptation will happen. God will help us to leave behind the things that are not pleasing to Him if we stay the course.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20). “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).