Consecration is the only way we can live a victorious life in this world. God offers us salvation and baptism in the Holy Ghost, but "consecration" means we offer ourselves back to God. Holiness comes after salvation. God commands us to be holy because He is holy. (1 Peter 1:16). Everything we have and are belongs to God and He is waiting for us to offer it back to Him. Jesus Christ gave up the ultimate of His glory for us and we ought to be willing to abandon all for Him; because we love Him. Consecration aims to serve, please God, for His glory and honor. "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." Ephesians 12:1.
The primary work of the Holy Ghost is not to make you speak in tongues, but to help you live a holy and separated life in this world. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 11 Corinthians 6:17-18. We cannot take on the things of this world, conforming to the evil ways of mankind and call ourselves holy and consecrated to God. It is unacceptable to a Holy God. There are things we tolerate today, which would never have been mentioned in the church twenty-five or fifty years ago. We look at evil and call it good and we look at good and call it evil. Anything goes. We no longer measure ourselves according to the Word of God. Holiness is obeying and imitating God.
We must allow the Holy Spirit to have full reign in our innermost being so that we can be fit for the Master's use. You can't be unfaithful to your spouse and say you are living holy. You can't be sleeping around or even looking at the opposite sex, lusting in your heart, and say you are living holy. Holiness is keeping God's laws and taking God's side against sin. No matter what the government legislates; abortions, gay rights, men and women marrying the same sex; all of this is an abomination to our Holy God. We have become so absorbed with self, and this has kept us from living holy; we have our own agendas and ideas about being consecrated to our heavenly Father. It takes time and practice to be totally dedicated to God, and we are too busy. We do a lot of work in the church, thinking that it will make us holy. Wrong! If we are too busy to pray, to read and study God's Word, we are too busy. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14. Just as Jesus gave Himself totally and completely for us, let us do likewise, withholding nothing of ourselves, that we may be used by God for His glory and honor; totally committed. "Then Joshua said to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.'" Joshua 3:5.
