Set Apart: A Consecrated Life

Goal:

My goal is to express to you plainly what scripture teaches consecration to be. From what we learn, I hope to lead us into living a more consecrated life for God.

Consecration Definition

It’s the act of dedicating something to God’s service, is a concept found throughout religious history.

The Old Testament details consecrations mandated by God, such as the firstborn and the Levitical priesthood, alongside voluntary consecrations of individuals, land, and possessions.

Examples include the dedication of Samuel by Hannah

The New Testament expands on this, portraying all Christians as consecrated to God, while also highlighting the special consecration of ministers and places of worship.

Consecration is not the same as fasting. Rather fasting helps us to live a consecrated life.

If consecration is living a life dedicated to God, fasting helps remove the parts of you so you can live for God fully.

We will talk about fasting next week and also begin a fast as a church. But today, we are growing deeper in our dedication and relationship.

Opening

Consecration is the call for Christians to dedicate their lives wholly to God, living in purity, purpose, and unwavering faithfulness.

It’s not just the verbal confession of “giving my life to God”

Many people have made that statement, but their lives don’t necessarily line up with their profession.

Holiness in our lives is the fruit of consecration

Not perfection, but the pursuit of living Holy before the Lord

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How does this apply to our lives?

Consecrating our lives to God provides strength in times of struggle

How?

By motivating us to focus on our relationship with Him and guiding our decisions according to His will.

Ephesians 3:14-21 CSV

Prayer for Spiritual Power

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father[a] 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Our submission to God gives us the strength to live this life, as crazy as it gets,

“First, Paul prays for God to grant them to be strengthened with power in their inner being through his Spirit. He wants the Ephesians to have increased spiritual strength, and this is based on the internal work of the Holy Spirit. What you need primarily is not a change in your situation. You need an internal change. When my cell phone is out of power, no external alterations will make a difference. The problem is an uncharged battery. We need the internal strength that only the Spirit can provide.”

Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1224.

IMPORTANT Truth to Impart

Consecration is not just a one-time event, but a daily commitment requiring intentionality, prayer, and a living faith.

I know we approach the beginning of the year with consecration and fasting, and there is nothing wrong with that. The hope is that the momentum created at the beginning of the year carries on.

That the principles of prayer and fasting continue to separate your heart to God on a daily basis.

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Jesus: Our Example of Consecration

In the overarching narrative of Scripture, Christ embodies the ultimate consecrated life, setting the standard for His followers to live sacrificially and wholly for God.

‌Luke 22:42

Christian Standard Bible

42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

John 5:19

Christian Standard Bible

19 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father[a] does, the Son likewise does these things.

Big Idea:

Living a life consecrated to God transforms our priorities and empowers our actions, reflecting His holiness in a broken world.

If you are truly living for God, you should expect changes to take place in every area of your life.

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1. Presenting Ourselves Purposefully

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Romans 12:1

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Illustrating the concept of dedication, Paul's is us urging to present ourselves as a living sacrifice.

This embodies our true worship.

Emphasize that this call to consecration is a personal, voluntary decision to follow God wholeheartedly.

Parallel between physical sacrifices in the Old Testament and the call to spiritual sacrifices today.

Our daily choices reflect our dedication to God's will, setting us apart from worldly patterns.

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2. Transforming Through Renewal

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Romans 12:2

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The transformative power of renewing our minds.

Explain how this renewal helps in discerning God's will—His good, pleasing, and perfect purpose for our lives.

Highlight that this transformation begins internally and manifests in how we engage with the world.

The understanding is that through a Christ-centered mindset, we resist conforming to secular values, instead reflecting our consecration through actions that glorify God.

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3. Proclaiming Our Priestly Purpose

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1 Peter 2:9-10

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Our identity as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, called to declare God's praises.

This passage emphasizes the privilege and responsibility of living a consecrated life.

Explore how our unique identity in Christ empowers us to live distinctively.

Reflect on the historical context of God's people being set apart, and encourage the congregation to embrace their role in demonstrating God's light in a darkened world.

The illustration of priests being consecrated to God.

Exodus 29:4-9

Christian Standard Bible

4 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Then take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe for the ephod, the ephod itself, and the breastpiece; fasten the ephod on him with its woven waistband. 6 Put the turban on his head and place the holy diadem on the turban. 7 Take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. 8 You must also bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 9 Tie the sashes on Aaron and his sons and fasten headbands on them. The priesthood is to be theirs by a permanent statute. This is the way you will ordain Aaron and[a] his sons.

Washed them (cleansed from our sins by the blood of Jesus)

New garments (putting on the new man, old things passed away)

Turban (Renewed mind to holiness)

Anointed with oil (chosen by God)

God has called each of us and desire for us to live consecrated lives set apart for His glory.

But it must be a daily choice made by you, to choose Him.