_CONSECRATION: WHAT IS IT?_
The second step that must needs be taken by those of us who have been
living without the Fullness, before it can be obtained, is Consecration,
a word that is very common and popular; much more common and popular, it
is feared, than the thing itself. In order to be filled with the Holy
Ghost one must first be "cleansed," and then one must be "consecrated".
Consecration follows cleansing, and not _vice versa_. Intelligent
apprehension of what consecration is, and of what it involves, is
necessary to an intelligent consecration of oneself.
_1. Sanctification._
Consecration is another word for sanctification. Many people have a
confused idea as to what sanctification really is. It must be borne in
mind that we are not considering the theological term sanctification, but
the use of the New Testament word "sanctify," "sanctification." No one
would confound "consecration" with "cleansing," and yet many confound
"sanctification" with "cleansing." To "sanctify" is to purify, to cleanse,
to make holy, they tell us. But the idea of purification, of cleansing,
of separating from sin, is not in the N. T. word "sanctify" at all. "The
very God of peace _sanctify_ you wholly" (I Thess. v. 23). That does not
mean "purify" you, separate you from sin, as a glance at two other
passages, in which the same word occurs, will show. "For their sakes I
_sanctify_ Myself" (John xvii. 19). "_Sanctify_ in your hearts Christ as
Lord" (I Pet. iii. 15, R. V.), where it cannot mean purify, separate from
sin. In these passages its true meaning is very apparent--to "set apart
for a holy use," to "separate to God," to "consecrate." To "cleanse" is
to separate _from_ sin, but to "sanctify" is to separate to God, to set
apart for God that which has already been separated _from_ sin. We cannot
set apart to a holy use (consecrate) that which is not cleansed. Hence we
see why it is that "cleansing" must precede sanctification or consecration,
"that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it" (Eph. v. 26, R. V.).
"Sanctification" is not identical with "cleansing," but it is its
complement. "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. x. 10). "Wherefore Jesus also, that He
might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered without the
gate" (Heb. xiii. 12). From these passages we gather that it is by the
Blood of Jesus we are sanctified, set apart to God. This is another
function of the precious Blood, in addition to the one we have already
been considering, viz., cleansing from the guilt of sin.
_2. Surrender._
"In conversion," says Dr. Chalmers, "God gives to me, but in consecration
I give to God." Every one knows that conversion should have experimental
acquaintance with consecration.
"In full and glad surrender,
I give myself to thee."
Consecration, then, involves surrender--total, absolute, unconditional,
irreversible. This is Paul's teaching in Romans: "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. xii. 1). These people had already given their souls to God, and now
the apostle insists on their giving their "bodies" too. "Yield (R. V.,
Present) yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead" (Rom.
vi. 13). Life first, then sacrifice. Have we life in Christ? Then it is
imperative that we "yield," "present" ourselves unto God. It is not a
matter of individual choice or taste or convenience; but every one that
has been quickened from the death in trespasses and sins is commanded,
_yes, commanded_, to "present himself to God." Have _you_ obeyed this
command? If not, why not? God excuses no one. Had it not better be
attended to now? Yes, before you read another line!
It follows as a corollary that if we yield ourselves, we yield everything
else to God; nothing is withheld. What loss we suffer because we will hold
back some little thing! A little child was one day playing with a very
valuable vase, when he put his hand into it and could not withdraw it. His
father, too, tried his best to get it out, but all in vain. They were
talking of breaking the vase, when the father said, "Now, my son, make one
more try; open your hand and hold your fingers out straight, as you see me
doing, and then pull." To their astonishment the little fellow said, "Oh
no, pa; I couldn't put out my fingers like that, for if I did, I would
drop my penny." He had been holding on to a penny all the time! No wonder
he could not withdraw his hand. How many of us are like him! Drop the
copper, surrender, let go, and God will give you gold.
Now let us note that the verb translated "yield" (Rom. vi. 13) and
"present" (Rom. xii. I) is not in the present tense in the original, as if
Paul said "be yielding," "keep presenting," but it is in the aorist tense,
the general force of which is a definite act, something done and finished
with. So that when the command, "Present yourself to God," is complied
with as far as one's light goes, the person is entitled to regard the
transaction as a completed act, and to say, "Yes, I have presented myself
to God." Then Faith presses on the heels of that statement and says, "God
has accepted what I have thus _presented_." It is absolutely necessary
that Faith be in lively exercise on this point, for what will be the
practical outcome of all my presenting if I do not believe that God takes
what I give? "Him that cometh unto Me I will in nowise cast out" is just
as appropriate to the saint seeking full salvation as to the sinner
seeking pardon. It is failure here, failure to apprehend by faith the fact
that God receives what I present, that has blocked progress for so many
of God's people who are truly desirous of living consecrated lives. From
this it will be seen that consecration is a crisis in the life of the
believer, just as cleansing is, and not a process; but it, too, "is a
crisis in order to a process."
_3. Transference of Ownership._
Consecration implies and involves transference of ownership. Many a
Christian is living to-day as if he were his own; but the consecrated
heart endorses the statement of the Divine Word: "Ye are not your own,
for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in
your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. vi. 19, 20). The consecrated man
looks upon himself as the absolute property of the Lord who bought him,
and his whole life is lived in the light of this fact.
_4. Enthroning Christ._
Consecration involves the "glorifying" of Christ, the "enthroning" Him,
the crowning of Jesus "Lord of all" in our own heart and life. "Crown Him,
crown Him, Lord of all;" "and," says Dr. Hudson Taylor, "if you do not
crown Him Lord _of all_, you do not crown Him Lord _at all_." This view
of consecration, with its accompanying results, is beautifully illustrated
for us in John vii. 38, 39, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture
hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this
spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him were to receive:
for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified."
The flowing forth of the rivers--just the outflow, the overflow of the
infilling Spirit--was dependent on Jesus being "glorified." Jesus had not
yet reached the throne, and so the Spirit had not yet been given. The
reason why they had not come to Pentecost was that as yet there was no
Ascension. Ascension preceded Pentecost. Let us learn it by root of heart,
that every Pentecost since the first has, in like manner, been preceded by
an Ascension. Do we know Pentecost experimentally for ourselves? If not
the reason is close at hand. Jesus has not been "glorified" by us, not
enthroned in _our_ hearts. He may be in the heart, He may even be in the
throne room, but He has not been placed upon the throne! There has never
been a coronation day in our lives, when "in full and glad surrender" we
placed the crown on the many-crowned Head, crying, "Crown Him, crown Him,
Lord of all!" "And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and _of the Lamb_" (Rev.
xxii. 1). When Christ reached the throne at the Father's right hand, from
underneath His throne the river began to flow, the Holy Ghost was given,
His Church received her Pentecost. "Being by the right hand of God
exalted ... he hath poured forth this" (Acts ii. 33). So when Christ is
"exalted," "enthroned," "glorified" in the believer's heart, from
underneath His throne will the rivers begin to flow according to promise;
but, no Ascension, no Pentecost; and let us remember, as has been already
stated, that though life begins at the Cross, service does not begin till
Pentecost. No Pentecost, no service worthy of the name!
We need not be concerned as to how the rivers are flowing from us, or
troubled as to what channels they are flowing in. They flowed from Peter
in one way, and from Paul in quite another, and from Barnabas in yet
another; there are infinite "diversities" of ways. We need not trouble at
all about the rivers, and the direction of their flow; our concern is to
"glorify Jesus," to see that He is on the throne; and it becomes _His_
business then to see that the rivers are flowing; and there is not the
slightest danger that the blessed business with which He charges Himself
will be neglected!
There are other aspects of consecration in the Divine Word which have not
been touched upon, but enough has been said for our purpose to show what
it is, and what its blessed results will be. Our life and service will be
enriched beyond telling by enthroning Christ. This, of course, involves
the breaking of all our idols, for He will not share His throne with any.
When Mahmoud, the conqueror of India, had taken the city of Gujarat he
proceeded, as was his custom, to destroy the idols. There was one, fifteen
feet high, which its priests and devotees begged him to spare. He was deaf
to their entreaties, and seizing a hammer he struck it one blow when, to
his amazement, from the shattered image there rained down at his feet a
shower of gems, pearls and diamonds--treasure of fabulous value, which had
been hidden within it! Had he spared the idol he would have lost all this
wealth. Let us not spare _our_ idols. It is to our interest to demolish
them. If we shatter them there will rain about our hearts the very
treasures of Heaven, the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit; but if we
spare our idol we will miss riches unsearchable.
The consecrated life is a Christ-centered life, the only truly-centered
life; every other life is eccentric: yet how often do we hear worldly
people or worldly-minded Christians (what a contradiction in terms!)
criticising some devoted Spirit-filled man or woman as "so eccentric,"
simply because of their loyalty to Christ their King! when all the while
it is the critics that are "eccentric,"--off the true center. Indeed, so
eccentric did the first Spirit-filled band appear, that "others mocking
said, they are filled with new wine;" _so they were_ "full of new wine,"
the "new wine" of the kingdom. And in God's sight these drunken, eccentric
men were the only truly-centered spiritually-adjusted men in the throng.