Rev., can you please explain eternal consecration to me?
What is meant by eternal consecration?
ANSWER
To “consecrate” one’s self also means to “sanctify” yourself. In His prayer for His disciples in John 17:17 and for all those who would become Christians through their witness, Jesus petitioned the Heavenly Father to “Sanctify (or consecrate) them by the truth, your word is truth.”
This word “sanctify” has two meanings:
1. It means to consecrate, to separate from earth and common use, and to devote or dedicate to God and His service.
2. It signifies to make holy or pure. The prayer of Christ may be understood in both these senses. He prayed 1. That His disciples and all Christians everywhere, in every age, would be fully consecrated to God and to the work of the ministry, and separated from all worldly concerns. 2. That they and all those to whom they presented the gospel message would be holy.
A Christian who engages himself in worldly pleasures is a reproach to the gospel and his carnal lifestyle can be a stumbling block to the salvation of others. That is why Jesus prayed for our sanctification and petitioned God to make us pure, or holy in our words, thoughts and actions and also to cleanse us from our sins (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 6:11). Sanctification in the life of a Christian is both instantaneous and progressive. At conversion, our spirits are instantly and eternally sanctified or consecrated. But in our souls (mind, emotions, and will) and in our bodies, sanctification is progressive. Progressive sanctification (holiness) consists of becoming more like God on a daily basis by renewing our minds with God’s word and becoming less attached to the world. Progressive sanctification also means reflecting the nature and beauty of Jesus more and more in our daily lives by depending on the Holy Spirit daily to gain victory over evil thoughts, and passions, and impure desires.
In His prayer in John 17:17, Jesus shows us that we are sanctified by God’s word, which He calls the truth. As Christians, our personal holiness or consecration is directly proportional to the extent to which God’s word lives in us, dominates and controls our lives. OUR SPIRITS ON THE OTHER HAND IS ETERNALLY CONSECRATED AND IS AS HOLY, PURE, AND SEPARATED UNTO GOD AS JESUS IS. That is why the Bible says “As Christ is, so are you in this world.” Your Born-Again spirit is exactly like Jesus in holiness and purity because it is a totally brand new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).