Tag: commandments

CONSECRATE

Posted on by West Oaks Fellowship

In the Old Testament, Moses, under direct orders from the Lord, declares (Leviticus 20:7):

You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

According to this passage of Scripture,for Israel to be and remain the people of God, they must be “consecrated” and “holy.” This is not merely speaking ritualistically or in a ceremonial sense, but also in a spiritual, moral, ethical, and behavioral sense. The basic or principal command was (Leviticus 19:2),

You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.

This leads directly to the commands to honor one’s father and mother, to keep the Sabbaths, to refrain from theft and falsehood, to deal rightly with neighbors and servants, and to be kind to the blind and deaf.  It’s interesting to note that each command is followed by the refrain, “I am the Lord,” which strongly upholds and continually emphasizes the original premise . . . the Lord God is holy, as is one’s relationship with Him!  Thus Israel’s holiness is not based upon mere ritualistic behaviors and/or actions, but is clearly identified as obedience to God’s divine truth/law (Numbers 15:40):

So that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.

Therefore, this consecration was more than religious and/or ceremonial; it made a “holy” impact in the entire life … a holy dimension that encompassed one’s entire being … spiritually, morally, ethically, and behaviorally!

Several Old Testament Hebrew words are translated “consecrate” in the biblical text, but each refers to the setting apart of a person or object for the service and/or worship of God.  God set His people apart from other nations to worship and serve Him as no other. 

However, there remained human responsibility in the framework of His consecration, thus we see the practical implications of consecration fully developed by God’s Old Testament prophets. According to their declarations, true and believing faith leads to consecration – which is an internal/inward dedication that results in the spiritual modification of one’s character and the on-going development of one’s spirituality.  For His prophets, the immediacy of one’s relationship to God’s holiness was indicated by a willingness to faithfully participate in acts of spiritual consecration and dedication which demanded absolute obedience, as well as certain observances that necessarily resulted in a spiritual transformation of that individual.

As an example, the “unclean lips” of the prophet Isaiah are purified by a coal from the heavenly altar, and his “guilt is taken away” and his “sin forgiven!” (See Isaiah 6:5-7)  Here, a willing and obedient heart is combined with the actions of almighty God. Amos argues that divine holiness demands the ethical reconstruction and consecration of an entire society.  The celebrations, feasts, and assemblies (Amos 4:4; 5:21-24) were declared spiritually worthless and meaningless apart from the spiritual, moral, ethical, and behavioral qualities of justice and righteousness.  God promises in His holiness, even to avenge the poor, the afflicted, and the oppressed in Amos 2:6; 4:1; 5:10-15. 

This only happens when people of true faith turn from human thinking to embrace the wisdom of a living God who knows all and sees all. Otherwise, human benevolence becomes extremely selective, biased, bigoted, highly discriminatory and judgmental.  For Habakkuk, the corollary of divine holiness was displayed in righteous anger against evil, faithlessness, and wrongdoing!  This prophet even speaks of some spiritual vindication for the righteous — men and women who actively and effectively uphold the standards/concepts of God’s holiness and live wholeheartedly by faith in Him. (See Habakkuk 1:12; 2:4)

As one moves to the New Testament, the word consecrated is only used nominally in reference to objects of Hebrew worship.  However, the concept is fully ratified throughout the Biblical text in the term/word “sanctification.” Here we find a distinct, as well as unique “setting apart” of individuals (not objects) for the service and worship of the Lord.  Just as in the Old Testament, one finds an act of God combining with the will and subsequent actions of humanity, to bring about sanctification. Biblical, New Testament sanctification always results in a spiritual modification that works to bring about a total adjustment in one’s ethics, morals, thoughts, desires, passions, and behavior. 

While it is certainly God that sanctifies, there remains human responsibility in the sanctification process.  Just as grapes do not become fine wine automatically, neither does a believer become a true disciple of Jesus Christ without owning and nurturing their relationship with Him.  Romans 6:19-23 serves to remind us of this simple fact! 

For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.  Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?  For the outcome of those things is death.  But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Scriptures reveal that one’s thoughts, choices, and actions matter in the sanctification and/or consecration process! 

However, we must never forget that this process is impossible without the work of the Lord, and can in no way be achieved or obtained by human effort alone.  I Corinthians  1:26-31 states this clearly:

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’ 

What shall we do? Partner with the Lord … be consecrated, be sanctified … or not?  

Choose today whom you’ll serve.   — Pastor Frank            

CRIME

Posted on by West Oaks Fellowship

Is all crime, sin?  Is all sin, crime?  The answer to both is a resounding no!  However, that doesn’t mean the two concepts aren’t closely connected or related, or that a society that refuses to appropriately connect them can achieve a peaceful, respectful, divinely blessed, and flourishing community or society!

IS ALL CRIME, SIN? 

While the definition of crime (which used to be closely connected to that of sin) has changed over time, and is constantly changing, most would agree to a simple understanding … “an act that’s against the law.”   In the case of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego (Daniel 3), the law required a cessation of activity and the worship of a golden image upon the sounding of a “horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music.”  It was unquestionably a crime for them to disobey the law of their government; however it was not a sin, due to the fact that they were under a higher obligation to their Lord!  Therefore, what was a “crime” to humanity and that society was a righteous act of obedience unto the Lord.

IS ALL SIN, CRIME?

Now the discussion potentially gets complicated!  The very idea of “crime” seems to be originally based upon the concept of sin … an act or conduct against others, specific property (possessions) or society.  Therefore, at the root of what is deemed a crime, one finds a biblical moral foundation.  However, modern-day society and contemporary world views are consistently working against the reality and certainty that all civil law is based upon moral values expressed to mankind by a supreme being we know as God.  As a result, crime is currently and conveniently defined (without any reference to sin) as being: 

1. an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government.  

2. an activity that is against civil law                                                                                             

3. illegal acts in general (WHATEVER THAT MEANS).

A simple, cursory look at the 10 Commandments, given to the nation of Israel in order to regulate their society, sees laws based upon distinguished moral values and character.  While the first 4 deal with one’s relationship with God, rather than others, as found in the last 6, that did not negate the criminality of breaking any of them.  It was undeniably a crime to break any  one of the 10 because it was the law for God’s people.  In addition, certain punishments were outlined for particular sins/crimes in Deuteronomy chapters 21-25.

Sin is often not considered a crime because much of one’s sin is birthed in the heart out of fleshly/worldly passions.  While adultery is still a crime in many states, no one is prosecuted for it in America.  However, in the Hebrew law of the OT, it was a sin against God as well as a criminal act against individuals and society.  You may recall the incident of the lady caught in adultery during the ministry of Jesus, (See John 8:1-11)  She faced criminal punishment according to Hebrew law. 

Today, adultery is sin in most people’s eyes, against both God and individuals, but definitely not a crime with described legal punishment.  Scripture agrees that adultery is sin, even if committed only in one’s heart, like greed or jealousy may be.  Nonetheless, in our society, this act, not the thought, of adultery no longer constitutes a criminal wrong-doing that would require prosecution and punishment.

Yes, crime is everywhere … we all know that, and most of us have experienced it.  Perhaps that is why our nation is all concerned, almost obsessed, with crime stats like white-on-white crime, black-on-black crime, white-on-black crime, black-on-white crime, poor-on-poor crime, rich-on-poor crime, poor-on-rich crime, rich-on-rich crime, etc., etc, etc.! Why can’t seemingly anyone honestly seek to know the answer, discuss the issues openly, find the answer, and share it freely?  (See Matthew 12:33-37)

There is just too much fear in truth!  Why are the facts like – almost 90% of crimes/sins in the US against young minority men are carried out by young minority men – hidden?  Why is it that a police officer (of any race) is 6 times more likely to be shot by a minority than vise versa and that 98% of minority shooting deaths do not involve police officers (of any race or gender)?  The simple answer is … that the simple answer doesn’t spin politically for anyone’s benefit.  Crime is everywhere because sin is everywhere! They cannot be disconnected! The secret (which is really no secret at all) to reducing crime is curtailing sin, and whether anyone wants to discuss it or not, that’s a spiritual issue.  

However, even in societies that we might consider pagan prior to the days of Moses – murder, adultery, theft, and false witness were treated as immoral acts … simply wrong, as well as considered criminal behavior among the Babylonians and the Egyptians.  Intelligent humans even figured out that it was wrong to … dishonor a god by the improper use of a god’s name, … show lack of respect to parents, … to covet the property (possessions) and particularly a wife, son, daughter, or  slave of another.

Crime, no matter what the stats say, is a direct result of sin. The only answer is godly, righteous living which is only achieved in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.  So the fear comes, and the truth is avoided!  The government of the governed can’t fix society by increasing the punishment for certain sins, like hate crimes or trying to force the manufacturing of safer bullets, which have no morality except that found in the hands of their user.  When people shoot people in sin, that’s a criminal action.  

Therefore, the heart of mankind is desperately wicked (See Genesis 6:5 & Jeremiah 17:9) and evil. Aberrant behavior cannot/will not be changed without a valid spiritual and moral basis for every law, and individuals who believe the values presented in those laws to be right and true.  So crime reduces, even whole societies are transformed, by the redeeming power of Christ’s gospel.  Then individuals will uphold laws that call sin, sin, support indisputable moral values, and conform their lives to immutable truth!  Brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t give up on our society or our world (I know you may feel like throwing in the towel) … our God’s not finished with us yet!  He can do anything, even change the spots of a leopard (See Jeremiah 13:23).  

Pastor Frank