Tag: moses

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            

SUFFERING

Posted on by West Oaks Fellowship

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, suffering is defined as undergoing something painful or unpleasant, to endure, bear affliction, to allow, permit or tolerate pain, harm, injury, or loss. A great variety of Greek expressions, too large to be enumerated here, have been translated in our Bibles as “suffer(s),”and/or “suffering(s).” However all forms seem to be derived from the same root verb, “pascho” (Greek N.T. Strongs #3958).

In Mark 5:26, we find suffering associated with illness or disease when a woman who “had suffered (or endured) much (many things) at the hands of many physicians,” and “had spent all that she had,” not receiving any help at all, but “rather had grown worse.” Moses, in Hebrews 11:25, chooses to endure ill-treatment (suffering and affliction) with the people of God, rather than “enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” This potentially represents several types of suffering, from mental and emotional to persecutions related to his position and opportunities in life, as well as that of physical need. In II Timothy 2:9, Paul, speaking about his own life and ministry, declares that for the Gospel of Jesus Christ he suffers “hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.”

The Psalmist, David uses the first one-third of the 22nd Psalm (which includes graphic descriptions of suffering and exactly coincides with the sufferings of Jesus Christ) as a lamenting and disconsolate cry of anguish from his persecution by King Saul. Amazingly, his words progress to a trustful cry for help, and then end in vows of thanksgiving which spring from his deliverance (like Christ’s victorious resurrection). No other Psalm demonstrates such an accumulation of excruciating outward and inward suffering which is shown pressing in upon God’s servant who is perfectly innocent. What an illustration of Christ’s agonizing situation – the Crucified One is presented before our eyes in verses 15 through 18: The spreading out of the limbs, the naked body, the torturing pain in both hands and feet, and the burning thirst which our Redeemer suffered in order that the Scripture(s) might be fulfilled. Then He announces in a cry, “dipsoo’ “(Greek – NT word #1372 from John 19:28), “I thirst!”

Consider Christ’s sufferings, both emotional and physical. He suffered in almost every aspect of human life: one of His closest companions denied even knowing Him; other close friends couldn’t manage to stay awake, watch, and pray in a time of His deepest need; His own nation (people) rejected Him; His siblings and other family members considered Him crazy; most of the religious leaders in the community despised Him and spoke openly against Him, conspiring to destroy both His life and His message; a member of His own inner circle (discipleship group) continually stole from His ministry and ultimately betrayed Him; in total innocence, He was charged and found guilty of crimes against both God and the state; He was publicly displayed and crucified as a wretched, heinous criminal, and in His final hour, His Father turned His back. Truly He was a man of many sorrows and much suffering. Yet all to please His Dad and bless humanity as no other could achieve!

How can one refuse the ministry and gift of such a faithful suffering servant? How shall we respond to this Servant when asked to bear a little pain because we identify with His name, or endure suffering for His cause of truth and life?

Just think about it! Hope to see ya Sunday, Pastor Frank