Everyone knows a lot about consecration, but few understand clearly how consecration affects our lives. The problems that some who serve face may be related to their consecration. We are not referring to material offerings. Consecration is a basic requirement for God to carry out a work of building on earth through us.
However, this is not an empty doctrine; it is a personal and practical matter. Improper conditions among those who serve indicate that their consecration was either not complete or inconsistent. All our problems, difficulties, and sufferings are related to consecration. The more comfort and ease we desire, the less consecrated we need to be. If we do not want any suffering, there is no need to consecrate ourselves.
We should not blame the Lord for giving us suffering. Suffering results from our consecration. Some say our suffering is given by the Lord. In reality, the true sufferings of Christians are brought upon themselves by their own consecration. If we do not want any suffering, we simply should not consecrate ourselves.
We can be zealous, preach the gospel, and even minister the word without consecration. In institutional Christianity, one can be successful without having to suffer. Natural disasters and man-made calamities are the portion of all people. However, a person who is not consecrated is exempt from a great deal of suffering.
It is as if the apostles in the early church sought out suffering. If they had not been so upright and honest, and had made concessions, they would not have suffered so much. If they had compromised, they would not have been persecuted by the Jewish religion and the Roman Empire. The sufferings they faced resulted from their consecration. They brought suffering upon themselves because of their consecration.
The sufferings that the apostle Paul faced were a consequence of his consecration. It would have been possible for him to love and serve the Lord without going through any suffering if he had not been so upright, and so radical and extreme in his consecration. Paul said: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Col. 1:24). Paul consecrated himself willingly. He declared: “My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” (Gal. 4:19). Paul’s willingness came from his consecration.
Contrary to what we see in the Scriptures, our situation seems to show that our consecration constantly weakens. We may be excellent Christians and even great preachers in the eyes of the world. However, we are unable to carry out the genuine building work of the church because our consecration is inconsistent. When we consecrate ourselves fully, sometimes the saints do not approve. They would prefer that we be more accommodating in our service, that is, more moderate, neutral, or less radical in performing our service.
If we want others to welcome us with open arms, we only need to make a few compromises in our service to the Lord. At least seventy percent of the saints will support us if we start serving in a more accommodating way. However, if we choose to be totally upright in our consecration, and that in a continuous way, our support will decrease and our suffering will increase.
In the apostolic era, the apostles were persecuted wherever they went. Nowadays, however, few preachers are persecuted. This is not because we live in a different era or because the world is more favorable to Christians than in the past. Rather, it is because the consecration of those who serve the Lord today does not compare to that of the apostles in the early church.
The so-called servants of the Lord today have lost the consecration of the early apostles. If all who serve consecrated themselves like the first apostles, they would go through much suffering, hardship, and deprivation. Many young people build relationships with the intention of marrying and starting a family, which is totally necessary. However, what we have observed leads us to ask whether these relationships strengthen or weaken their consecration. We cannot condemn the young ones, but they should consider whether their consecration has been strengthened or weakened. They may be considering the future of their service, their burden, or their function. But do these considerations indicate a strengthening or a weakening of their consecration?
Enjoy more: Hymn 215
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