Self Sanctification
A big part of our personal relationship with Christ, our Lord, is a two-step process. We are saved by GRACE through FAITH. Step one is our sincere faith, step two is His Grace. Prayer and Faith are always combined into one effort in our direct step that we take in all our dealings with and for our God.
Let us visit with Brother EDWARD MCKENDRIE BOUNDS as he teaches us about CONSECRATION and SANCTIFICATION:
'You shall sanctify yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. 'You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you. (Lev 20:7-8)
Here we are told to sanctify ourselves, and then in the next sentence we are taught that it is the Lord who sanctifies us.
Here is the two-fold meaning of sanctification, and a distinction that you always need to keep in mind. God does not consecrate us to His service; we must wholeheartedly commit or consecrate ourselves to Him. But we do not sanctify ourselves – it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
Consecration is the intentional act of the believer and is the direct result of prayer. No prayer-less person can ever understand the idea of full consecration.
Courtesy of E.M. Bounds, Power of Prayer, Christian Arts Gifts, 2007
Consider what E.M. Bounds has written and apply what you have learned to your walk with Christ. Do you find yourself searching constantly for where God wants you to serve?
When you were born, our Lord endowed you with talents, characteristics, and a unique combination of interests that evolved as you grew. We have a tendency to look beyond that which is already in us when we think about how to serve Jesus. Look to those gifts that God has already placed in you. Use them to bring glory to our Lord. Pray that these gifts bring about glory and honor to our Creator as you apply and use them serving others. This, as we pray, is how we CONSECRATE ourselves to His service. Watch how quickly God will SANCTIFY your efforts, Amen.
HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?
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