God's Call to Consecration
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
Permit me to enlarge upon the expression, "therefore." Our chapter opens thus: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God."
1. There is presented a basis for God's call to consecration. God does not ask us to do something, while He does nothing. No Christian can outdo God in giving all.
God does not ask us to do anything, that is irrational, unjust, or uncalled for. His call is to a rational service, a reasonable yielding. He does not lead us into things fanatical.
2. The basis of God's call to consecration is "the mercies of God." What we want to do is to dig deep into God's mercies and try to ferret out what they are. In order to do this we will need to take a glimpse into the preceding Chapter s of Romans.
The "therefore" and the "mercies of God," are one and the same thing. The Holy Spirit having outlined the "mercies of God" in the Book of Romans, said: "I beseech you therefore."
(1) The "therefore" of our past sins. Romans, Chapter s Romans 1:1 to Romans 3:20, fully covered the detailed account of man's sin. Both Jew and Gentile are brought into the picture, and both are declared "under sin."
(2) The "therefore" of Christ's death for sin. Romans 3:21 to chapter 5, discusses how Christ died far sin. In these Chapter s righteousness through the Blood of Christ, is made possible to all who believe. The Cross is held before us, as the sole basis of redemption. That Cross is made effective in its shed Blood upon all those who receive the Atonement.
This is a marvelous part of God's "therefore," which becomes His plea for our consecration. If He was willing to die for us, we should be willing to live for Him.
(3) The "therefore" of the grace of God. This is set forth in five striking statements in Romans 5:1-21. Grace is God's kindness toward us, in Christ Jesus. Grace is God, giving His Son; and, in His Son, giving us all things in salvation, sanctification and glorification.
Grace is a plea to consecration that presents tremendous force. How can we cease to yield our all unto the all glorious Christ, when He gave His all for such an inglorious, sinful us?
If He died for us, can we do less than live for Him?
(4) The "therefore" of the our "victorious life." Romans 6:1-23 through to 8, outlines God's matchless purpose and plan for us, as Christians, to live in absolute victory over sin. "Sin shall not have dominion over you" this is God's last great plea to us for consecration.
When the Spirit writes, "I beseech you therefore," He is saying, "God has made every provision for your victory. Christ not only saves you, but He places you as a conqueror over every power of the world, the flesh and devil, then He cries, I beseech you therefore."
Let us bring ourselves this day, and lay ourselves, with our all, at His feet, to be, to go, to do, as He commands.
I. THE PRESENTATION OF OUR BODIES (Romans 12:1)
1. Why the body? When our Lord said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice," He was thinking of the body as the implement of service. The Spirit which dwells within the body, and the soul, which also is there, has no other means of expression than the body. It is the eye that looks, the ear that hears, the feet that move, the lips which speak, the hands which help, these must be used in all the Word and work of God.
The body, in itself, and apart from the soul and spirit, is as helpless and useless as any other human mechanism.
You perhaps have observed how, in the 6th chapter of Romans, the Lord combines both the self life, and the body, in His call to consecration. On the one hand, He says: "Yield yourselves unto God"; while, on the other hand, He says: "Yield ye your members * * unto God." Both are to be yielded as servants, to obey the voice of the Lord.
2. How the body is to be presented.
(1) It is to be presented a living sacrifice. God does not ask us to be crucified. We are not called upon to die. We are called upon, however, to live for God. If Christ gave Himself for us, as a sacrifice in His death; we surely can give ourselves to Him, as a sacrifice in our lives.
(2) It is to be presented a holy sacrifice. There is something very sacred about presenting our bodies to God. They are to be holy, because they are designated for holy purposes and holy use. God does not want our bodies for any impure service. He wants them in the realm of those deeds which are announced by Him as pure and clean and holy.
(3) It is to be presented as an acceptable sacrifice. God accepts what we bring. He does not spurn our offering. He graciously receives it. To those who accept Him as a Saviour, He stands ready to accept as a sacrifice.
II. HOW TO DISCOVER GOD'S WILL IN OUR LIVES (Romans 12:2)
1. We must present ourselves to God. God is not willing to give His orders and His will unto hearts and lives which are not upon His altar of service. Why should the Master give His plan into the hands of rebellious and unwilling servants.
If we are ready to do, to go, and to be, God is ready to tell us what to do, where to go, and what He wants us to do. Let no one, therefore, who is not living with his body and his all upon God's altar vainly imagine that he can walk in God's will.
God said: "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; * *? For I know him, that he will * *." When God sees we are willing to obey His voice, He will discover unto us His will.
2. We must not be conformed to this world. How can we expect to know the will that emanates from another world, if we are conforming our lives to the will of this world?
We are not of the world, but we are called out of the world. Shall we then live according to the world? If we want to know the voice of God, we must have a deaf ear to the voice of men. He who thinks the world's thoughts, walks the world's way and does the world's deeds can never know the thoughts, the way, and the will of God.
3. We must be renewed in the spirit of our minds. The natural mind does not and cannot receive the things which are of God. The only things that our natural mind can understand are the things of man.
If we would know the things of God, we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind. That is, we must be spiritually minded. "For what man knoweth the things * * of God * * but the Spirit of God."
III. DO ALL GET GOD'S BEST? (Romans 12:2, l. c)
1. There is the good will of God. Perhaps there is no one who would deign to imagine that all believers stand perfect and complete in all of the will of God. If this be true, Epaphras, the beloved servant, would scarcely have prayed that God's saints might have His best will, and all His will.
For our part, we fear that many believers have never gone far enough to even get into God's good will. The good will of God works out for us our good. If we are standing in that will, God's good will, we are blest.
2. There is the acceptable will of God. When we are standing in this will, we are standing in the place of approval. We have access to our Father. He does not hold anything against us. This is a blessed place in which to stand.
3. There is the perfect will of God. As we think of it, this is a long step beyond God's good will, and also beyond God's acceptable will. It was in the perfect will of God that Jesus Christ walked. He said: "I do always those things that please Him." He did not finish a part but all of the work which God gave Him to do. He was never out of the will of God.
In the Old Testament, Job approached unto the perfect will of God. He did not reach it perhaps, but he was, at least, a man that was perfect and upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil. He was not perfect in God's will, perhaps, but he was above all the men upon the earth, for God said, "There is none like him in the earth."
One thing I know, for my part, I choose God's perfect will. I desire it, and seek it. We trust that everyone takes this same ground.
IV. THINKING SOBERLY (Romans 12:3)
1. The sin of pride. The first part of our verse says; "Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." How easy it is for us to become self-boastful and self-proud.
Satan played a trump card when he said unto the woman, "Ye shall be as gods." That spirit of pride, engendered in the first woman, has been passed on down from generation to generation.
The Word of God, from one end to another, carries with it stories of men who reveled in the exaltation of self. This spirit of pride will find itself consummated in the antichrist, who will set himself up as above God, and all that is called God.
2. The need of sober thinking. We are expressly told to think soberly. Here is a word that forbids deep forebodings and discouragement relative to ourselves. While some are proud of themselves, others may become altogether carried away with an "inferiority complex." We believe, however, that this twentieth century terminology has been used to cover a multitude of sins.
However, we should think soberly, recognizing that in Christ Jesus we are called unto a definite and magnificent work, unto a testimony relative to things Divine. We must not forget that while we are nothing of ourselves, yet, in Christ we can do all things, because He strengtheneth us. While we of ourselves are nothing, yet in Him we are sons, representatives of a Heavenly court.
3. The recognition of God's gifts to as. The latter clause of our verse says: That "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." It is this faith which links us on to God, in the highest, and makes possible in and through us, the mighty conquests of faith. The victories of faith are wonderful. Study Hebrews 11:1-40
V. ONE BODY BUT MANY MEMBERS (Romans 12:4-5)
1. There are many members in one body. The reference is to the human body as typical of the Body of Christ. In our bodies we all recognize the fact of distinctive members, God has said: "For the body is not one member, but many." It is for this cause that the foot cannot say: "Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body." Neither can the ear say: "Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body."
It would be a sorry body indeed "if the whole body were an eye, then where were the hearing?" On the other hand, "if the whole body were hearing, where were the smelling?" Therefore, it is written: "But now hath God set the members every one in the body, as it hath pleased Him."
Because the members have different functions, they can-riot say, "I am not of the body." The fact that each member has its own function forces it to the realization that it has need for every other member of the body.
This God uses as an argument to keep schism out of the body.
2. There are many members with various offices. Romans 12:6 tells us that we have gifts differing according to the grace that is given unto us. The gifts of the Spirit are subject to the Spirit. We may seek earnestly the best gifts, and yet, the Spirit will give us severally as He will.
It is true, nevertheless, that what He wills, is best for us, as well as for Him.
What we need, as individual Christians, is to discover our own gift, and to cultivate it, and use it. If God has given us one talent, or two, or ten, He expects us to multiply them. There is no place for any part of the body to become inactive. If a member of the body is inactive, it will soon wither away, dry up, and die.
3. Each member is joined to the body in love. We must not forget that every one. of us is a member together with everyone else. In Ephesians we read of our growing "up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
VI. THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT (Romans 12:6-8)
The verses before us set forth numerous gifts.
1. The gift of prophecy. Prophecy is speaking unto edification. It is mentioned first in our list of gifts, and it is, in fact, the chief gift of the Spirit, so far as the realm of service and activity is concerned.
2. The gift of ministering. When we speak of ministering, we think of serving one another. The preacher is commonly called the minister, because his work is not alone in the pulpit, but in the home. He goes about doing good, bearing burdens, comforting, strengthening, uplifting.
3. The gift of teaching. He that teacheth, is to wait on teaching. The teacher of the Word holds no small place in the body. Teaching exalts Christ; teaching opens up before men the marvelous messages of the Word of God.
4. The gift of exhortation. The exhorter may be a teacher, and he may prophesy, but exhortation as a rule carries with it the thought of presenting God's warnings against sin; and God's call to righteousness and holy living. We exhort men to turn from every evil way. We exhort them to take up their cross and follow Christ. We exhort them to live righteously, soberly, and godly, in this present world.
5. The gift of giving. We cannot cover all the gifts of the Spirit. However, we are happy that giving is included among spiritual gifts. Our admonition is to give "with simplicity." There must be nothing of. flourish, nothing of boast in our giving. As we abound in every grace, let us abound in this grace also.
VII. VARIOUS ADMONITIONS (Romans 12:9-13)
As we hurriedly run over the final admonitions of our verses, let us remember that they are all written to us in the light of a consecrated life.
God is speaking to those who. have brought their bodies and presented them to Him, as a living sacrifice.
1. There is the call to a holy love. Romans 12:9 says, "Let love be without dissimulation." Our love should be toward all men, and not to a chosen few, Our love should be without reserve. It should be rich, and full, in its expressions. A love that is to all will not say to the rich man, sit here in the seat of honor, and to the poor man, stand thou there in the place of a vassal.
2. There is the call to right choosing. We are to "abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." Both descriptive words are vital to this verse. Evil is not merely to be shunned. It is to be abhorred.
3. There is the call to tender affections. Romans 12:10 says: "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love." Language could not be more expressive. True affection, is kind; true love, is brotherly.
4. There is the call to fervent serving. God has no place for the slothful, and to the idler. He wants those who serve in the business world, to serve with fervor of spirit. Whether in the Church, or, in the business world, He wants us to be serving the Lord. In other words, "whether therefore, yet eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
5. There is the call to rejoicing and patience. We are to rejoice in hope, and to be patient in tribulation. We may not rejoice always in our present affliction, but we can rejoice in our coming deliverance. We may not rejoice in the sin and shame that dominates earth's cities, but we May rejoice in the holiness and glory of the Heavenly City.
AN ILLUSTRATION
True consecration means living for others:
A discouraged young doctor in one of our large cities was visited by his father who came up from a rural district. "Well, son," he said, "how are you getting along?" ''I'm not getting along at all," was the answer. The old man's countenance fell, but be spoke of courage and patience and hope. Later in the day he went with his son to the free dispensary. He sat by in silence, while twenty-five poor unfortunates received help. When the door had been closed upon the last one, the old man burst out, "I thought you told me you were doing nothing. Why, if I had helped twenty-five people in a month, I would thank God that my life counted for something." "There isn't any money in it though," explained the son. "Money!" the old man shouted. "What is money in comparison with being of use to your fellow men?"
Rev. J. J. Wright