Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5
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Here is a related passage:
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:18-21
And here is another reference to consecration:
Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. 1 Chronicles 15:11-15
What David refers to by “the first time” is this:
And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets. And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God. And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzza to this day. And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had. 1 Chronicles 13:7-14
The Greek word used by Jesus in John 17:19 for “consecrate” is also translated as “sanctify” in some versions of the Bible. It’s the same word used in the Lord’s prayer when we say “hallowed” is Your Name. It means “set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify.” God is HOLY and all powerful. He expects His instructions to be RESPECTED and OBEYED.
“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.” Exodus 25:10-16
We are not under the law, but under grace. (Gal. 5:4; also see Gal. 5:13-25 and all of Romans 6, 7:4-6.) However, we will be judged by how we used our freedom in Christ—God BEGINS by judging His own household. (Rev. 11:15-17, 18-19, 1Pet. 4:17-19, 1:14-19, Heb. 3:5-6, 12-13, 14, 10:29, 30-39, 12:14-15, 16-27, 28-29, 13:5-6, 1Thess. 4:2-5, 6-8, Rev. 2-3, John 8:31-36, Rom. 6:11-13, 1John 2:28-29, Titus 3:3, Gal. 6:4-5, 1Cor. 3:13-14, 15-16, 17-18) We are repeatedly referred to in the Bible as being sanctified (or purified, made holy, consecrated) by the blood of Jesus. We are not meant to deliberately defile the Body of Christ by returning to the sins He washes us from. (2Pet. 2:17-18, 19, 20-21, 22, Rev. 3:4-6, 5:9-10, 1Pet. 2:9-10, 11-12, 2Cor. 6:14-7:1, 5:14-15, 1Cor. 15:34, Gal. 6:1)
If we refuse to recognize and acknowledge that God is holy, and we refuse to accept HIS terms for worship (even the way that we live our lives according to His precepts is a form of worship), then we are worshiping in vain. (Rom. 12:1-2, Phil. 2:12-16, Rom. 16:19, John 14:15-26, 15:1-21, 1John 2:1-11, 1John 3:4-10, Eph. 4:15-5:32, 1Cor. 6:9-20, Col. 3) If we worship on OUR terms instead of His, then we are worshiping an idol we have created in our own minds—usually a “god” who is our “buddy” and “understands” that we love sin and the wicked ways of the world more than Him. That’s just sad. (1John 2:15-17, 3:10, 4:5-6, 5:18-19, Jam. 4:4-10, 2Tim. 2:19-26)
ALL sins can be repented of (turned from), forgiven and washed clean by the ONE sacrifice of Jesus of Himself on our behalf. (1John 1:5-10, Heb. 9:25-28, Eph. 5:2) In order for us to know what pleases God (including what is HIS definition of “love”), we need to take the time to get to know Him FOR OURSELVES from His holy word, the Bible. It’s one thing if we’re not able to read or have no access to a Bible, but that’s not the case for the vast majority of people in this country. And it’s one thing to be led astray, but those who do the leading will be held accountable. (1Pet. 4:3-5, Matt. 18:7, 7:15-29, Acts 20:29-35, Rom. 16:18, 1Tim. 6:3, 2Tim. 3:1-9, 12-17, 4:1-5, Jude 1:4, Titus 1:16, Luke 12:47-48, 2Thess. 2:9-12)
You might enjoy reading my devotional, “Beautiful.” You can view and/or download it in magazine style pdf (48 mb) here, or text w/highlighting format pdf (.5 mb) here. All of my other devotionals are also freely available in pdf format if you click on the link at the top of the right column.
