Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Sunday, July 23, 2017
Listen to “Thoughts in Worship 07.23.2017” on Spreaker.
This is devotional thought number 30 in our devotional series, “Essentials of Faith.” Our subject is: I Will to be Consecrated.
Here’s the question for consideration: Being consecrated and holy, what will I begin to realize?
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13).
Membership truly does have its privileges. The membership to which I am referring is to God’s family.
Consecration is the path of holiness that God has marked out to welcome us into fellowship with Him and people just like you. All have sinned. I think we covered that. All need a Savior. What sets you apart, if you follow the path, is accepting the fact, but not settling for it.
Sinners who don’t settle choose to give all their sinfulness to God so He can give them salvation. God gives repentant, humble sinners, the power to become saints (i.e. His adopted children). Isn’t that great? I think so. And thus, you are called saints and kings’ kids as you continue to follow wherever He leads.
What it Means to be a Child of the King
Now for more details. This royal journey in fellowship with Christ and all the liberty of salvation does not preclude good works – it facilitates them. Being children of the heavenly King positions us to receive the power necessary to keep the ten commandments holy.
To His children, the commandments become ten promises. God promises that if you love Him, you will worship Him alone. He promises that if you keep the faith, you will love Him completely, love others deeply, you will not steal, murder, covet, lie, yield to sexual indiscretion, forget the seventh-day Sabbath, or disrespect your parents. But here’s the sweet spot: this also means that He will write His laws deep in your new heart, so you are not flailing around attempting to perform holy duties.
The love principle and Holy Spirit, rather, will enable you to keep the spirit of the law in your innermost self. This is a blessing because those who outwardly keep the commandments to preserve reputation, hide the deeper sinful thoughts, or attempt to earn favor with God, really are not keeping His law, anyway. This is why Paul said that we are to work out our salvation. We are to strive daily to surrender our hearts to God so He can keep His good works promises to us. Not only that; He will give us the desire and ability to please Him in all things. This is great news.
Being consecrated and holy, what will I begin to realize? I begin to realize that God has made every provision to enable me to do His will, and as my life begins to closely resemble the lifestyle of Christ, it manifests the fact that I am indeed a child of God.
