A Wholesome Consecration Joshua 24: 14 – 25

At 16, environmental activist Jada “Molai” Payeng saw hundreds of dead snakes, the victims of a major drought occurring on Majuli Reserve – the world’s largest river island located in the Brahmaputra River in India.

Even at such a young age he knew that someone had to do something. So, in 1979, at 16 – years old, he started planting a tree sapling a day in the barren soil. Now over 40 years later, his forest covers 1,390 acres – approximately the size of 15 football stadiums. Jadav left behind his formal education to give all his attention to the forest. His consecration “I will plant till my last breath” saw it all.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24: 15

The kind of exemplary consecration to a worthy cause, which will always make a difference in life and ministry is what we find in the life of Joshua. In this passage, the children of Israel were excited at the time, having defeated all their enemies and settled in the Promise Land. But it was also a tempting time for them, given the possibility of forgetting God and adopting the idolatrous lifestyles of their Canaan Neighbours. Hence, Joshua called them to ponder on God’s faithfulness right from the Patriarchs’ time and confronted them to either choose to serve God exclusively or the gods of the Amorites while declaring his own personal resolve to serve the Lord with his household. Their promise to cleave unto the Lord made Joshua to make Joshua to make a covenant with the people that day.

It is often very easy for people to make promises to serve God, only to renege and return to their old ways due to challenges. Are you fully ways due to challenges. Are you fully persuaded about your decision to follow the Lord to the end? Our commitment to serve God should be for our lifetime, with no strings attached.

A wholesome consecration is one that can stand the test of time. We simply cannot live through our desires concerning the things of the spirit. Our desires are tired to our emotions, what we want, not what God wants.

Summary

Love died alone (consecrated) to give us life’, so that we can die on the ground alone (to sin) John 12: 24, to produce seed or works of righteousness we have to die to self, that the power of God will be revealed in us (as the power of God raised Jesus from the dead). Hence, the scriptures buried in weakness and raised in strength.

1 Corinthians 15: 43

Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.

The sin we commit is in the flesh, as 1 Corinthians 15: 43, hence, it affects the soul “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” – Leviticus 17: 11, Hence, the soul that sinneth it dies spiritually (Ezekiel 18: 20). But the Good news is through consecration, due to Romans 8:3-4″ for what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

We repeatedly, live in the spirit like Romans 8 says and die as the song implies. Now some Christians have removed dying, because as Jesus said to the pharisees they are prepared to die in their sins. (Ezekiel 3: 19 – 21, John 8: 24 – 32).