Offering ourselves to God is also to grant Him the right that He deserves in regard to us. First Corinthians 6:19-20 says that we are not our own because we have been bought with a price. This price is the precious blood shed by the Lord on the cross. The Lord has bought us with His blood. Since the Lord has purchased us, He has authority over us and we belong to Him, just as we own whatever we pay for.
Questions of use are never a factor in regard to the material things we own. This, however, is not the case with those who have received grace. Although God has purchased us, He can be prevented from enjoying His right over us if we disagree with His use of us. Therefore, it is necessary for us to consecrate ourselves. Consecration is our allowing God to have the right that He deserves. We need to say, “Lord, since You bought me with a price, I do not belong to myself; I am Yours. I yield all authority to You. I am Your bondslave. From now on, You have authority over me and I give myself to You forever. I do not want to run away or be unlawful, just as Onesimus was unlawful when he ran away from his master (Philem. 15-16). Therefore, I present myself to You; I give myself to You.”
Romans 14:7-8 says, “None of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself; for whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s.” We each belong to God. We belong to God not only while we are living but also after we die. We need to consecrate ourselves to God as an acknowledgment of His authority over us and as an indication that we allow Him to have the right that He deserves. Our consent to God’s authority over us is because of His constraining love and because of the price He paid to purchase us. Every new believer should indicate such willingness before the Lord.
Although our consecration to the Lord is for Him to use us to satisfy His wishes, we must first become a sacrifice before we can be for God. We cannot be for God unless we have first become a sacrifice. Becoming a sacrifice is a major step in consecration. It is possible for us to appear consecrated yet not be a sacrifice. There are three important points to being a sacrifice.
Once an offering is presented as a sacrifice, its position is changed. It has lost its former position and is now on the altar. No matter if it is a lamb or a bull, once it is offered as a sacrifice, its position is changed. It was formerly with the flock or the herd; it is now on the altar.
Once an offering is presented as a sacrifice, its function or use is also changed. Formerly, a lamb or bull was used by people in the world, but once it is placed on the altar, it can no longer be used by them. It is now for God’s enjoyment. Therefore, an offering that is presented as a sacrifice experiences not only a change in position but also a change in use. Hence, consecration is not merely a matter of uttering a few sentences of prayer; consecration is to present oneself as a sacrifice. The result of this kind of consecration is that our position and use are changed. Formerly, we were in the world; now we are on God’s altar. Formerly, we lived for our family, wife, husband, children, parents, and the world; now we live for God.
We all know that a sacrifice is not something common. Before being offered as a sacrifice, any object is common. Once it is offered as a sacrifice, however, it is separated. Thus, once a person consecrates himself, he is separated unto God; he is a living sacrifice presented to God. His position is changed, and his use is changed as well.
Everything that is presented as a sacrifice must pass through the process of God’s dealings, especially if it is presented as a burnt offering. The sacrifice spoken of in Romans 12:1 focuses on the burnt offering. In order for a bull or a lamb to be presented as a burnt offering, it must be slaughtered, flayed, cut into pieces, washed, laid on the altar, and consumed by fire until it becomes a heap of ashes. A sacrifice that is burnt to ashes has been thoroughly dealt with; even if there are further dealings, it will remain a heap of ashes. At this point the sacrifice is a sweet savor for God’s enjoyment.
It is a pity that many Christians are “willing” to consecrate themselves to God but are unwilling to be dealt with by Him. They are like bulls or lambs that have not been slaughtered, flayed, cut into pieces, washed, or consumed by fire. They remain untouched and unchanged; they remain entirely natural. Only those who have been dealt with by God are for God. Only after God has dealt with us in this way can our service be in resurrection, no longer a natural service. Only after we have been dealt with by God in this way can our work be in resurrection and a sweet savor unto Him. Many people today love the Lord zealously. Although they have consecrated themselves to God, they still have a very strong natural flavor. This is because they are unwilling to be stripped by God; they have not allowed God to consume them. They cannot be used by God because their self is unchanged. God cannot use their bad qualities nor even their good qualities because these qualities are still natural. A person can be used by God only when he has been dealt with by God, just as a sacrifice must be slaughtered, flayed, cut into pieces, washed, and burned to ashes until its appearance is completely changed. At this point his position, use, and appearance have all changed, and he has become a heap of ashes. In the eyes of men these ashes are nothing, but to God they are a sweet savor. Only this kind of person can be for God and can be used by God to satisfy His wishes.