There is nothing so honored of God as a holy, consecrated life, nothing as essential to growth in Christian experience, and nothing that will as surely bring the presence of God into the life. Consecration is the route to everything we receive from God: salvation, sanctification, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, divine healing, or any other blessing. Consecrations of years back will not suffice to retain God’s blessing, but one’s life must be yielded to God daily.
QUESTIONS
- In Old Testament times what things were often used to show consecration (Exodus 29:21-22)? Why do you think God instituted the rituals surrounding these sacrifices?
- Why did David insist on paying for the threshing floor and the oxen? What would have been the probable result if David had accepted Araunah’s offer and sacrificed without any payment?
- What was the result of David’s actions at this time?
- How can we tell that Job’s life and possessions were consecrated to God? See Job 1:21.
- When God called upon Abraham for a deep consecration, what was his reaction (Genesis 22:2-3,9-13)? Was Abraham’s consecration of Isaac complete before this trial came? Explain.
- What types of offerings are we to give in consecration today?
- What were the words of Saul when Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:6)? How does his response relate to being truly successful in the Lord’s service?
- Before he came to Jesus, Saul had great hopes and ambitions: he studied the Law of Moses under Gamaliel, the foremost teacher of that day; he had ambitions of becoming a ruler of the Jews; perhaps he would one day be a member of the Jewish high court, the Sanhedrin. But he forsook all those worldly ambitions in order to follow Christ. How can we know that the Apostle Paul had made deep consecrations to God? See Philippians 3:7-8.
- What was Jesus Christ’s constant attitude toward His heavenly Father? See Matthew 26:39 and John 4:34.
THEME THOUGHTS
How do you treat your Bible? Is it just another book that is tucked casually between a couple of others on your bookshelf, or hidden under a couple of magazines on your night stand? How do you act in church? Is it a place that you honor, or do you consider it merely another building? How do you use the Lord’s name? Is it thrown lightly into your conversation, and used as just another word to express your feelings? Is prayer a vital part of your life? Or do you resort to prayer only when you want something from God, or when you have a problem you can’t handle by yourself?Your answers to these questions can help you to zero in on the theme for this quarter—Respect for Things Holy.Just what is the definition of the word “respect”? Webster informs us that it means, “to feel or show honor or esteem for something.” Respect for the things of God and the principles outlined in His Word are of vital importance to the Christian. “Why?” you might ask.Let’s SEARCH for the answer to that question as we study these lessons together.