Leviticus 20:7-8
“Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you.”
Consecration is an important part of Christianity. A person who desires to walk with God, must set himself apart from the world and to the Lord. We cannot successfully follow the Lord when only a portion of our lives is given to Him. Jesus said it is impossible to serve two masters because we will be loyal to one at the expense of another (Matthew 6:24). It is also impossible to serve the Lord when we continue to bring things into our lives that distract or defile us.
Here in Leviticus we have some key insight into a practical way of consecrating ourselves to the Lord. We are told to keep His statutes and perform them, because God will sanctify us.
Statutes is a word that speaks of governing principles, set down by the authorities that rule over us. Every nation, state, organization, community group, and family have statutes that govern the behaviors of those who belong to them. Without these statutes, we could not have a healthy and safe environment where civilization can grow. In the same way, the Word of God is designed to govern the life of the believer. When we are faced with a decision, trial, or any situation, for that matter, we should look to the Word for guidance. When we apply the teaching of the Bible to our current circumstances God uses His word to sanctify us and make us more useful for His kingdom.
The other day I was speaking with a young lady who is single. She expressed her desire to find someone, but stated she wanted to be sure to find the right guy. Immediately, we went to Matthew’s gospel, where he records Jesus saying, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Not only is this a great promise, it is a statute designed to govern our goals, ambitions and the way we approach fulfilling them. If we use this verse as a guiding principle in our lives, we will be sure to find ourselves being set apart from the world and unto the Lord.
Pastor Jim
Jim Gallagher 