Chapter 5—Consecration
God’s promise is, “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall
search for Me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
.
The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never
be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. By
nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our
condition in such words as these: “Dead in trespasses and sins;” “the
whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;” “no soundness in it.”
We are held fast in the snare of Satan, “taken captive by him at his
will.”
Ephesians 2:1
;
Isaiah 1:5, 6
;
2 Timothy 2:26
. God desires to
heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation,
a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to
Him.
The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought.
The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a
struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in
holiness.
The government of God is not, as Satan would make it appear,
founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning control. It appeals
to the intellect and the conscience. “Come now, and let us reason
together” is the Creator’s invitation to the beings He has made.
Isaiah
1:18
. God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept
an homage that is not willingly and intelligently given. A mere forced
submission would prevent all real development of mind or character;
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it would make man a mere automaton. Such is not the purpose of the
Creator. He desires that man, the crowning work of His creative power,
shall reach the highest possible development. He sets before us the
height of blessing to which He desires to bring us through His grace.
He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He may work His will in
us. It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the
bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God.
In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up all that
would separate us from Him. Hence the Saviour says, “Whosoever he
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