What does it mean to be consecrated? At the most basic level it means to make holy, to set apart, to sanctify. All of these terms are essentially synonymous in Scripture.
In Exodus 29 there is a long ceremony, seven days, by which Aaron and his sons were consecrated, set apart, for the service of the tabernacle. The ceremony involved the killing of bulls and rams, the making of bread, the sprinkling of blood, the waving of hands, the burning of fat, the anointing with oil, and a host of other activities.
God said, "Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them. And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy."
Why did Aaron, his sons, and the altar need to be holy? Because God said He would meet with them there. God's presence is ultimately what makes holy.
Ex. 29:43ff, "And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory...I will dwell among the children of Israel and be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God."
That is a powerful proclamation. Holiness comes down to the presence of the Lord. Where God is, is holy. Where God is not, is not holy. So what makes us holy? What makes our assemblies holy? It is certainly not the blood of bulls and goats or the elaborate process of consecration that Aaron and his sons endured.
It is the presence of the Lord that makes us holy. It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that makes us holy before the Lord. It is the presence of God in us that makes our assemblies holy.
Have you ever been into a church and it seemed dead, as if there was no glory of God present? Perhaps the service was just like a thousand other services that observed Bible reading, prayer, singing, preaching, etc., but there was no "holiness" to it. Why? Because God's presence was not there. It's as simple as that.
So what can I do? Can I make anything holy? The answer is I can't make anything holy. Only God can do that. What I can do is pray for God's presence in me and repent of any sin that may hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. It is Christ who has done all of the atoning work. It is His sacrifice that God accepts and honors. By His blood we are made clean and holy before our God.
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