ENTIRE
CONSECRATOIN
BY DOUGAN CLARK, M.D.
Consecration does not
mean actual business. It means cutting off the right hand and plucking out the
right eye; it means crucifixion; it means death.
And Jesus Himself tells us this is one of the beautiful gospel paradoxes-“He
that saveth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life, for My sake,
shall find it.”
“I lose myself that I
may save myself.”
Consecration, therefore,
implies that the life of self, and the life of sin, are to be laid upon the
later of sacrifice; not to be kept alive but to die. Die suddenly! As the solider who is shot dead it battle,
experiences much less suffering than one who is only severely wounded, and who
may survive through weeks, or months, or many years of physical pain; so the
soul that decides at once for full salvation, that surrenders now, that shrinks
no from the sacrifice, even unto death, of its own self-will, knows much less o
the struggle, and the conflict and the torture, and far more of the rich joy
and abounding life, than one that hesitates; that lingers; that clings
tenaciously and persistently to some darling idol or darling sin; that
withholds the serving-knife from some of the tendrils of the old nature; that
refuses to die. May the Lord make a
short work in our souls. May we yield at once, and entirely. May the contest be
sharp, short and decisive, the victory speedy and complete.
Thus far, I have been presenting to my reader the harder and sterner aspect of the subject before us; but I must not omit to state that there is another aspect, and that consecration is to the believer not only a duty, but the highest possible privilege. It brings with it a rest so sweet, a joy so full, a peace so abiding, that we all have to surrender is as nothing to what we receive. A boy may cling very tenaciously to the toys e is holding in his hands, but he will readily relinquish them if you offer to fill his hands with gold sovereigns. Consecration is exchanging ourselves for Christ and making infinite gain by the transaction.
The very best thing that
can happen to any of us is that the sweet adorable will of God should be
accomplished in us, and by us, and
through us, and concerning us. “He has the programme of my best possible
future,” says one who has committed all into his hands. “What things were gain
to me, those I counted loss for Christ,” says the Apostle, who knew, if any man
ever knew, what it is to be wholly the Lord’s.
God’s promises,” as has
been remarked by another, “are always greater than His commands.” The latter
involve surrender, the former involve privilege. Jesus walks by the sea of
Galilee and finds certain fisherman engaged about their calling. He first says,
“Follow Me.” Here was surrender. They must leave families, business, means of
living, all, that they might obey His
command. But then he added, “And I will make you fishers of men.” Ah, here was
the glorious privilege! It is a vastly nobler thing to catch men then to catch
fish. How unspeakable was the gain they made by the simple transaction of
forsaking all and following Him. And so it will be with all who do likewise.
And may we not count it
as a light thing, and even gladly surrender all else that we may enjoy the
union, the in-dwelling, the companionship, the “everlasting love” of Him Who
condescends to call the Church His bride? “I
sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my
taste. He brought me also to His banqueting house, and his banner over me was
love.”
– The Offices of the Holy Spirit
