Acceptable Consecration: Living from the New Life in Christ

📖 "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." — Romans 8:7

To live a life truly consecrated to God, we must first recognize that our old life in Adam is not meant to be reformed, repurposed, or improved—it was crucified with Christ. True consecration is not about offering God our natural strengths, abilities, or best efforts, but about presenting ourselves as those who have been made alive from the dead in Christ (Romans 6:13).

Many attempt to live the Christian life by rededicating themselves to God without first acknowledging the reality of their co-crucifixion with Christ. This only leads to striving in the flesh, which can never please God (Romans 8:8). But when we embrace our union with Christ—having died with Him and been raised to newness of life—we live from His life within, rather than attempting to consecrate what was never meant to live in the first place.

Imagine a sculptor given a block of stone that has already been shattered. No matter how skilled he is, he cannot shape something that is already broken beyond repair. The only answer is to begin with a new, untouched block—just as God has done with us. He has not asked us to reshape the old life, but to live from the new life He has given us in Christ.

True consecration is not an effort of the flesh but an acknowledgment that we have been made new. As we daily reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, His life naturally flows through us to a thirsty world.

Prayer of Confidence

Father, we thank You that in Christ we have been crucified and raised to new life. We rejoice that You have not called us to consecrate the old life, but to walk in the fullness of the life You have already given. We trust You to live through us today, that our lives may be an outflow of Your grace, bringing refreshment to others. We rest in the truth that we are alive from the dead in Christ, and we walk forward in this reality. Amen.

📷 Photo Credit: Unsplash
📖 Devotional Credit: Abide Above