How do you "consecrate" yourself? What is that?

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emmajade

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#1
"You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 20:7).
"...Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near..." (2 Chron. 29:31).

I've heard of consecrating bread. How do you consecrate yourself? What exactly does that mean and what would one do in order to "consecrate" themselves? What would that entail?
 
Jan 8, 2009
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#2
2 Chron 29:31 means sacrifices.

Hezekiah addresses, not the priests, but the congregation: "Now that by the atoning sacrifice which has been offered for you, you are consecrated once more to be a holy people to the Lord, approach with confidence and offer your free-will offerings as of old." (Barnes).

They consecrated themselves by bringing sacrifices as offerings of thanksgiving to God.

So you cannot consecrate yourself in the same literal sense the Israelites did.

And in fact the word consecrate is not found in the new testsament.

Christians are already consecrated by virtue of relationship to Christ, whose blood and once for all sacrifice is all that is necessary in dealing with the Father (Heb 10:14). As the old hymn goes, "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling. ". That's all the "consecration" that is necessary for the Christian. But a more proper word for the Christian would be "dedication" instead of consecration, or holiness. eg dedicate themselves to God anew, or be determined to live a holy life.

I believe consecrating bread comes from the old Roman Catholic idea of treating the body and blood of Christ as a kind of sacrifice on an altar.
Protestant traditions can also follow this practice, but usually it is called a "blessing", blessing the bread or similar. At the Eucharist I normally attend, a kind of consecration of the bread is made.
 
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emmajade

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#3
Thank you for explaining that! I appreciate it.
 
Jan 8, 2009
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#4
You're welcome emmajade it was an interesting study for myself to do, in order to answer your question. I may not have it quite right, but I should add (after giving more thought to it):

we as Christians can consecrate ourselves in the sense of devoting ourselves and all that we have and are, to God.

But in the old testament sense, it appears that consecration was tied in with sacrifices. So in that sense, Christ being our sacrifice, has already consecrated us to God. But , out of devotion and dedication, we can give a "sacrifice of praise", and thanksgiving. As long as we keep in mind that these works do not consecrate us, that we are already consecrated by Christ's blood. The Christian has already become a "slave to righteousness". and the inward change that has been accomplished within them cannot be reversed. In the old testament I think they consecrated themselves after periods of sin eg idolatory, consulting sorcerers etc. Christians can't really do that, simply repent and confess the sin, no need for a special consecration, as the sacrifice (Christ) was already made.
 
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MaggieMye

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#5
To 'consecrate' means to "set apart". As Christians, we are to consecrate ourselves unto the Lord, that is...to set ourselves apart from the world and unto the Lord to do His will....and to remain pure and holy.
When we take communion we consecrate the bread and wine unto the Lord...for His purposes. When we purchase anointing oil to pray for the sick, we consecrate it unto to the Lord....we use it only for His purposes.
Israel was a consecrated people...set apart from all the others, they were His chosen people.
Maggie
 
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