52. What is meant by consecration?
Consecration is dedicating something to the holy glory of God.
53. What are we to consecrate to God?
Whatever cannot be loved for God’s sake should not be loved at all; whatever can be loved for God’s sake should be consecrated to Him (Phil 4:8).
54. How are we to consecrate all lawful things to God?
We are to present our entire lives as a sacrificial offering (Rom 12:1), doing all deeds for Christ’s sake (Col 3:17, 23), doing all for God’s glory (1 Cor 10:31) and doing all that we do in love (1 Cor 16:14), while depending on His enabling grace to do so (Col 1:29; 2 Cor 9:8; Deut 33:25; 1 Cor 15:10).
55. What will confession and consecration lead to?
Our confession and consecration leads to God’s cleansing of us (1 Jo 1:9).
56. What is meant by cleansing?
The continual cleansing of the Christian is not the cleansing of his judicial guilt, but the sanctifying work of practically imparting Christ’s righteousness to his soul (John 13:9-10).
57. What is cleansed in the Christian?
First, his conscience is cleansed from accusation and the sense of the Father’s displeasure (Ps 51:12-15) and is re-sensitized to holiness. Second, he is cleansed from moral defilement (2 Cor 7:1), as he flees from sin (1 Cor 10:13; 2 Tim 2:22), mortifying its power (Col 3:5), making no provision for it (Ro 13:14), and puts off the old man. This leads him to more conformity to Christ.
58. What is meant by conformity to Christ?
Conformity is the progressive likeness to Christ in affection, mind, and action that is imparted to the believer who gazes on Christ (2 Cor 3:18), seeks to put off the old and be renewed in his mind (Eph 4:22-24), and walks submissively by the power of the Spirit (Gal 5:16-24).
59. To what does conformity to Christ lead?
Likeness brings nearness: God communicates Himself most to the soul that has progressed farthest in Christlikeness (Jas 4:8; Jo 14:21, 15:9-10; Eph 3:16-19). With more conformity to Christ, communion is increased, and the cycle of deepening love for God continues.
