By Aaron Hills
"Now, as I have given myself to Thee, I will, from this time forth, regard myself as Thine. I believe Thou dost accept the offering that I bring. I put all on the altar. I believe the altar sanctifieth the gift. I believe the blood is applied NOW as I comply with the terms of Thy salvation. I believe Thou dost now cleanse me from all sin."
Prof. Dougan Clark, the Friend, says: "The essence of consecration is in the sentence, 'Yield yourselves unto God.' When you yield yourselves you yield everything else. Consecration is not to God's service, or His work, or to the church, or to the missionary cause, but to God Himself. 'Yield yourselves unto God.' Consecration does not mean the giving up of your sins, or vices, or depraved appetites, or forbidden indulgences. We cannot consecrate our alcohol, or our tobacco, or our opium, or our card-playing, or dancing, or theater-going. He wants none of these things. Actual and known sins must be abandoned at conversion. He wants all the good things: the son Isaac, most precious to our heart, laid on the altar. An English periodical had this: 'I am willing To receive what Thou givest, To lack what Thou withholdest, To relinquish what Thou takest, To suffer what Thou inflictest, To be what Thou requirest, To do what Thou commandest. Amen.'"
Amanda Smith says: "You must make your consecration complete, and you must make it eternal."
VIII. -- The last condition is faith. One might take all the seven steps already described, and still remain without the blessing. The children of Israel marched out of Egypt and entirely across the desert to the very border of the Promised Land, and halted on the wrong side of the border. For lack of faith they did not get into Canaan. With faith they might have gone in before sundown. Acts 26:18 teaches that we are "sanctified by faith that is in Me" (Jesus) . "We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Gal. 3:14). Our hearts are "purified by faith" (Acts 15:8, 9). All other conditions lead to this, and without faith all others would end in failure. As Dr. A. J. Gordon says: "It is the duty and privilege of believers to receive the Holy Ghost for sanctification by a definite act of appropriating faith, just as we received Jesus Christ by faith for justification. It is as sinners that we accept Christ by faith for justification; it is as sons that we accept the Spirit by faith for sanctification."
Dr. Steele says: "My faith had three things to master: 'the Spirit, for me, NOW I' Upon the promise I ventured with an act of appropriating faith, claiming the Comforter as my right in the name of Jesus. For several hours I clung by naked faith. Suddenly I became conscious of a mysterious power . . . melting my heart."
Dr. Carradine says: "Is everything upon the altar? If so, who is the altar? Paul tells you -- it is Christ. What does the altar do? God says, "The altar sanctifies the gift.' Will you believe that? Will you take God at His word? You must believe that Christ makes you holy right now. Will you take that step and receive full salvation? Plant yourself on God's Word. Dare to believe it, and hold on till the witness comes."
Andrew Murray says: "Who are ready to come into this life and claim their heritage as a child of God?
(1) Say, tonight, I must be filled with the Spirit.
(2) I may be filled with the Spirit; God does not give a must without a may.
(3) Say, I would be filled with the Spirit; I long for it.
(4) I shall be filled with the Spirit; O God, I give myself to Thee entirely; I claim the filling of the Spirit. Thou givest it."
