Exodus 40:12–15 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and CONSECRATE him, that he may serve me as priest. You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.
When one reads Genesis 2, one sees how God made six perfect days for work. This is followed his creating one perfect day for rest. God then pronounces a special blessing on the seventh day. It is holy. It is saintly. It is sanctified. It is set apart. It is consecrated. The seventh day is sacred.
In Exodus 3, God meets Moses on a wilderness mountain. Moses is instructed to remove his sandals. Why? God declares that specific portion of desert wilderness to be holy, saintly, sanctified, set apart, consecrated, or sacred.
In Exodus 12, God speaks about holy, saintly, sanctified, set apart, consecrated or sacred assemblies.
In Exodus 19, he uses such terms to speak of his sacred nation. All of them are called to be his kingdom of priests.
In Exodus 26, God divides his tabernacle into two parts — the consecrated and the most consecrated sections.
Then, throughout the remaining chapters of Exodus, one reads of God’s furniture, furnishings, garments, crowns, oils, sacrifices, and offerings. They are holy. They are consecrated. They are sacred.
Finally, in the 4oth chapter of Exodus, one reads again of Aaron and his sons. God commands them to be gathered, baptized, anointed, and dressed. Consequently, all Israel is to know these fellows are holy, saintly, sanctified, set apart, consecrated, or sacred priests of God’s Ceremonial Law.
Bottom line, throughout Exodus and other biblical books, a major distinction is to be understood. Some places, things, and people are naturally secular. Other places, things, and people, are supernaturally “holyfied.” (I made up that word.) They are declared and made sacred by God.
Therefore friends, what does this have to do with us? We need to recognize there are only two groups of people in the world — the secular and sacred — and every person falls into only one of these two groups.
Some of us readers are natural sons and daughters of Adam, created in the image and likeness of God, devilishly influenced by Evil One, recipients of God’s common grace, who are headed for the eternal place of fiery rubbish. Those of us in this group, we are not holy, saintly, sanctified, set apart, consecrated, or made sacred.
However, others of us who are reading, we are natural sons and daughters of Adam, created in the image and likeness of God, devilishly influenced by Evil One, recipients of God’s common grace, who have been supernaturally made sons and daughters of the Second Adam, and who are headed for the eternal paradise of God. And all of us in this category, we are holy, saintly, sanctified, set apart, consecrated or declared sacred by God. All of us …
- This includes young and old.
- This includes women and men.
- This includes laity and clergy.
- This includes disreputable and reputable.
Therefore Christian friends, quit thinking higher of your ministers than you ought. They are not a separate and elevated caste.
Additionally, quit thinking lower of yourselves than you ought. God is the one who predestines, sends, atones, reveals, regenerates, justifies, fills, and adopts. He is also the one who declares his sons and daughters — all of them — to be holy, saintly, sanctified, set apart, consecrated, or sacred. Forget the lies of Satan. Forget the lies of your own sinful mind. Forget the lies of your legalistic teachers. God gifts holiness. God fruits holiness. God declares holiness, and he never lies. So, walk forward in humble boldness, and look for places to priest, serve, or minister. All you who know Jesus Christ, you are a kingdom of priests. Love it! Live it! Practice it! Enjoy it! Give thanks for it! And talk to Jesus quite often as you see your practice not lining up with his pronouncement. But don’t for a moment call God a liar. He calls you a consecrated saint. Be amazed and accept it.
Unfathomable Grace 