The Consecrator's Vow
E.A. Johnston emphasizes the lifelong commitment of consecration to God through a clean heart, transformed mind, and steadfast service.
In "The Consecrator's Vow," E.A. Johnston calls believers to a deep, personal commitment to God through prayer, transformation, and steadfast service. Drawing from key Scriptures, Johnston encourages listeners to maintain a clean heart, resist worldly conformity, and remain diligent in their spiritual labor. This devotional sermon inspires a lifelong dedication to living for God's glory.
Full Transcript
This is the consecrator's vow. I vow before God to make these verses and their principles a act of reality in my life as I serve my Lord in my generation. May I refer to them each day and ask the Holy Spirit to make them a practical reality in my life.
I'll sign my name to it and I'll date it. The following three verses were given by John Song to the consecrators in his meetings who pledged their life to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ and the spread of the gospel. John Song would sign his name in their Chinese Bibles with the following verses to live by.
Number one, Psalm 5110. Create me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. May this be a constant reminder to me that I need always to pray for a clean heart and a right spirit to keep me from sin and temptation.
Number two, Romans 12 verses 1 and 2. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies to live in sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The call in verse one, present myself a living sacrifice, should be a constant reminder of my vow to serve the Lord all the days of my life.
The second verse, an exhortation not to be conformed to this world, warning me all the time not to love the world, lest my love for my Redeemer should grow cold or lukewarm, and I should not conform to the world, but live above it in my personal life. Number three, 1 Corinthians 15. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
This verse reminds me to remain steadfast in my faith and diligent in my work. Had King David lived by this principle, he would have stayed fighting the Lord's battles rather than lounging on his bed of ease and sin. I pray this consecrator's vow that the Lord will grant me the grace to stay a living sacrifice, unconformed to this world, steadfast and unmovable, and never wearied in serving Him all the days of the rest of my life as I live in unto God and His glory.
I pray these things in the strong name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Call to a Clean Heart
- Prayer for a pure heart and right spirit
- Avoiding sin and temptation
- Psalm 51:10 as a daily reminder
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II. Presenting a Living Sacrifice
- Offering oneself wholly to God
- Not conforming to the world
- Renewing the mind to discern God's will
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III. Steadfastness in the Lord's Work
- Being unmovable and diligent
- Laboring with assurance it is not in vain
- Encouragement from 1 Corinthians 15:58
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IV. The Consecrator's Vow
- Commitment to lifelong service
- Relying on God's grace
- Living for God's glory daily
Key Quotes
“I vow before God to make these verses and their principles a act of reality in my life as I serve my Lord in my generation.” — E.A. Johnston
“May this be a constant reminder to me that I need always to pray for a clean heart and a right spirit to keep me from sin and temptation.” — E.A. Johnston
“I pray this consecrator's vow that the Lord will grant me the grace to stay a living sacrifice, unconformed to this world, steadfast and unmovable, and never wearied in serving Him all the days of the rest of my life.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Commit daily to praying for a pure heart and right spirit to resist temptation.
- Offer yourself fully to God as a living sacrifice, avoiding conformity to worldly values.
- Remain steadfast and diligent in your service to the Lord, trusting your labor is meaningful.