BY B.T. ROBERTS
A great deal is said about consecration. Sermons and hymns pledge us to a full consecration of our all to God. In the baptismal vow, we promise to devote ourselves to the service of the Lord.
Many say they give their hearts to God, but still love the things that God hates.
To the work of making preparations for building the temple, David devoted all his energies. He made ready a vast amount of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and precious stones. Having thus set the example, he asked the congregation: Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?
You may have given your heart to God, but does He have your service? What are you doing for Him? In what enterprises that have His glory and the advancement of His cause in view are you heartily engaged? He has work to be done, and He calls for laborers. To be a Christian implies something more than giving the assent to a system of doctrines, leading a decently moral life and going to church on Sundays.
To serve God is to work for Him. If you cannot preach, but can work or do business, you may serve God just as faithfully and effectually as if you had the gift of tongues and could speak from the sacred desk. Your service is called for. You have not long to live and what you do must be done quickly.
God is a good master. He takes the best of care of His servants here and gives them crowns of glory in the world to come. Will you set yourself apart to work for God in whatever way He shall direct?
This is a condensed version of an article that Roberts, a principal founder of the Free Methodist Church, wrote for the August 1864 issue of The Earnest Christian. To download the full text, visit fmchr.ch/btrservice.
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