The Christian life can be described as growth in consecration to God. It is learning to dedicate our lives to God in increasingly greater measure. The apostle Paul urged God’s people to consecrate themselves to God as living sacrifices in grateful worship for what Christ has done for us. This means dedication to knowing and doing the will of God (Rom. 12:1-2).
Jesus is our greatest example of consecration to God. The Gospel of John emphasizes this truth. It is amazing how much of the words of Christ quoted in John refer to Christ’s dedication to doing His Father’s will. To become more like Jesus is to become more dedicated to doing the will of our Father, too.
We have a problem, however, and that is the fact that knowledge of God’s will and a fundamental dedication to doing His will does not automatically result in our actually doing it. We are in a constant battle with the world, our flesh, and the devil. We often struggle with embracing and doing God’s will, especially if it includes suffering.
At times, we all resist consecration like Peter.
Consider this passage from the Gospel of John.
21:15-17 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”[1]
Jesus said to Peter that, if Peter loved Him, he needed to follow Christ’s will for his life. What was Jesus’s will for Peter? To shepherd His sheep, to lead, care for, to teach His people. But Jesus was calling Peter to something more than this. Jesus continued,
21:18-22 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them…he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”
Peter’s struggle
Peter struggled with the loss of liberty and physical suffering foretold by Christ. If he did what Jesus wanted him to do, it would be hard. It meant shame, pain, humiliation. Peter seemed to also struggle with fairness– the possibility that others who serve Christ might not be called to the same level of suffering as what faced him.
Peter did love Jesus. He loved Him deeply despite his weakness. What Peter needed to understand was that true love for Jesus can be measured. Love for Jesus is measured by one’s dedication to doing the will of God, even if it means suffering. Peter needed greater consecration to God, willingness to be vulnerable, willingness to put himself at risk, to follow Jesus.
At times, we all need to be reminded of the goal of life.
The goal of life is not to avoid pain, sorrow, and suffering. The godless world around us continually pounds us with life goals of pleasure, security, and self-preservation. We are urged to do whatever pleases us; do all we can to avoid being uncomfortable, triggered, upset, or stressed; stay away from toxic or negative people, or anyone that doesn’t tell us what we want to hear. Goals like these are folly, unrealistic. Even if we could attain such a life, it would be unfulfilling, empty, and miserable.
True escape from from suffering
“Life is hard and then you die” is a maxim my father-in-law used to say. He said this as a strong believer in Jesus Christ. He meant something different than what an unbeliever would mean using these same words. My father-in-law understood that life is full of trials and afflictions in this fallen world (and he had more physical afflictions than most). He knew that followers of Jesus Christ suffer trials because of spiritual warfare. His hope was not in escaping pain and suffering in this world, but in the promised inheritance of heaven to come. Right now, he is there enjoying his eternal joy and rest.
In John 16:33, Jesus said,
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The goal of life for Christians
The goal of life for a believer in Jesus is to bring praise and honor to God, a life lived through God’s grace and strength, a life dedicated to Him. We live to serve Jesus, to serve one another. For all of eternity we will enjoy the rest and peace for which we long, because Jesus “has overcome the world.”
We must dedicate our lives to God now, serve Him now! We need to trust Him with each aspect of our lives as a living sacrifice. We followers of Jesus must be willing to do hard things for Him, knowing that our reward is soon coming.
Listen to Christ calling you to follow Him.
Jesus says, “Follow me” in consecration to the Father’s will, being willing to experience self-denial in whatever way brings God glory. Dying to self to serve God and bring life to others is the way of Christ.
(The concluding applications below were first given to an audience comprised of many cross-cultural missionaries. Some of the examples are universal, some more applicable to missionaries)
When you just arrive in a foreign country, and you are overwhelmed with all things new and difficult, and your young family gets devastated with illness, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When your living conditions are far less than desirable or comfortable, or nowhere near as secure as you would prefer, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When you are suffering with unusual illnesses that leave you debilitated for months, or even have affected you long-term, limiting your ability to accomplish what you have so earnestly planned for, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When the burden of obtaining visas for your family and all the red tape seems unbearable, “Follow Me.”
When your occasional three-day migraine hits at the most inopportune time, or your child’s seizure hits when it is most inconvenient, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When you grow old and the limitations are too many, and you now face retiring from the place where you have so loved to serve, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When, in order to effectively serve, you live in a place under constant threat of violence or abuse, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When the electricity goes down or water runs out—again—“Follow me.”
When you long for children and suffer a miscarriage, even more than one, or you are not able to bear children at all, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
Worn down by the heat, or dust, the urban sprawl, or pollution, or physical intensity of your circumstances, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When our children suffer, or our spouse is diagnosed with something life-altering, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When learning the language exhausts you, knowing how to evangelize and make contacts as a foreigner proves very stressful, and just making life work is so complicated, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When facing fears about those afflictions or traumas that might occur because of the vulnerable situation you are in, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When war seems inevitable and health pandemics create misery and chaos, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
When the government’s Covid-19 prevention measures are extreme and irrational, Jesus says, “Follow me.”
Give every part to God.
Has the Holy Spirit exposed something in your life that you have held back from Him? Is there a specific fear or trial or circumstance that you know that you need to dedicate to the Lord? Is there a closet, a door in your heart that has been closed to God, locked, an area of your life, a fear, that you need to give to the Lord? Jesus says, “Follow me.” Give it to the Father. Consecrate it to God.
The apostle Peter found victory over his fear and insecurity in God’s grace. He learned to trust the Lord on the journey of being like Jesus, consecrating himself to God. You can read about how God used him later in the book of Acts and in the two books of the Bible he wrote, 1 and 2 Peter. Peter’s eventual execution by crucifixion, apparently upside down at his request, did bring much glory to God.
It might be that you have never yet come to the place where you have dedicated your life to God. You have never prayed to God, “All I have and am is yours. I want to serve you with my whole heart. Show me how to change. Show me how to serve you.” Before now, maybe your obedience has been selective. Give every part of your life to God. Discover the joy in Christ of being a “living sacrifice.”
This is the third in a series of three articles. Click HERE to begin the series.
Photo in title courtesy Getty Images. Photo in article courtesy HD Christian Images.
[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV (English Standard Version).
