March 11, 2022 -- Jeremiah 1:4-5 -- He Formed and Consecrated You

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Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
   Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
   and before you were born I consecrated you;
   I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 ESV

One of the most common questions I ask the men I teach is this: “How have your devotions been lately?” By that I am asking—what are you reading in the Bible? How consistent have you been with your bible reading? Are you praying? The answer I get more often than not is: “I don’t think God’s happy with me. So no, I have not been reading or praying lately”.

It is an answer I can easily identify with and one I know is quite wrong. First and foremost, if you think you can please God without turning to Him and asking for the protection of Jesus Christ, you are wrong. You can never please Him. That is why the Father sent the Son to those who are dead in their sins. People are unable to save themselves and He sent to the world the only hope of Rescue.

Second, look at what the LORD said to Jeremiah—’before you were born I consecrated you’. This means all the wrongs and sins and faults and rebellions of Jeremiah are fully known to the Father. He has provided the blood sacrifices—all of which in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus Christ in the New. To be consecrated is to be cleansed from sin and set apart for God.

Third, the LORD formed Jeremiah. By extension you should realize He formed every person for His holy purposes. The ultimate purpose is to glorify God  carry the beautiful new of His glory and His salvation to the ends of the earth.

Confess you sins. If the Spirit of God is convicting you, that is convincing you of your sins, admit them and ask for forgiveness and the strength to turn from them. Trust that your Father in heaven has cleansed you in Jesus Christ. You cannot please God without the intervention of Jesus Christ. So pray to the Father on the basis of Jesus’ accomplished work. Finally, know that the sins from which your Father in heaven has rescued you, are the very ones from which others around you need to be rescued. Trust the Father in heaven will use you to help others up out of the grave of death into new, purpose-filled life, which is consecrated to Jesus by the power of the Spirit.

When the weight of my sins make it so that I cannot lift my eyes to the heavens, Spirit of God, take my sighs of inadequacy and tears of frustration at the fact I am back in this same place again and bring them as broken-hearted confession to Jesus. Bring me to Jesus' throne of grace and mercy. Spirit of God, in Jesus’ Name lift the burden of sin from my shoulder and give once again the joyful salvation songs to my heart and lips. Thank You, Father of Mercies, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, for Your holy purposes in Christ. Amen.

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