21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived. 22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:21-24, NIV)

Jesus was just a babe when He was consecrated to the LORD. Having been circumcised – representing His inclusion in the covenant of Abraham – Jesus was taken by Joseph & Mary after a 40 day purification period according to the Law of Moses. He was taken to be presented to the LORD as the firstborn son of Joseph & Mary.

Under the Law of Moses, the firstborn son belonged to God. He had to be redeemed by the family to avoid serving in the temple full-time. Joseph & Mary were not wealthy people and so they were only able to offer two young pigeons to redeem their son.

Q: What does it mean to be consecrated to the LORD?

• Devoted
• Set apart
• Declared loyalty to God first

The word translated “consecrated” is from a verse in Exodus where the Hebrew word “hagios” is used. It means something that is holy - set apart exclusively for God. It is used of the animal offerings sacrificed to the LORD – they were holy, set apart for God’s exclusive use.

Q: Given that, what did it mean that Jesus was consecrated to the LORD?

• He was devoted exclusively to God
• His parents were agreeing to raise Him “in the training and instruction of the LORD” (Ephesians 6:4, NIV).

Jesus was only a baby when this happened. But it was not the first such declaration. The angel Gabriel announced to Mary before His conception that Jesus would be holy:

So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35b, NIV)

Q: How did Jesus live based on the fact that He was consecrated to the LORD?

• The Bible says He only said what the Father told Him to say and only did what the Father told Him to do.
• That explains Jesus’ active prayer life ;-)

Now that we understand being consecrated and how it intersects with the way we live, how about you? Are you consecrated to the LORD?

Look at how the Bible explains it:

For He chose us in Him [Jesus] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves [Jesus]. (Ephesians 1:4-6, NIV)

We are not going into a lengthy discussion on election and predestination – that’s a little off track. The point is that when you trusted in the LORD Jesus Christ, you entered into a relationship that God knew about long before you were born. “Before the creation of the world” it says.

As God was creating the Heavens and the Earth, He thought about you. And His thoughts were that when you trusted in His Son, you would become holy – devoted to Him. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are:

“Holy and blameless” (Ephesians 1:4, NIV)

“Created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24, NIV)

As a result of who you are you are to pursue “holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1, NIV).

As a leader, what is most important is not what you do. Leadership starts with who you are. Leadership is more of an outflow of your faith and character than the visible works of your life. At least, that is what defines good leadership.

Q: How does the understanding of who you are in Christ impact the way you live? What constitutes a holy life?

Q: How does the fact you are holy in Christ impact the way you will lead?

Q: Is it possible to lead others in the kingdom of God well without personally embracing this pursuit of holiness?

• Surprisingly the answer is yes – for a short time.
• As Lincoln is reported to have said, “You can fool some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

I want to encourage you to begin examining yourself, your life, your attitudes, your motivation. Ask:

1. Why am I a leader?
2. What is it that has God called me to do?
3. Am I leading in my area because of my desire to glorify Him alone or are there impure motives there?
4. Am I being obedient to His call out of duty or out of love?
5. Is there anything I’m not doing that I know God wants me to do?

These are hard questions to answer and I can’t answer them for you. Only God can and only when you take the time to ask Him.

Bottom line: A passionate leader is one who is consecrated to the LORD and, therefore, devoted to a holy life and a holy calling.