BLJ: This is a good chapter on dying out to carnality. You surrender your carnal traits one by one and when you are sick enough of yourself, you will die out completely.
CONSECRATION OR DYING OUT, AND THE OLD MAN
Before one can exercise a heart-faith for entire cleansing, there must be a complete consecration or dying out. The Holy Spirit is the great Lover of Jesus. He is doing His utmost to lead the believers into the glorious experience of entire sanctification.
According to General Booth, "Entire consecration has in it the nature of a real sacrifice. Consecration is being crucified with Christ; it means dying to all those pleasures and gratifications which flow from the undue love of self, etc., . . . . This may be painful; but we must be crucified with Christ."
"The essence of consecration is to recognize that God is our absolute proprietor; that we are nothing, have nothing, and that we gladly let God take all for time and eternity."
'And be not conformed to this world.' Here is that dying to the world in its customs, laws, fashions, maxims, pleasures, honors, etc., that rounds up and fills out the consecration that the apostle is urging upon the 'brethren.' There are many things that are lawful and not morally wrong which we have to die out to, before we can get the blessing of sanctification."
"The Scriptures do not speak of consecrating ourselves to 'the church,' or 'to a work,' as so many say; but entire commitment of our all 'to the Lord,' and only to him."
One who was seeking says: "I examined myself and prayed more earnestly, but the hunger of my soul grew more imperious. The inward craving increased. The result of these weeks of heart-throes was a gradual sinking of self, and a consciousness of utter emptiness. Then arose an unutterable longing 'to be filled.'"
"It (the baptism with the Holy Spirit) is God's wondrous grace, conferred gladly when we comply with the conditions, one of which is the absolute surrender of our WILL about EVERYTHING. Anything else would be like surrendering the whole body to the doctor -- all but one limb, which had a cancer. Ask Jesus to take possession of all."
"After a bitter experience, and terrible contest, and deepest conviction, I was enabled to yield all to the Lord, and He filled my soul with Himself."
CONSECRATION OR DYING OUT, AND THE OLD MAN
Before one can exercise a heart-faith for entire cleansing, there must be a complete consecration or dying out. The Holy Spirit is the great Lover of Jesus. He is doing His utmost to lead the believers into the glorious experience of entire sanctification.
According to General Booth, "Entire consecration has in it the nature of a real sacrifice. Consecration is being crucified with Christ; it means dying to all those pleasures and gratifications which flow from the undue love of self, etc., . . . . This may be painful; but we must be crucified with Christ."
"The essence of consecration is to recognize that God is our absolute proprietor; that we are nothing, have nothing, and that we gladly let God take all for time and eternity."
'And be not conformed to this world.' Here is that dying to the world in its customs, laws, fashions, maxims, pleasures, honors, etc., that rounds up and fills out the consecration that the apostle is urging upon the 'brethren.' There are many things that are lawful and not morally wrong which we have to die out to, before we can get the blessing of sanctification."
"The Scriptures do not speak of consecrating ourselves to 'the church,' or 'to a work,' as so many say; but entire commitment of our all 'to the Lord,' and only to him."
One who was seeking says: "I examined myself and prayed more earnestly, but the hunger of my soul grew more imperious. The inward craving increased. The result of these weeks of heart-throes was a gradual sinking of self, and a consciousness of utter emptiness. Then arose an unutterable longing 'to be filled.'"
"It (the baptism with the Holy Spirit) is God's wondrous grace, conferred gladly when we comply with the conditions, one of which is the absolute surrender of our WILL about EVERYTHING. Anything else would be like surrendering the whole body to the doctor -- all but one limb, which had a cancer. Ask Jesus to take possession of all."
"After a bitter experience, and terrible contest, and deepest conviction, I was enabled to yield all to the Lord, and He filled my soul with Himself."
Like Abraham was tested to the limit when God told him to take his only son, Isaac, whom he loved, and offer him as a sacrifice, so in our dying out God strikes at the things we most love. Some have to go through the death of giving up big churches and large salaries, some have to die out to prestige, some to loved ones, some to finances, some must die out to secular work and become willing to preach, etc. Others are led to "drag out by frequent and deep confessions, one by one, as did the saintly Fletcher, the manifestations of the old man." Anger, pride, self-will, impatience, fear of man, revenge, etc., all must be dragged out, confessed and repented of as God reveals them to the heart. The confessing and repenting of these things break up the fallow ground of the heart, humble the soul before God, reveal to the heart its utter helplessness, and drive it to the refuge of Jesus. After the fight of consecration or dying out, comes the great battle of faith, which is to be studied in the next chapter.
"O God, my heart doth long for Thee, Let me die, let me die;
Now set my soul at liberty,
Let me die; let me die
To all the trifling things of earth,
They are to me of little worth,
My Savior calls, I'm going forth,
Let me die, let me die.
"Thy slaying power in me display, Let me die, let me die;
I must be dead from day to day, Let me die, let me die;
Unto the world and its applause,
To all the customs, fashions, laws,
Of those who hate the humbling cross, Let me die, let me die.
"Oh, I must die to scoffs and jeers, Let me die, let me die;
I must be free from slavish fears, Let me die, let me die,
So dead that no desire shall rise To pass for good, or great, or wise, In any but my Savior's eyes.
Let me die, let me die.
"Begin at once to drive the nail, Let me die, let me die.
Oh, suffer not my heart to fail, Let me die, let me die.
Jesus, I look to Thee for power,
To help me to endure this hour, When crucified by sovereign power,
I shall die, I shall die."
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