'For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit (new

nature), and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the

We would stress again, that in connection with the doctrine of the two

natures and the soul it is all a question of balance.  Nothing is more

attractive for Christ than a sane and well -proportioned life and witness,

and such a life must have the new nature in control with God operating

through it, the old nature treated as dead, and the body with its senses

(soul) given its rightful position as a true servant of the believer, and not

his master.  Only then can we exhibit that holiness (wholeness) of character

that glorifies the Lord, and walk worthy of the supreme calling wherewith we

have been called (Eph. 4:1).

We have referred to the truth of sanctification with its twofold aspect

of being separated from the world and all that is not of the Father, and

separated to Him.  Too often only the negative side is presented and made to

mean nothing more than an avoidance of worldliness on the part of the

believer.  The positive side is all important and is expressed by the apostle

Paul in Galatians 1:15 'when it pleased God, who separated me from my

mother's womb', and later on when the time for his public ministry had come

'the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I

have called them' (Acts 13:2).  'Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to

be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God' (Rom. 1:1).  The wondrous

redeeming work on Calvary's Cross is not only the basis of the believer's

salvation, but also of his sanctification:

'But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom,

and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption' (1 Cor. 1:30).

This leads us to believe that every child of God is sanctified and

thereby separated to Him for some special purpose in witness and service.  It

is the privilege and responsibility of each one of us to wait upon the Lord

to discover exactly what this means in our experience.  Failure so to do only

results in barrenness and unfruitfulness.

Closely allied to the doctrine of sanctification is that of

consecration.  In the Old Testament there are four words translated

Charam. 'I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord' (Mic. 4:13).

Forty times this word is rendered to utterly destroy and the context in the

prophecy of Micah speaks of 'beating in pieces many people'.  In the Hophel

it is translated once 'be devoted', 'every devoted thing is most holy unto

the Lord.  None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed,

but shall surely be put to death' (Lev. 27:28,29).  The noun cherem which is

allied to charam occurs also in these verses, being rendered 'devoted thing'.

The thought behind these words is something given over entirely to the Lord

or to destruction.

Nezer.  Numbers 6:12 reads concerning the Nazarite: 'He shall

consecrate unto the Lord the days of his separation'.