Good Thursday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
What would be required for you and me to become the very best possible version of ourselves? Have you ever thought about that?
No matter our age, our ethnicity or where we live in the world, does God have a best potential design for you and me at this point in our lives? Would you agree this famous 2 Cor. 5:17 statement from the apostle Paul is an important part of our becoming the best version of ourselves possible: “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation: the old has gone and the new has come. All this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ…” Oh yes, my friends, our God given potential BEGINS with our soul transformation when God does His great life changing salvation work in us, as we repent of our sin and trust Jesus Christ to save us from our sin condemnation! But did you know God has MORE, much more, that He wants to accomplish in your life and mine, for achieving our God given potential, and for His glory?
As Paul concludes his first letter, to the first generation of Christians in the Macedonian city of Thessalonica, Paul gets quite excited about helping them realize how they could become the very best version of who God designed them to be. Today let’s join Paul’s excitement as we consider how these words could become life changing for you and me, my friends: “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.“ (1 Thess. 5:23,24) Oh my, what a powerful proclamation! How many specific, significant, spiritually miraculous statements do you see in these few words?
Do you see Paul makes it VERY clear that this life change he calls “SANCTIFY” is a miracle work of God? It is not human effort, it’s not education, it’s not a medical procedure, it’s a life refining work of God… essential to any of us becoming our greatest, God given potential. Did you get that?
Paul had introduced that word “sanctify” to the Thessalonians in chapter 4 when Paul wrote: “It is God’s will that you should BE sanctified…” (1 Thess. 4:3) Sanctify means set apart and cleansed as HOLY for God. Repeatedly in Paul’s writings he challenged the first century Christians to understand their ‘salvation experience’ is a transforming work accomplished by God IN a repentant sinner. This fundamental concept is unique to Christianity.
Every other religion demands specific behavior or financial payment in order to earn God’s love, God’s acceptance and gain heaven. Naturally we humans want to work to earn or achieve anything of great value, right? But Jesus repeatedly explained that our spiritual life transformation is a work ONLY God can do IN us, and yet ‘sanctify’ is maximized by our participation! Yes, Paul wants us to embrace this miraculous experience of “Sanctification”.
Did you notice Paul’s challenge that God wants to ” sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless...” Do you see God’s design is that there is NO part of our lives left out of the sanctify process? ‘Sanctify’ is a cleansing, purifying, holy process Almighty God Himself desires to accomplish IN EACH and ALL His people. But unlike many other aspects of our Salvation transformation “Sanctify” is not a one time experience. Rather God desires that ‘sanctify’ is a frequent experience which should be happening in Christians from the moment of their salvation to the moment they step into God’s presence as they depart this earthly life. Did you know that?
That’s why Paul used the phrase “sanctify you through and through.” It’s a day by day, continual, life refining aspect of our relationship with Jesus Christ as our Redeeming Savior and Lord; and God the Father as our Justifying Sovereign; and the Holy Spirit as our Regenerating Sanctifier.
Do you notice Paul describes ‘sanctify’ as something God does in our “whole spirit, soul and body…” (1 Thess. 5:23) Oh my that’s powerful! Some years later the apostle John wrote about this cleansing of our SOUL in this way: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Have you experienced a cleansing of your mind, your heart, your will and even your personality as you repent of your sin and you experience the Holy Spirit cleansing your soul?
This cleansing is not something we do TO ourselves, this is a work only the Holy Spirit of God can do IN our soul. Have you experienced it many times? Do you remember David, in his sinful shame, called out to God? “Create in me a pure heart oh God, and renew a right spirit in me…” (Ps. 51:10)
Perhaps you remember Isaiah’s vision encounter with Holy God and Isaiah’s cry: “Woe to me, I am ruined, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the LORD Almighty.” (Is. 6:5) Like Isaiah, does the vulgar talk we too often hear or read offend us, especially as we pursue being a sanctified, holy people of God? Of course, words flow out of the soul, don’t they?
So, Isaiah’s honest confession was that he and those around him had dark, unclean souls which needed God’s sanctifying! What about your soul my friends? How often do you invite the Holy Spirit to cleanse your soul…your mind, your heart, your will and even your personality, with a new purity, a fresh holiness from God?
Paul, a few years later, when writing to the Corinthian Christians challenged them to consider that God wanted their BODIES to be sanctified too. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” (1 Cor. 6:18-20) And to the Romans Paul wrote: “…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” (Rom. 12:1) So my friends, a few questions to help us engage with God in this experience of Sanctify.
Do you see the importance of REPENTANCE of our sin and REJECTING everything evil that tempts us? How do you protect every part of your body and your soul from any involvement in anything less than holy? How do you honor the Holy Spirit living within you as you care for your body as a holy dwelling for the Spirit of God?
Filling your mind with God’s Truth; prioritizing holy worship of Holy God; inviting the searching of the Holy Spirit (Ps. 139:23,24) to help you see anything in you that is restricting God’s sanctifying work in you… those are all specific actions we take to participate with God as He sanctifies us. Do you see how God’s sanctifying work helps us become the very best version of ourselves?
As always, the “lessons learned” study notes at the link below will help us dig more deeply into this very important spiritual experience of sanctification with God, and wonderful worship song will draw you to worship and prayer. I’ll be here tomorrow waiting for you.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Thess. 5:23,24.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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