Sanctified - part 2
Good Morning,
Yesterday, I wrote a few words about being sanctified. With the thought fresh in our minds, I will continue in that direction with a few verses on the same topic:
1 Thessalonians 3:11 “Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.”
vs. 12 “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:”
God works in our lives in order that we might love one another; as we read on, we find there is more:
vs. 13 “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”
“To the end” (or for this reason), God is going to help us love one another for the express purpose of establishing our hearts in HOLINESS. Yesterday, I mentioned that HOLY and SANCTIFY are similar words. God instituted the matter of loving one another so that we might be holy or sanctified.
Making the purpose of sanctification clear, He continues:
1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”
The way in which we walk has an integral association with sanctification or holy living. Paul wrote a list of things that matter concerning holy living:
First- moral propriety!
vs. 2 “For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.”
vs. 3 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”
vs. 4 “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;”
vs. 5 “Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:”
vs. 6 “That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.”
Why stay morally pure? Because we are called to holiness!
vs. 7 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
Continuing on the subject of loving one another, Paul adds other facets to the matter of holy living:
vs. 9 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
vs. 10 “And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;”
vs. 11 “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;”
vs. 12 “That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”
Here is the simple list of actions which God associates with holy living (in addition to moral purity):
1. Be quiet.
2. Do your own business.
3. Work with your own hands (which He says defines honest living).
“That ye may walk honestly…” (verse 12)
This matter of sanctification or holiness is a daily duty. Each day, doing the thing in each situation that sets us apart to the Lord, whether it be our work ethic or our morals, is the definition of sanctification. God truly cares about our lifestyle and activities. We are to sanctify ourselves unto God as Christ sanctified Himself unto His Heavenly Father; we belong to Him. We simply cannot walk through this vile world as the unsaved and godless do.
John 17:19 “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”
Pastor