I Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Introduction: Today we are starting a new series regarding Sanctification. On today’s lesson, we are going to identify sanctification and some things associated to sanctification. On subsequent lessons, we are going to break down this verse and deal with the sanctification of the spirit, the sanctification of the soul, and the sanctification of the body of the believer. It’s obvious that Paul’s prayer is that the believer be preserved blameless in this life time unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In order for that to happen, a Christian shouldn’t just focus on the body’s sanctification but also on the spirit and soul. In fact, when the spirit and the soul are sanctified, the body’s sanctification should follow.
- What is Sanctification– “to be set apart, unto God”. To be holy, to cleanse, to purify. It is Separation, Holiness, Godliness. It is a work of righteousness done on the inside. This is a process that happens between Justification and Glorification, a lifelong process. In this verse, Paul says to “sanctify you wholly”. In other words, completely. In order to be sanctified completely, the spirit, soul, and body need to be sanctified. Exodus 28:1-3 Aaron and his sons are sanctified to minster unto God in the priest’s office.Exodus 40:12-16 Aaron and his sons were sanctified unto the LORD.
The high priests and the priest are a type of the believers in the church age. We should be set apart unto God, from the world, that we may minister unto God.
In this verse, Paul is praying that the Thessalonians would be preserved blameless in this lifetime unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, sanctification is a lifelong process in which a Christian is set apart unto God, for God’s purpose. For whatever God wants.
II. Who Sanctifies You and How– “and the very God of peace sanctify you”. Apart from God, we can’t be sanctified, he is the one that has to do the work from the inside out.
Who: God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit will sanctify a Christian.
How: By faith in the Words of God- Acts 26:18. We have to believe the Words of Christ, if we doubt, how can we be sanctified.
By His Word and Truth – John 17:17 “Sanctify them though thy truth thy word is truth” “John 17:19 that they also may be sanctified through the truth”. Ephesians 5:26 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”. John 15:3 “Now ye are clean though the word which I have spoken unto you”. Psalm 119:9 “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word”.
III. From Who are You Sanctified– We are not taken out of this world but we are to be different than this world. Our lifestyle and purpose should be different than that of a lost person. We are to live holy lives and no longer love the world or touch the unclean things of the world. II Corinthians 6:17-18 “from among them” “vs 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers”. People that are lost and living to themselves and living with the unclean things. I Peter 1:14-15 “former lusts”. Some Christians live in their former lusts and because of it, they can’t be sanctified. I John 2:15-16 “love not the world”. This world has an attraction that lures Christians like a magnet if were not careful. First, we have to separate from the world in order to be sanctified unto God.
IV. Why are you Sanctified- “unto the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ”. One day we are going to be judged. For the believer, it’s the Judgment Seat of Christ: II Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in this body, according to that the hath done, whether it be good or bad”. Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”.
Because we want to be used for the master’s use while on this earth. II Timothy 2:19-21 “sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work”.
Conclusion: This is what it means to be sanctified. If we sanctify the spirit, soul, and body, we will be sanctified wholly, and preserved blameless in the day of judgment. In the meantime, we want to be sanctified to be used for anything that God wants to use us for while on this earth. To please and glorify him. Let’s be sanctified.
Anchor Baptist Church 