Sanctify and guess What?

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

I grew-up being a Baptist, it was not my fault, if you need to blame someone you might blame my parents, but then they were also brought up as Baptist so do not get down on mom and dad.  As Baptists, we use words that may sound strange to others, like born-again, we were happy with President Carter who made the term a household word, then he became the worst President in history till of late.  But back to words we Baptists use that you may not understand, one such word is sanctify and guess what, most of us have little understanding of it's meaning.

Verse 23 states; “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  What is it that God is wanting to do in our lives completely: sanctify us, is that a word that Baptists use, the answer is yes, but much more important it is a word that God uses to explain to us His heart, for those of us who are His.  To sanctify: to make something or someone holy, and it is so important to understand that it is God’s job to make us holy.  That may come as a shock to Baptists who have perfectionist flesh, and if that is your infirmity, you may sign-up for all the programs the church offers, you may feed the hungry, be a missionary to darkest Africa, and be part of the Tuesday night church visitation, and if your actions are done with the right heart attitude, that is a good thing, but that will not bring about sanctification, God is the only one who sanctifies. 

We who were once an enemy of God, are now being set apart for special use or purpose, but once again it is not our purpose, no matter how noble our desires, it is God doing the act.  If for any reason this word bothers you, read 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, and you will come to agree who you were when you came into Christ.  Verse 30, states; “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”   

The apostle Peter gives this information on what we are in Christ.  And please understand it has not one thing to do with how you feel, you by faith believe that Jesus tells the truth, and you agree that God is sanctifying you completely.  “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”  (1 Peter 2:9-11) 

Do we participate? I personally believe that we do, I believe 2 Timothy 2:21 gives light to that fact.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice