A. In 1Thessalonians 4:3, the apostle Paul wrote, "For
this is the will of God, your sanctification."
1.
This passage of
Scripture (1Thess. 4:1-12) is a very practical set of instructions for
Christians regarding "how (they) ought to walk and please God" (v. 1).
2.
Not only were
these instructions practical to the Thessalonians, but they are also practical
for us today, for we also live in a culture that influences us in ways contrary
to God's will.
B. Therefore, it is necessary that we understand sanctification
in order for us to become sanctified and to do the will of our God.
1.
In our study, we
will seek to understand the meaning and purpose of sanctification according to
God's will.
2.
We will also see
that a Christian must take part in his own sanctification. By God's design, it requires the efforts of
both God and man for a person to become sanctified.
II. DEFINING SANCTIFICATION
A. In the New Testament, the words "sanctification,"
"holiness," and "saint" are practically synonymous and have the same root
words. Consider the meaning of these
words.
1.
Both the word "sanctification"
and the word "holiness" are most often translated from the Greek word hagiasmos (ἁγιασμός). According to W.E. Vine, this word means: "(a)
separation to God; (b) the course of life befitting those so separated."
2.
The word "saint"
is from the Greek word hagios (ἅγιος),
which means "holy one" or simply "holy" depending on the context.
a. Unlike the Catholic doctrine that applies the
description of "saints" to only a few people of exceptional holiness, the
Scripture describes all Christians as saints.
b. The term "saint" does not indicate that one has
achieved sinless perfection, for even the Corinthian Christians were called
"saints by calling" (1Cor. 1:2) despite their many sins.
3.
Therefore, let us
understand that to be sanctified is to be made holy, and to be a holy person is
to be a saint. It is God's will that we should
all be saints.
B.
It is important
that we understand the purpose of sanctification for a Christian.
1.
Under the Law of
Moses, certain people, places, and things were to be sanctified to God
exclusively for His service. For
example, the tabernacle, the altar, Aaron, and his sons were all sanctified (consecrated)
to serve God (Ex. 29:44).
2.
Under the new
covenant of Christ, Christians are likewise sanctified for the purpose of
serving God.
a. Notice 2Timothy 2:21 -- "Therefore, if a man cleanses
himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to
the Master, prepared for every good work."
b. It is necessary for one to be sanctified in order for
him to be acceptable to God for His use.
One cannot be fit for the service of God if he is still marred in sin
and unholy. God says to His children,
"You shall be holy, for I am holy" (1Pet. 1:16).
III. HOW GOD SANCTIFIES US
A. God has provided to man the means of sanctification,
which is Jesus Christ.
1.
Notice
1Corinthians 1:30-31 -- "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to
us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that,
just as it is written, 'Let him who boasts, boast in the LORD.'"
2.
Sanctification is
just one of the many spiritual blessings that are in Christ (Eph. 1:3), and
there is no way to be sanctified apart from Him.
B. To be more specific, there are certain ways in which
God sanctifies those who are in Christ Jesus.
1.
Christians are
sanctified by both the body (Heb. 10:10) and the blood (Heb. 9:13-14) of
Christ. These constitute Christ's
offering for us through which we may have our sins forgiven and our corruption
taken away.
2.
When Jesus prayed
for His disciples, He asked the Father to "sanctify them in truth" (John
17:17). It is the truth about Jesus, the
gospel, that calls men out of the world and sets them apart (2Thess. 2:13-14).
3.
Peter wrote of
the "sanctifying work of the Spirit" (1Pet. 1:2), which refers to the Holy
Spirit's part in sanctification. It was
the Spirit's work to reveal the truth to men which they must obey to become
sanctified (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15).
4.
Paul wrote that
Jesus sanctified the church by cleansing "her by the washing of water with the
word" (Eph. 5:25-27). Through the word
of God, we learn to enter into Christ by baptism in water whereby we are
cleansed and sanctified (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3-7; 1Cor. 6:11).
C. God has done His part to provide all that we need for
sanctification. Now it is for us to do
out part.
IV. HOW WE SANCTIFY OURSELVES
A. Consider the example of the Thessalonian Christians.
1.
Thessalonica was
within sight of Mount Olympus, the mythical home of the pagan Greek gods. The influence of pagan worship permeated the
culture in Thessalonica.
2.
The Thessalonian
Christians had come out of the ways of idolatry and had embraced the word of
God (1Thess. 1:1-10; 2:13). They had
separated themselves from the world around them because of the word of God.
3.
Yet Paul
instructed them to "excel still more." Let
us apply 1Thessalonians 4:1-12 so that we may sanctify ourselves.
a. We are sanctified by abstaining from sexual immorality
and learning to control our bodies (vv. 3-4).
i.
This requires
self-control that can only be learned by a determination of the mind and effort
of the body.
ii.
Notice that God
is not only concerned with the conditions of our hearts but also with the
actions of our bodies. What we do
matters.
b. We are not sanctified if we behave in lustful passion
as those who do not know God (v. 5).
i.
People who do not
know God have not submitted themselves to His control. Therefore, they behave, dress, and speak
immodestly because they are controlled by lust.
See Romans 8:5-8.
ii.
As Christians, we
cannot allow the world to dictate to us what to do, what to say, and what to
wear. We must live by God's standards.
c.
We must
understand that it is God who called us for the purpose of sanctification. Therefore, if we continue in the corrupt ways
of the world, we have not rejected men but God who called us to be sanctified
(vv. 7-8).
d. We are sanctified by God to serve Him, which includes
doing right by our brethren (v. 6), practicing love toward one another (vv.
9-10), and leading a quiet but active life (vv. 11-12).
B. Consider also Paul's instructions to Timothy in
2Timothy 2:19-23.
1.
In verse 19, Paul
wrote, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from
wickedness." Any form of wickedness is
simply incompatible with the holiness of God.
2.
He went on to
write the words we noticed earlier in verse 21.
To become useful to God, we must sanctify ourselves by fleeing from
youthful lusts and other corruptions that defile us (v. 22).
C. The message of these passages is that those who are
sanctified to God are to make themselves different from the world.
1.
God's saints are
to be self-controlled and holy rather than lustful and corrupt.
2.
This requires
effort by those who believe. God will
not sanctify us unless we are willing to sanctify ourselves. We must not be deceived into believing that
we can continue in the corruption of sin and still be sanctified by God and
made suitable for His kingdom (1Cor. 6:9-11).
V. CONCLUSION
A. It is God's will that we all be sanctified for His
service. If we will set ourselves apart
for Him, then He will set us apart from the mass of condemned mankind.
B. If you are not sanctified, then not only are you not
useful to the Lord but also you cannot see Him (Heb. 12:14). God is holy, and those who would have a
fellowship with Him must be holy as well (1John 1:5-7).
