Made Holy

 

“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. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 ESV

 

As Christians, we know and believe that we are saved by the grace of God alone. We know and believe that this grace is received through faith in Christ alone. And we know and believe that our efforts play absolutely no role whatsoever in our salvation.

 

However, when it comes to sanctification, we tend to believe something very different. We tend to believe that, even if God has a hand in it, we are responsible for our sanctification. We tend to believe that, ultimately, we are sanctified by our own effort.

 

Just to be clear, to sanctify something means to make it sacred. It means to make something holy. And sanctification is the process by which we are made sacred. It’s the process by with we are made holy.

 

While it’s true that we can reject the work of God in our life, while it’s true that we can cast-off this blessing by ongoing sin and unrepentance, we are sanctified in the same way that we are justified. We are sanctified in the very same way we are saved. Sanctification is the work of God alone.

 

We see this in the above passage. As Paul is concluding his first epistle to the Thessalonian church, he offers to them a blessing. And it’s clear, in this blessing, that God is the source of our holiness.

 

He didn’t instruct them to sanctify themselves. Nor did he tell them that they played a role in their sanctification. He simply blesses them, saying: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely…” And, afterwards, he offers to them this assurance: “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

 

This stands in agreement with the rest of Scripture, which is clear about our sinful condition and our inability to please God. It stands in agreement with the rest of Scripture, which tells us that the good we do results from the work and power of God in our life. It stands in agreement with the rest of Scripture, which assures us that every blessing comes only from the hand of God.

 

So, just as we trust not in ourselves for salvation, may we refrain from trusting in ourselves for our sanctification. Let’s, rather, look to the Lord who accomplishes this both in us and for us. Let’s trust that, as he continually works within us by his Word and Spirit, he will make us holy.