“For this is the will of God, your sanctification ”
1 Thess. 4:3a (NASB)
To be sanctified means to be “set apart”, “purified” or “made Holy”. Sanctification is the process by which God separates us FROM the world and FOR His purpose. It is the process by which we are transformed into the image of Christ (Rom 8:29) Sanctification is a natural result of and always follows repentance and faith in Christ. Paul tells us here that sanctification is God’s will for every believer. To engage the will of God for our lives we must allow ourselves to be used however, whenever and wherever God would choose. We must allow His Holy Spirit free reign in every area of our lives. This “shaping” of our lives can be a painful process at times. When we look back however to what He has already done in us and look forward to the glorification that awaits us it gives us confidence that God’s plan for us is perfect and gives us confidence that He will finish what He has started. (Phil 1:6)
Questions for application…
Are there parts of your life that God wants to shape differently?
Are there areas where yielding control is still an issue?
Is there a person, place or thing that you need to be “set apart” from?
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