Sanctified-Through and Through
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister
First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO
Introduction: For several months we have closed our evening services with the benediction that ends 1 Thessalonians. Tonight I want to use that passage as the text for our overview of this next book in our on-going journey through the New Testament. Recite it with me . . .
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.
May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
Note how those three verses break down into three sentences, each with a slightly different emphasis. They are all part of the same prayer. Each is related to the other two. But each brings a unique and important perspective to the whole.
These three little verses perform a similar function for the whole book of 1 Thessalonians. I think it is no accident that the little letter closes with this prayer. The themes of this prayer provide the handles with which to grasp the message of the entire book.
Verse 23 highlights God’s plan for every believer—complete sanctification. The middle verse emphasizes the purpose of our sanctification—to stand blameless when Christ returns. The final verse points to the promise that makes this possible—the faithfulness of God. Let’s use this closing prayer as our roadmap for the book of 1 Thessalonians.
The first verse of the pray highlights God’s plan for every believer. What is God’s plan for your life and mine? Ask that question to a dozen different people and you will probably get a dozen different answers. Rarely will anyone put the emphasis where this text does. Some might say God wants you to get saved. He wants to forgive your sins. Others might say God’s plan is for you to be baptized. Or go to church. Or to be obey the Ten Commandments. Others might say God wants you to go to heaven—that’s his plan for you!
All of these answers might be partly right. Some might be very good in the proper context. But each is limited. Few go where this text goes—God’s plan is that you be sanctified through and through. That concept requires some definition. But before we go there, let’s note that the call for sanctification is not limited to this text.
On the night before the cross, Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified” (John 17:17-19). To the elders of Ephesus, Paul said, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). First Corinthians begins, “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours..” (1 Cor 1:1:2). Later 1 Corinthians adds, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). Note what 1 Thessalonians says earlier, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified …” (4:3).
The term sanctified is a verb form. The noun form is usually translated as holiness. When applied to people the term is “saint,” people who have been set apart for God and only God. Listen to these passages.
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).
“I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Rom. 6:19-22).
”Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Cor. 7:1).
“…put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24).
” [Pray] for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Tim. 2:2).
Holiness is not an option! What’s the term mean? Literally it means to be set apart or devoted. Consider a practical example that we are familiar with—your toothbrush. We all have one. Our toothbrush is devoted to a single, special purpose. It is set apart for that purpose and that alone. I have an old toothbrush in my toolbox that I might use for any old thing. But not my regular tooth brush. Our youngest son used to use whatever toothbrush that was handy, much to the consternation of everyone else in the family, especially his older sister. Imagine your child or grandchild announcing that he had just used your toothbrush on the dog or to clean your barn boots. That’s one tooth brush that would suddenly become unsanctified.
In this context sanctified means something or someone that is set apart for God. Something that is sanctified is devoted to God. That’s the idea of calling this room a sanctuary. It is a space that has been sanctified. It is holy because it is devoted to a holy purpose. But our text is not talking about a building. It is talking about you, about people. You belong to God. You are devoted to his purposes. That’s God’s plan for you.
This mattered for the Thessalonians. These were young believers. Many had been converted right out of paganism. Listen to Paul’s testimony: “for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess 1:9-10).
This letter was probably written within a few months after their conversion. To make matters worse, Paul had been forced to leave town after a stay of only a few weeks. These were young vulnerable new believers. They had been truly converted. But they faced a lot of challenges—old friends, old ways of life, old habits—and enemies of the faith who threatened persecution. Paul was rightfully worried about them. Would they hold up? Would some of them, maybe most of them, slip back into the old easier ways of life? Listen to how he voices this concern at the end chapter 2 and beginning of chapter 3:
“But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us. 19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy” (3:17-19).
“So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
6But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (4:1-13).
God’s goal for each believer is total devotion. But note how our verse says it—sanctified through and through. God wants all of you. He isn’t satisfied with Sunday only. He doesn’t want a tenth of your resources. He isn’t interested in your soul and the rest can belong to the world. He wants you inside and out. All that you are! All that you have!
The temptation of our secularized world is to segregate life into different pockets or categories. A secularized world talks about the separation of church and state which is certainly a valid political principle for liberty and freedom. But our world often takes that a step further. It is suggested that a person’s faith (religions if you like) has no place being applied to social, public, or political issues. That’s not Paul’s prayer. That’s not God’s will. The Lord wants you sanctified through and through.
By the way that’s part of the implication of believer’s baptism by immersion—totally devotion!
God’s will is our holiness. That’s the emphasis of the beginning verse of the prayer. Verse 23 highlights God’s plan for every believer—complete sanctification. The second line takes us a step further. The purpose of the process of sanctification is that we might stand ready, prepared, and blameless when Christ returns. Note how the second verse of the prayer places all of this in the context of Christ’s second coming.
Again note the emphasis is on the total person. Spirit, soul, and body describe the total human experience. Spirit refers to our relationship to God. Soul speaks to the matters of the mind and emotions, the inner natural self. Body refers to the outer natural self. Together the three describe all of you. God wants us to be totally ready for Christ’s return.
Since Paul had left the young believers some confusion had developed about the teaching concerning Christ’s Return. Can you imagine people becoming confused about Christ’s return? From what Paul says to address their confusions, it seems that two ideas had taken seed. First, they somehow had gotten the notion that only those who survived until Christ returned would be rewarded. If you died first, you lost out. Listen to how Paul addresses that notion:
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words” (4:13-18).
But that wasn’t the only problem. There was the perennial temptation to get caught up in date setting and sign hunting, to climb a mountain and wait for Christ’s return instead of being actively involved in the matters of making a living and serving others. Some take “waiting” for Christ’s return quite literally. They just wait. 2 Thessalonians deals with this problem in detail. Note how 1 Thessalonians 5 addresses it:
“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (5:1-11).
Verse 23 highlights God’s plan for every believer—complete sanctification. The middle verse emphasizes the purpose of our sanctification—to stand blameless when Christ returns. The final verse of the prayer points to the promise that makes this possible—the faithfulness of God.
God wants us totally devoted to him—every part of lives consecrated to his purposes. He will settle for nothing less. Can this be? Can it actually happen? Yes and no! You can’t do it on your own any more than you can atone for your past sins on your own. This is the emphasis of the last verse in the benediction. The one who calls you is faithful. He will do it.
This calls for a special blend of confidence and humility. The confidence is that God is in control. He will see us through. 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
That’s true. But don’t take the matter lightly. Listen to how Paul voices his own humility in Philippians 3:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained” (4:7-16).
Believing this promise is not an excuse for passivity. Just listen to the exhortations that precede the benediction.
“Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil” (5:12-22).
The Bible calls us to complete holiness. We are to live as if everything depended on us. Yet trust God knowing that ultimately everything depends on him.
Conclusion: Note how Paul opens the benediction. “May God himself, the God of peace…” The expression is intensive. God himself and no other!
He is the “God of peace.” The God to whom we pray, the God who will do all of this for us is the God who is on our side. He is the only God there is. He is the God who makes and brings peace. This he offers through Jesus and what he did on the cross for us. That and that alone is the foundation of holiness.
***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College of the Bible, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).
