Sanctification: God's Will for You (1 Thess 4:3)

For this is the will of God, your sanctification - 1 Thessalonians 4:3a

Many people wonder "what is God's will for my life?"

Here in one short verse we have the answer, your sanctification.

What does this word sanctification mean?

Simply put, it means to become holy.

Or in other words, to become a saint.

But herein lies the paradox: in Christ this has already been accomplished.

We can never become more holy than we already are in Christ. Thus, our goal is not to become more holy per se, but to progressively allow the holiness that Christ has already given us to shine forth more fully. Our job is not to try to add holiness to ourselves like adding layers of clothing upon our bodies, but rather to strip away the layers of the fallen self by reminding ourselves that this "self" has in truth already been crucified with Christ.

Holiness is not something we copy in Christ, it is something Christ copies in us.

The Holy Spirit (ie the Spirit of Holiness) dwells within every believer. The more we surrender the reigns of control to this indwelling Spirit, the more we will naturally walk in the nature of the Spirit which is, and can only ever be, Holiness.

His job within us is to strive, accomplish, and conquer.

Our job is very simply, to let Him.

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.

1 Thess 5:23-24