1 Thessalonians 5:23-25

1 Thessalonians 5:23–25 KJV (WS)

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 25 Brethren, pray for us.

Introduction - SLIDE #2

Going to visit my grandparents as a kid was a vastly different experience depending on which side we were visiting. - POINT #1

My mom’s family lived in New Orleans. - POINT #2

My dad’s family lived in Wichita Falls. - POINT #3

I mean you can’t hardly come up with two vastly different cities.

One was basically a swamp.

The other was basically a desert.

Ironically enough, visiting both of them usually included a neighborhood walk beside a moving body of water.

In New Orleans, we walk by the canal across the street.

In Wichita Falls, we would walk by the irrigation ditch down the street.

One was tasked with helping the water drain to prevent flooding there was such an abundance of water.

The other was tasked with carrying water to otherwise dry and parched fields.

I want us to thank about that irrigation ditch for a second. - POINT #4

All along that irrigation ditch their were flow control gates that could go up and down.

If the gates were down, the ditch would turn into a dried up bed very quickly.

There were also branches on the sides of the ditch to direct water to the fields of different farms.

If a gate was down, then it was impossible for the branches downstream to get any water to the farms that they serviced.

That water brought life to that entire area.

As long as it was left alone the water would flow and spread to all the farms that need it.

If one of those watergates was lowered, then the flow would stop.

If the water was prevented from flowing, then dryness, parched earth, and death would naturally follow.

Unfortunately, too many Christians relate with these words when it comes to their spiritual life.

Dry, parched, dead.

This is not what God intends for any of his followers to experience.

This is what happens though when believers prevent god from doing his work in their life.

God’s work in the life of a believer is called sanctification.

Paul’s last words of teaching in this letter deal with the matter of sanctification. - SLIDE #3

Before you start down the path of sanctification, you have to remember that it is the God of peace that is working on you.

Sanctification is a change process.

People like change, they just don’t like the process.

Sometimes water flows over an extremely dry piece of ground.

At first, it can appear like the water is causing more damage than healing.

Sometimes sanctification can feel like this too.

We have to trust that

Sanctification is the process whereby all of those things we talked about last week are actually implemented into our lives.

You will remember that when we become a part of God’s family, He expects us to become like him.

We talked about the behaviors that are contrary to our natural responses.

As God’s children we are to develop the tendencies to rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in everything.

These are just a sampling of results that God wishes to accomplish in you through the process of sanctification.

Sanctification is the process by which we are conformed to the image of Christ.

But how does it work?

Sanctification, I think, is like a river.

It is the continual flow of God’s transforming grace. - POINT #1

Like a river that courses through every part of our lives.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit, who nourishes, cleanses, and brings life wherever He flows. - POINT #2

Just as a river shapes the landscape, sanctification shapes our hearts and character, conforming us to the image of Christ.

But, like a river, the flow of sanctification can be hindered by the dams of sin and resistance. - POINT #3

When we surrender and remove these barriers, God’s grace rushes in, bringing renewal, growth, and lasting change. - POINT #4

Paul, and, more importantly, God desire to see the Thessalonians wholly sanctified.

Just as a farmer intends for his entire field to be fully irrigated…

Or, like you want your yard to stay watered in the summer…

God wants your life to be fully sanctified.

Because, in order for sanctification to do it’s job, it must fill every crack and crevice of our lives.

Sanctification is something that infiltrates our entire being. - SLIDE #4

The Bible talks about many different parts that make up a human.

One of the most recognizable descriptors of a human is body, soul, and spirit.

We obviously recognize that there are material and immaterial ingredients here.

The point of this and other similar statements is to communicate the importance of wholeness.

Paul communicates God’s desire for his children that we would be sanctified completely, body, soul, and spirit. - POINT #1

You say, but he says we should be preserved.

Your right, and I did notice that.

The word “sanctified” literally means set apart.

Like when you’re eating a bag of M&M’s and you separate them into colors and you save the blue ones for last because they taste the best.

What you did was sanctify the blue ones, you preserved them for a purpose.

Sanctified and preserved means that God has set us aside for some purpose.

Which begs the question.

What are we being preserved for?

The return of Christ, one of the main themes of this letter. - POINT #2

When Jesus comes to collect his bride, he expects to find her set apart and preserved for him.

Here’s the wonderful, comforting truth.

Sanctification and preservation are the works of God.

We see this in verse 23, when God is identified as the sanctifier…not you.

We see it again in verse 23, when Paul says that preservation is something that is done to us…not something we do ourselves.

Finally it’s in verse 24, when Paul talks about the certainty of our sanctification.

Sanctification is a certainty. - SLIDE #5

How can we believe that?

Because our sanctification is grounded in the faithfulness of God. - POINT #1

How is God’s faithfulness seen in sanctification?

Who calls you to be sanctified?

God does.

He wants us to be holy because He is holy.

If God calls you to do something, he always enables you to do it. - POINT #2

If it’s God’s will that we be conformed to the image of Jesus.

If it’s God’s will that we be sanctified and preserved for him.

Then we can have faith that he will perform it. - POINT #3

Closing thoughts.

Pray for us.

Greet one another.

Read this letter publicly.

Application - SLIDE #6

If you are a Christian tonight, then God’s will is that you would be sanctified wholly to Him. - POINT #1

He wants your body, soul, and spirit to be preserved from the corruption of the world.

This is how He wants to find you when He returns.

We can rest in the fact that God is working to sanctify us.

We can damn up the river of his grace, or as we saw last week, we can quench the Spirit. - POINT #2

If we will allow Him, God is ready to do the heavy lifting.

All we have to do is open the water gates. - POINT #3

Let the Holy Spirit have access to all the different branches of your life and he will begin the process of change.

He will start to renew every area of your life.

Do you have an area of your life that needs to be sanctified?

Here’s what it might look like for you to open that area up to God.

Let God speak to you. - POINT #4

Through the preaching at your church.

Through Sunday School Bible study.

In your own personal devotions.

Let God hear you invite him into that area of your life. - POINT #5

Agree with him that this particular area needs his touch.

This is the essence of confession.

When He prompts you to react differently, submit. - POINT #6

When you fail, confess it and get back up.

Continue to stay open to God’s work and watch as He changes your character.

If we will stay open to Him, I believe he will sanctify each part of our lives so that we can be conformed more and more to the image of Jesus.

Conclusion - SLIDE #7

God’s grace is like a river, it never stops or runs out. - POINT #1

That river will sanctify each part of our life if we will allow it to. - POINT #2

But, we can damn the river.

We can prevent the flow of the Spirit’s work in our life.

Perhaps you have stopped God from sanctifying a part of you. - POINT #3

Where is that area of your life?

Will you open it to God tonight?

If you will, His grace will restore and renew those parts of you that you thought were without hope.