1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

1Th 5:23 -28 “23 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. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

As we come near to the end of this letter, God, through the apostle Paul, gives us two major themes to bring into our lives. The first is that every Christian should be sanctified. The second is that every Christian would be blameless when Jesus comes.

Are you sanctified? God wants you to be. This term, sanctification, is not a normal word we use, so I want to explain it to you this morning.

Sanctification has three ideas attached to it.

The first is that a sanctified person is set apart for God.

The second idea is that a sanctified person is cleaned up, made holy.

What is important is to notice the order. A person is set apart and then cleaned up.

In the Old Testament, people would make pottery to be used in the temple. The priests would buy the pottery and then wash it. This order is very important.

We are bought by the precious blood of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross so what we could be reconciled to God. We believe and by faith in Jesus Christ, we are saved, we are born again. 1Co 1:2 “2 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:”

So we are set apart, we are sanctified in Christ Jesus. So the first application is that God wants everyone to put their faith in Jesus. Those who trust Jesus are those who are set apart for God.

So what if you think you are ok the way you are, that God thinks you are good enough? You are not sanctified. In the Bible, the only way we can draw near to God is through Jesus Christ. “I must needs go home by the way of the cross, there’s no other way than this…”

Now comes the second part, the part Paul emphasizes for the Thessalonians, becoming clean. When we trust Jesus we are brought into the presence of God. Then God starts to clean us up.

The KJV does not put this part in, but I think it is very important. The text says “May God himself…” The KJV does not add the word, “himself” perhaps because in the minds of the translators it was not needed. God… God himself, who else would God be other than himself?

But the word is there in the Greek for emphasis. It is God who sanctified us. We don’t sanctify ourselves. We don’t clean up our own act. We don’t make ourselves better; God does it. This is emphasized in verse 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

So how does this work? What is our part?

Let me illustrate this in this way. My brother is a mechanic, he works on cars. Sometimes people bring in cars they worked on. They bring the car in and say, “I tried to fix it my way, but I ended up with a few extra parts and the car still doesn’t run right. Can you fix it?” Have you ever wished that before someone touched something, they brought it to you? Some of the damage may mean that the thing never can be fixed.

We do the same thing with God. We know we have a sin problem. We may struggle with alcohol, food, swearing, pornography, a critical spirit, unforgiveness, bitterness, envy, jealousy, pride, immorality, greed and whatever.

We try to fix it. We gear ourselves up and do what we think should be done. We try to clean ourselves up. The great danger is that we have some success. We look at how far we have come, how far we have pulled ourselves up, and we are satisfied. But we don’t realize how much further we would have gone if we had come to God and said, “God, clean me up. Show me what I should do and I will do it.” So God, himself, works to clean us up.

What are his tools? He uses the Bible. The Bible is true in what it says. It doesn’t say everything, but what it does say is true. The Psalmist said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” He also asks, “Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.” The word “pure” has the idea of being clean.

He uses prayer. I have often thought to myself when a person comes to me with excuses as to why they needed to do something that they think is not right to give them this exercise. “Tell God what you just told me.” If you say to me, “I can’t be in church because the fishing is so great,” I dare you to get on your knees and say it to God. Prayer has a way of cleansing us.

Confession of sin is also important. 1John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” If we confess, he will forgive and purify us. Taking responsibility for our actions before God will have a cleansing effect.

Circumstances also can be used in this process of holiness, of making us clean. When you lie and get caught, when you overspend and get in debt, when you cheat on your wife and she leaves you, when you are pulled over for DUI, all of these are meant to turn you around. It’s God’s wake-up call to you.

In all of this Jesus is telling you, listen to me, follow me, walk in my path.

We are not changing our own lives. We are listening to God, we are accepting his wisdom, living life his way. So we respond in obedience to God, fully trusting his wisdom, his sovereignty, his direction for our lives.

Now, the third part. We are set apart by God, he cleans us or makes us holy. The third part is that he separates us and cleans us so he can use us.

2 Timothy 2:20 -21 “20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”

Notice the words at the end, “useful” and “prepared to any good work.” This is the purpose of sanctification, to put us where we can be used by God.

I know that some people come to church to see friends. Some come to receive support during difficult times. Some come to hear a message or sing a song. But the real purpose of all we do is to help us come to the place where we can be used by God. It is service. The verse says that if we cleanse ourselves (verse 21) we will be an instrument…useful…and prepared.

This is what Paul wants for the Thessalonians and it is what God wants from each one of us. He wants us to be useful and prepared. So God, himself, died on the cross for our sins so that through faith in Jesus, we are brought into God’s family, set apart for Him. He is working on us to make us holy, cleansing us with the Word and with the inner power of the Holy Spirit. His purpose is so that we will be useful and prepared to serve God with our bodies, our souls and our spirits.

If you are on board with God in this, then when Jesus comes you will be blameless at his coming. You may not be perfect, but Jesus will say to you, “I found you serving me when I came.”

Matthew 25:14 -30 “14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

You say, “I don’t think I can serve God the way he wants.” You have missed the point. God is just asking you to trust him. The just shall live by faith.

Do you see what it says in verse 24? The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

“When we walk with the Lord, in the light of his word. What a glory he sheds on our way. While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey. For there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus. But to trust and obey.”