Open The Word | Fungua Neno

⏱️ 4 minutes.

Greetings beloved of God,

Today, let us delve into Paul’s perspective regarding our calling to sanctification:

“For God did not call us to impurity, but to sanctification.”

1 Thessalonians 4:7

At the start of this fourth chapter, Paul praises the Thessalonians for their pleasing walk with God.

“Finally then, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”

1 Thessalonians 4:1

He urges them to persist in their pleasing conduct. Here lies a dilemma that has troubled the church over the years. Some believers mistakenly think that professing Christ is enough, neglecting the importance of how they live their lives.

There’s a serious flaw in this argument, stemming from a focus solely on the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ. However, this overlooks the process of progressive sanctification that follows justification and reconciliation to God.

Paul then reminds the Thessalonians that their calling, effective in salvation, isn’t to remain impure but to be pure. The state of purity that Paul talks about is called sanctification.

Sanctification can be defined as being set apart for a special use. Paul tells the Thessalonians that they are set apart for God’s special use, involving them being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). This aligns with the idea of shedding the old sinful self for a new life in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24).

Sanctification is an essential indicator of true justification. It is a mandatory process for every believer.

There is a seriousness to this matter too. The author of Hebrews asserts that without sanctification, one will never see the Lord:

“Pursue peace with all men, and sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”

Hebrews 12:14

It should be noted that when one is justified and reconciled back to God, they no longer belong to themselves because they have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. This is the idea communicated by Paul to the Galatians:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”

Galatians 2:20

Because of this, one claiming to be a believer cannot live and pursue sinful lifestyles for temporary gratification. Being set apart for good works means pursuing things above, not the things of this world.

Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3

The idea of continuing in willful sin even after conversion appeals to the flesh, but it contradicts the biblical understanding of a believer’s life.

Some claim that while justification is mandatory, the sanctification of a believer is optional, but this contradicts what Paul states in his letter to the Thessalonians.

To undergo sanctification, the Bible teaches us to “fix our hope in Christ” — 1 John 3:3. When we do this, the apostle John says, “we are purified just as he is pure.”

Here are some key points to note:

• Our calling is real: as believers, we have been effectually called by God and set apart for good works. Our salvation is not merely a simple profession of faith, but rather we have been chosen by God and called into salvation.
• Impurity is not the purpose of our calling: contrary to how the world wants us to live, the purpose of our calling is not to continue in willful sin but to avoid conformity with the patterns of this world — Romans 12:2.
• Our walk of faith is marked by sanctification: true faith will always be followed by a journey of sanctification, where we become more and more like Christ.

I pray we can continue to pursue sanctification in all areas of our lives.

Blessings, Paul.