Father, as I look ahead, I ask for Your watchful care over my family. Keep us safe and keep us in the center of Your will. Help us love each other and make the most of our time together, whether over the phone or in person. Help me to keep my heart fixed upon You—to be motivated by what You would do. Help me to be a true reflection of You in all I say and do.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 (<<click here to read the passage)
Lord, my being holy (my sanctification) is wholly dependent upon You. I cannot sanctify myself. Some days, it feels like I can barely keep myself pointed in the right direction. All I can really do is to totally give myself over to You totally (spirit, soul, and body). You have given me free will, and I willingly give my life over to You. Who but the creator of me would know best? You alone know what is now (in its entirety) and what will be (in all its possibilities).
Again, Lord, Paul refers to You as “the God of peace,” and again, from my many experiences, I know most assuredly that true peace is found only in You. Any peace I can generate is short-lived—and probably even that little bit rightly must be attributed to You.
Only You can make me holy. Only You keep me blameless in my entirety (spirit, soul, and body). Only You “will make this happen,” for You call me, and You are faithful. You are my everything. I find completion only in You. Help me to be all You want me to be! Help me to live my life to the fullest—fulfilling Your call with every breath! Amen—so be it!
(August 8th, 2015, Sat, 5:59 am)
Aug 1st, 2024, Thurs, 9:22 am
I cannot sanctify myself indeed.
In verse 23, the verb “sanctify” is in the aorist optative tense/mood. Only 68 verbs out of the over 28,000 verbs in the N.T. are in the optative mood. Simply put, it means that Paul is saying that vv. 12-22 occurs before v. 23. Not to mean that work is the means of salvation, but that the saved are sanctified as they purposefully strive to serve the God who has saved them. “The God of peace…” here is Paul stating that only the saved can be sanctified. There is peace WITH God (salvation) and then there is the peace OF God, which comes gradually but stronger and stronger as we do vv. 12-22. It seems simple but this is likely the first letter Paul has written. Some say Galatians, but most believe 1 Thess. is the first letter penned by Paul. To me, it explains the simplicity of this writing. Note, he also includes the words Spirit, Soul AND Body. He does not do that in any of his other letters. That tri-ness of man (if you will) is actually Platonic teaching. Paul is writing to a church in Greece where the Believers are coming to grips with the fact that there is only one God, but that, according to the Jews (through whom salvation is come – Jesus’ words), is a Triune God. Go figure.
Think of it this way. How many Born Again Believers do you know who have the appearance that they do not have the peace OF God? I suspect we all know someone like this. If they ever ask why do you have peace when they don’t, the response, according to Paul here, is “well, are you praying without ceasing, giving thanks IN all circumstances, proving all things, etc. etc etc.??
Stay strong Pastor Thom
Thank you for your affirmation and words of encouragement!