I. INTRODUCTION
A. In 1Thessalonians 4:3, the apostle Paul wrote, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification."
1. This passage of Scripture (1Thess. 4:1-12) is a very practical set of instructions for Christians regarding "how (they) ought to walk and please God" (v. 1).
2. Not only were these instructions practical to the Thessalonians, but they are also practical for us today, for we also live in a culture that influences us in ways contrary to God's will.
B. Therefore, it is necessary that we understand sanctification in order for us to become sanctified and to do the will of our God.
1. In our study, we will seek to understand the meaning and purpose of sanctification according to God's will.
2. We will also see that a Christian must take part in his own sanctification. By God's design, it requires the efforts of both God and man for a person to become sanctified.
II. DEFINING SANCTIFICATION
A. In the New Testament, the words "sanctification," "holiness," and "saint" are practically synonymous and have the same root words. Consider the meaning of these words.
1. Both the word "sanctification" and the word "holiness" are most often translated from the Greek word hagiasmos (ἁγιασμός). According to W.E. Vine, this word means: "(a) separation to God; (b) the course of life befitting those so separated."
2. The word "saint" is from the Greek word hagios (ἅγιος), which means "holy one" or simply "holy" depending on the context.
a. Unlike the Catholic doctrine that applies the description of "saints" to only a few people of exceptional holiness, the Scripture describes all Christians as saints.
b. The term "saint" does not indicate that one has achieved sinless perfection, for even the Corinthian Christians were called "saints by calling" (1Cor. 1:2) despite their many sins.
3. Therefore, let us understand that to be sanctified is to be made holy, and to be a holy person is to be a saint. It is God's will that we should all be saints.
B. It is important that we understand the purpose of sanctification for a Christian.
1. Under the Law of Moses, certain people, places, and things were to be sanctified to God exclusively for His service. For example, the tabernacle, the altar, Aaron, and his sons were all sanctified (consecrated) to serve God (Ex. 29:44).
2. Under the new covenant of Christ, Christians are likewise sanctified for the purpose of serving God.
a. Notice 2Timothy 2:21 -- "Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work."
b. It is necessary for one to be sanctified in order for him to be acceptable to God for His use. One cannot be fit for the service of God if he is still marred in sin and unholy. God says to His children, "You shall be holy, for I am holy" (1Pet. 1:16).
III. HOW GOD SANCTIFIES US
A. God has provided to man the means of sanctification, which is Jesus Christ.
1. Notice 1Corinthians 1:30-31 -- "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, 'Let him who boasts, boast in the LORD.'"
2. Sanctification is just one of the many spiritual blessings that are in Christ (Eph. 1:3), and there is no way to be sanctified apart from Him.
B. To be more specific, there are certain ways in which God sanctifies those who are in Christ Jesus.
1. Christians are sanctified by both the body (Heb. 10:10) and the blood (Heb. 9:13-14) of Christ. These constitute Christ's offering for us through which we may have our sins forgiven and our corruption taken away.
2. When Jesus prayed for His disciples, He asked the Father to "sanctify them in truth" (John 17:17). It is the truth about Jesus, the gospel, that calls men out of the world and sets them apart (2Thess. 2:13-14).
3. Peter wrote of the "sanctifying work of the Spirit" (1Pet. 1:2), which refers to the Holy Spirit's part in sanctification. It was the Spirit's work to reveal the truth to men which they must obey to become sanctified (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15).
4. Paul wrote that Jesus sanctified the church by cleansing "her by the washing of water with the word" (Eph. 5:25-27). Through the word of God, we learn to enter into Christ by baptism in water whereby we are cleansed and sanctified (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3-7; 1Cor. 6:11).
C. God has done His part to provide all that we need for sanctification. Now it is for us to do out part.
IV. HOW WE SANCTIFY OURSELVES
A. Consider the example of the Thessalonian Christians.
1. Thessalonica was within sight of Mount Olympus, the mythical home of the pagan Greek gods. The influence of pagan worship permeated the culture in Thessalonica.
2. The Thessalonian Christians had come out of the ways of idolatry and had embraced the word of God (1Thess. 1:1-10; 2:13). They had separated themselves from the world around them because of the word of God.
3. Yet Paul instructed them to "excel still more." Let us apply 1Thessalonians 4:1-12 so that we may sanctify ourselves.
a. We are sanctified by abstaining from sexual immorality and learning to control our bodies (vv. 3-4).
i. This requires self-control that can only be learned by a determination of the mind and effort of the body.
ii. Notice that God is not only concerned with the conditions of our hearts but also with the actions of our bodies. What we do matters.
b. We are not sanctified if we behave in lustful passion as those who do not know God (v. 5).
i. People who do not know God have not submitted themselves to His control. Therefore, they behave, dress, and speak immodestly because they are controlled by lust. See Romans 8:5-8.
ii. As Christians, we cannot allow the world to dictate to us what to do, what to say, and what to wear. We must live by God's standards.
c. We must understand that it is God who called us for the purpose of sanctification. Therefore, if we continue in the corrupt ways of the world, we have not rejected men but God who called us to be sanctified (vv. 7-8).
d. We are sanctified by God to serve Him, which includes doing right by our brethren (v. 6), practicing love toward one another (vv. 9-10), and leading a quiet but active life (vv. 11-12).
B. Consider also Paul's instructions to Timothy in 2Timothy 2:19-23.
1. In verse 19, Paul wrote, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness." Any form of wickedness is simply incompatible with the holiness of God.
2. He went on to write the words we noticed earlier in verse 21. To become useful to God, we must sanctify ourselves by fleeing from youthful lusts and other corruptions that defile us (v. 22).
C. The message of these passages is that those who are sanctified to God are to make themselves different from the world.
1. God's saints are to be self-controlled and holy rather than lustful and corrupt.
2. This requires effort by those who believe. God will not sanctify us unless we are willing to sanctify ourselves. We must not be deceived into believing that we can continue in the corruption of sin and still be sanctified by God and made suitable for His kingdom (1Cor. 6:9-11).
V. CONCLUSION
A. It is God's will that we all be sanctified for His service. If we will set ourselves apart for Him, then He will set us apart from the mass of condemned mankind.
B. If you are not sanctified, then not only are you not useful to the Lord but also you cannot see Him (Heb. 12:14). God is holy, and those who would have a fellowship with Him must be holy as well (1John 1:5-7).