September 1, 2023: Sanctify Us O' Lord!

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23, ESV)

As Paul nears the end of his letter to the Thessalonians, he prays that the God of peace himself would sanctify them completely. My experience in life has been that every time God sanctifies an area of my life, I enter a new place of peace. It makes sense that Paul would pray that the God of peace would do this work in them. If the God of peace is working on you—spirit, soul, and body, then a huge portion of that sanctifying work should be peace as you are conformed to Christ.
    
What does it mean to be sanctified completely? The word sanctify comes from the Greek word 'hagios,' to make holy, consecrate, and set apart. Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians is that they would be made holy—spirit, mind, and body. He is calling for an agreement in the total person toward holiness. This sanctification of the believer would leave him in an incredible place of peace and keep him blameless at the coming of the Lord.
    
Sanctification should be the goal and desire of every believer; to be more like Him. It is what John refers to, in 1 John 3:3, as the believer who purifies himself because he believes in the return of Christ. Sanctify us, O Lord!