Sanctification: The Journey to True Completeness in Christ
Summary
### Summary
In today's reflection on 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28, we delve into the Apostle Paul's closing prayer for the church in Thessalonica. Paul prays for the complete sanctification of the believers, emphasizing that God, the "God of peace," is the one who sanctifies us wholly—spirit, soul, and body. This sanctification is not just a positional holiness granted at the moment of salvation but a progressive holiness that continues throughout our lives. Paul’s prayer reveals his deep desire for the believers to be kept blameless until the return of Jesus Christ, highlighting God's faithfulness in completing the work He began in us.
We explored why Paul refers to God as the "God of peace" and how this peace was achieved through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8-11 was pivotal in understanding that while we were still sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for us, reconciling us to God. This reconciliation is not just a theological concept but a transformative reality that changes our status from enemies to children of God. The peace we now have with God came at the cost of Jesus' suffering and death, a price that underscores the gravity and depth of God's love and justice.
The sermon also addressed the common misconception that completeness or fulfillment comes from external achievements or possessions. Instead, true completeness is found in losing our lives for Christ's sake, as Jesus teaches in Matthew 10:39. This paradoxical truth challenges us to redefine success not by worldly standards but by faithfulness to God. The process of sanctification involves God Himself working in us, scraping off the rough edges and transforming us into the image of Christ.
Finally, we were reminded that our journey of sanctification is ongoing and will only be completed when Jesus returns. Until then, we are works in progress, continually being shaped and molded by God's hands. This understanding should bring us comfort and patience, both with ourselves and with others, as we navigate the challenges of life.
### Key Takeaways
1. God of Peace: Paul’s reference to God as the "God of peace" underscores the profound reconciliation achieved through Jesus Christ. This peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of a restored relationship with God, made possible by Jesus' sacrificial death. Understanding this peace requires recognizing the severity of our sin and the magnitude of Christ's atonement. [03:26]
2. Sanctification Process: Sanctification is both a positional and progressive reality. While we are declared holy at the moment of salvation, we are also continually being made holy through the work of the Holy Spirit. This ongoing process involves God Himself actively working in us, transforming us into the likeness of Christ. [16:34]
3. True Completeness: True completeness is found not in accumulating more but in losing our lives for Christ's sake. Jesus teaches that those who seek to find their life will lose it, but those who lose their life for His sake will find it. This challenges us to redefine success and fulfillment according to God's standards rather than the world's. [25:44]
4. Blamelessness in Christ: Our blamelessness before God is not based on our own merit but on the finished work of Christ. At the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the punishment we deserved, allowing us to stand faultless before God. This legal and relational transformation is the heart of the gospel, freeing us from the fear of judgment and death. [51:24]
5. Faithfulness Over Success: In the Christian life, success is defined by faithfulness to God. This means leading out of a deep relationship with Him, being obedient to His promptings, and living out the gospel in everyday actions. Our faithfulness is rooted in God's unwavering faithfulness to us, which empowers us to persevere and grow in holiness. [56:50]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:37] - Opening Prayer
[02:29] - Introduction to 1 Thessalonians 5
[03:26] - The God of Peace
[04:02] - Romans 5: Understanding Peace
[05:00] - Christ Died for Us
[06:23] - The Wrath of God
[07:10] - Enemies Reconciled
[09:13] - God's Desire for Reconciliation
[10:14] - Rejoicing in Reconciliation
[12:11] - The Price of Peace
[14:07] - Sanctification Explained
[16:34] - Positional and Progressive Holiness
[18:22] - The Process of Sanctification
[20:13] - Feeling Incomplete
[22:17] - The World's Lies About Completeness
[25:44] - Finding True Life in Christ
[28:29] - Philippians 1:6 - Work in Progress
[31:48] - God's Role in Sanctification
[33:25] - Spirit, Soul, and Body
[35:23] - Blamelessness in Christ
[42:05] - The Cross: Our Fault and God's Grace
[47:58] - Delivered from the Fear of Death
[51:24] - Satan's File and Our Blamelessness
[53:08] - God's Faithfulness
[56:50] - Faithfulness Over Success
[58:31] - Communion and Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 (ESV)
> "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. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul mean when he refers to God as the "God of peace"? ([03:26])
2. How does Paul describe the process of sanctification in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24? ([16:34])
3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of being kept "blameless" until the return of Jesus Christ? ([34:55])
4. What does Paul request from the believers in Thessalonica in verses 25-28? ([33:25])
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to understand the peace achieved through Jesus Christ as described in Romans 5:8-11? How does this peace impact our relationship with God? ([04:02])
2. How does the concept of positional and progressive sanctification help us understand our spiritual journey? ([16:34])
3. What does it mean to find true completeness in losing our lives for Christ's sake, as taught in Matthew 10:39? How does this challenge our worldly views of success? ([25:44])
4. How does understanding our blamelessness in Christ affect our daily lives and interactions with others? ([34:55])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the title "God of peace." How has understanding this aspect of God changed your perspective on your relationship with Him? ([03:26])
2. In what areas of your life do you see God actively working to sanctify you? How can you cooperate more fully with this process? ([16:34])
3. Have you ever felt incomplete or unfulfilled by worldly achievements? How can you shift your focus to finding completeness in Christ? ([25:44])
4. How can you remind yourself daily of your blamelessness in Christ, especially when you feel overwhelmed by guilt or shame? ([34:55])
5. What practical steps can you take to redefine success in your life according to God's standards rather than the world's? ([56:50])
6. How can you show patience and grace to others, recognizing that they, like you, are works in progress? ([30:07])
7. Think of a specific area where you struggle with faithfulness. What is one action you can take this week to grow in faithfulness to God? ([56:50])
Devotional
Day 1: The God of Peace
Description: The Apostle Paul refers to God as the "God of peace" to emphasize the profound reconciliation achieved through Jesus Christ. This peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of a restored relationship with God, made possible by Jesus' sacrificial death. Understanding this peace requires recognizing the severity of our sin and the magnitude of Christ's atonement. While we were still sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for us, reconciling us to God and transforming our status from enemies to children of God. This reconciliation is a transformative reality that changes our lives and brings us into a loving relationship with our Creator. [03:26]
Romans 5:10-11 (ESV): "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
Reflection: Think of a time when you felt distant from God. How does understanding the depth of Christ's sacrifice and the peace it brings change your perspective on that experience?
Day 2: The Sanctification Process
Description: Sanctification is both a positional and progressive reality. While believers are declared holy at the moment of salvation, they are also continually being made holy through the work of the Holy Spirit. This ongoing process involves God Himself actively working in us, transforming us into the likeness of Christ. It is a journey that requires patience and perseverance, as God scrapes off the rough edges and molds us into His image. This process of sanctification is a testament to God's faithfulness in completing the work He began in us, ensuring that we are kept blameless until the return of Jesus Christ. [16:34]
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (ESV): "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. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you see God actively working to sanctify you? How can you cooperate with the Holy Spirit in this transformative process today?
Day 3: True Completeness
Description: True completeness is found not in accumulating more but in losing our lives for Christ's sake. Jesus teaches that those who seek to find their life will lose it, but those who lose their life for His sake will find it. This paradoxical truth challenges us to redefine success and fulfillment according to God's standards rather than the world's. The world's lies about completeness often lead us to chase after achievements, possessions, and status, but true fulfillment is found in surrendering our lives to Christ and allowing Him to shape our identity and purpose. [25:44]
Matthew 10:39 (ESV): "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you are seeking fulfillment through worldly means. How can you surrender this area to Christ and find true completeness in Him?
Day 4: Blamelessness in Christ
Description: Our blamelessness before God is not based on our own merit but on the finished work of Christ. At the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the punishment we deserved, allowing us to stand faultless before God. This legal and relational transformation is the heart of the gospel, freeing us from the fear of judgment and death. Understanding our blamelessness in Christ helps us to live with confidence and assurance, knowing that our standing before God is secure because of what Jesus has done. This truth empowers us to live boldly for Christ, free from the burden of guilt and shame. [51:24]
Colossians 1:21-22 (ESV): "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him."
Reflection: How does knowing that you are blameless in Christ change the way you approach your relationship with God and others? What steps can you take to live more confidently in this truth?
Day 5: Faithfulness Over Success
Description: In the Christian life, success is defined by faithfulness to God. This means leading out of a deep relationship with Him, being obedient to His promptings, and living out the gospel in everyday actions. Our faithfulness is rooted in God's unwavering faithfulness to us, which empowers us to persevere and grow in holiness. This perspective challenges us to shift our focus from worldly measures of success to a life marked by obedience and devotion to God. It is a call to prioritize our relationship with God above all else and to trust in His faithfulness to guide and sustain us. [56:50]
1 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV): "Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful."
Reflection: In what ways are you tempted to measure success by worldly standards? How can you realign your focus to prioritize faithfulness to God in your daily life?
Quotes
1. "What Paul is doing is he's giving them a glimpse into how he's praying for them. This is really, in verse 23, it's not Paul instructing. This is Paul showing them his prayer for these people. He says these words. Now, may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. Let's just pause right there and lean into this first title that Paul calls God by, the God of peace." [03:26] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "That while you were still sinners, God would love you so much to send his son to die for you. That's a gospel message. So he calls us right off the bat sinners, but Christ died for us. Verse nine. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood. More on that to come. Justified by his blood. Much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." [05:40] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "What this means is, and one sense wholeheartedly, we have a God of peace. But in order to understand what it means to have a God of peace, we have to understand that there is a wrath of God. There is a punishment that comes from God. That if we are freed from the wrath of God by the blood of the son, what that means is that wrath of God was supposed to go to who? Or to whom? I don't know how to use whom still. Who is that supposed to go to? Us." [06:23] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "What this means, this is what's combined in the word reconciled is this reality that God's intention, his purpose from the very beginning has not been that you would just be out there on your own trying to work your way back to him. That's every other major world religion. Our God from the very creation, from the moment he spoke life into existence before the foundations of the earth has desired and willed to be reconciled to God." [09:13] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "You go from being someone who was in the beginning destined for peace, perfection, wholeness with God, broke that because of your own rebellion and somehow in an amazing stroke of grace, you get peace with God back even though you chose to be an enemy. How does that happen? It's because God chose to let his son be treated like the enemy that you are so that you could not be a friend, you could not be a partner, but could be a son because the son was treated like you deserve to be treated." [11:18] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "What success is in the Christian walk is not what the world says success is. What success is, is simply put, faithfulness. Do you want to be successful? Be faithful. This is what I told this young guy. I was like, listen, success here looks like you leading out of your relationship with God. Success here looks like you being the person who in the student ministry has the best prayer life." [57:27] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "The only way you can overcome your blame is to go. That's my fault. That's where I deserve. That's where my blame should take me. Now that is just one side of the coin. Because once, and this has to happen first. This is repentance before forgiveness. This is a change of mind before a change of what the divine does in our hearts. Track with me. You've got to see Jesus there and go, that's my fault." [46:25] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "The world says add and you'll be complete. I want you to go to this verse because I don't want you to think I'm trying to trick you. So I want you to see it. Go to Matthew chapter 10, verse 39. Matthew 10, 39. Can I just say, I absolutely love hearing pages turn. I love that you're a church that longs to be fed the word of God more than you want to be entertained. It is a blessing to be your pastor." [24:24] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "The metaphor that I've used multiple times is this, and forgive me if this is redundant. If I am a custom wood baseball bat maker, the moment I go into the forest and I find a maple tree and cut down a tree, cut down the trunk of that tree and take it back to my factory, positionally, that trunk of a maple tree has become holy. It has been set apart. It is different and other than all the other trees in the forest. It is set apart. It is different." [17:38] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "The beauty of this Christian life is, do you know where your faithfulness to him comes from? Understanding, and being spellboundly amazed by every single day how relentlessly faithful he is to you despite how unfaithful at times you are to him. And sitting in that and savoring it and picking yourself up for one more day to try to go and be more faithful than you were yesterday. That's the call of a Christian." [58:31] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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