November 15th, 2023
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.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 esv)
At some point in our lives, most of us have stood at a crossroads and wondered what God’s will for us might be. Sometimes, a paralyzing confusion sets in when reduce God’s plan to our calendars: Which job should we take? Which college should we attend? What does God want me to do in this relationship? Each question has an accompanying anxiety that lurks underneath like a shadow: what if I get it wrong? The benedictions in the Bible helps us greatly in these situations - we not only are reminded of God’s fatherly affection for us - but also are shown his plans for our lives in these prayers of blessing.
What we see in 1 Thessalonians is that God’s will is for us to be sanctified (made holy; set apart) and kept blameless in body, soul, and spirit until Christ returns. If those ideas: blamelessness, holiness, and sanctity seem too abstract take a look at the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 and Jesus’ summary of God’s law in Matthew 22:34-40. These two passages of scripture give us a comprehensive view of what it is to be holy: rightly ordered living before God and with each other. We would be right to look at that plan and think “that’s too much for us to do!” So the Lord reminds us who will accomplish the work in the end - “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” But how? It’s wonderful really - God’s plan for our holiness is accomplished by his Spirit while we seek and struggle to honor him in the daily routines of our lives. In his grace, God actually uses failure and success to shape us increasingly into the holiness he has planned for us before the foundations of the world were even set.
Questions for Application.
As you think through this, what are some of the anxieties underneath the life questions you ask?
Do you think that God will abandon you if you are unable to discern the perfect life decision? Or do you think that a successful life will somehow cover up the reality that none of us live up to the law that God has given?
What might it look like to live with the mindset that each success, and each failure allows us to see, understand, and receive God’s grace in Jesus?
As you ask these things, pray that God would guide your self-understanding, and reveal his grace to your in his word.
