Thoughts on Wholeness and Holiness

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it. (NIV)

The weight of this truth rests heavily on my heart. God has promised me that sanctification is not only possible, but that He will do it (v. 24)! My Lord does not make trivial or sentimental promises. My Mighty King's word is truth!. If God desires that I should be blameless upon Christ's return, then I shall. How do I function today, believing in this promise of sanctification and blamelessness? How does a person who has yet to be completely sanctified (become holy in spirit, soul, body) not grow weary in the hopes of this promise?

As I wrestle with these questions, I read the beginning of verse 23, "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you...". Amen! God himself is responsible for the process of sanctification. I cannot make myself holy. I cannot set myself apart. I cannot be made blameless, except through God himself. I also take notice to which of God's names is used when it states WHO is doing the sanctification. The God of Peace. God makes me blameless and sanctifies me in peace. I so often fear that sanctification can never happen because of the pull of my sin winning against the process of sanctification. God will not create a battle inside of me and hope that righteousness comes out the victor! The God of Peace sanctifies me. This is why God must sanctify spirit, soul, and body (v.23). Sanctification cannot be achieved peacefully without all three parts of myself being wholly blameless.

So, what is my role in this whole promise? In verse 24, it says "The one who calls you...", so I suppose my first order of business is to respond to the call. Which I did. Accepting Christ and choosing to follow Him, upon His calling of me, was step one. Upon doing so, He has already begun the process of sanctification, as the Holy Spirit indwell ed me from that moment forward. And step two? I must believe in His promise. He is faithful. He will do it. And I have already seen the fruit of that truth in my life as He has begun to sanctify me in soul and body. To not grow weary in waiting for the promise to be fulfilled is the most difficult part of this process for me. I continually ask God to show me the fruit of this process of sanctification in my life, and I am blown away with how quickly and peacefully this process has taken place in all three parts, but I always desire for it to happen faster. But I rest in believing this promise for myself and I have finally, fully believed that this promise is for me.