Introduction
There is an urgency for souls at this hour. I am not sure there has ever been a time where such urgency is higher than now. Our nation is changing and the flares of patriotism that at one point gave us a sense of unity and pride for our nation, is quickly disappearing from the hearts of Americans. We can’t even look at sports to escape this toxic “woke”[1] worldview that insist on looking at every issue through glass of the color of our skins.
Matthew 24:7 states that “…nation shall rise against nation…” That is, ethnic groups against ethnic groups. Amid all this confusion, we, God’s people have the answer; the answer continues to be JESUS. However, there is a message the Lord wants to release to the Body of Christ before we engage in giving answers of any kind.
Sanctification
Our gifts and callings are not enough to fulfill our destiny in God, we must mature. Without maturity we will be stumbling blocks to the unbeliever. I am not talking about perfection; we know that nobody is; I am talking about maturity. First Thessalonians 5:23 tells us,
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. (ESV)
Let’s look at a few key words on this verse to get a deeper understanding of what the Apostle Paul is doing here. The word Sanctify is the Greek word hagiázō; meaning, “To make clean, render pure. Metaphorically, to render clean in a moral sense, to purify.”[2] When we speak about sanctification we are speaking about holiness; essentially we are called to be different from the world system. There should be a separation between the world and the way the believer does things. In Revelation 18:4 Jesus tells us to come out this world system called Babylon.
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (KJV)
God is calling his people to live according to His righteousness not according to the world. Paul tells us the importance of living holy lives and how is connected to our purpose in God. In Romans 12:2 Paul states, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV) Beloved, if we continue to follow the world, we will never be able to know what God’s perfect will for our lives is.
To be continue…
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke
[2] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).
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