2/8/2020
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly.”
Sanctify: to set apart for a sacred purpose
Sanctify is a very serious word with a deep purpose and meaning. I have to ask myself, “Am I really set apart for a sacred purpose, for God’s purpose?” Can others see a forgiven child of the Most High and the power of the Holy Spirit in me? When people see me, do they also see Jesus?
I know I have seen the light of the Holy Spirit shine so brightly in perfect strangers that I knew they were believers before even speaking to them. I remember, not too long ago, I was walking around Walmart when I spotted this beautiful lady with a bright smile on her glowing face. I was immediately struck by her. As I wandered, I kept crossing her path and noticing that she was kind and loving to EVERYONE in her sphere. She would chat with people and smile, she would offer to assist with whatever they needed, she would chat with young mothers and their small children. I remember thinking, “That lady loves Jesus,” and I couldn’t help but see the Holy Spirits power every time we passed one another. At one point, I said to God that I would speak to her if we came across one another again. I was still working on my boldness at that time (and still am, actually). Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, there she was in the produce section. “Okay Lord,” I said in a whisper, “help me be bold.” I walked up to her and told her that she radiated light, and she smiled. I then asked her about Jesus in her life. Of course, this lovely lady started spilling over with joy and her love for her Savior without any hesitation or fear. I was blessed, but not at all surprised. She was a sanctified child of God.
Chambers says, “Sanctification means an intense concentration on God’s point of view. It means every power of body, soul and spirit chained and kept for God’s purposes only.” Wow! Am I a prisoner to the word of God, joyfully bound by its truths? Does intense concentration on God’s will and Word factor into everything I do? Do I seek out and focus on the guidance of the Holy Spirit? What would I look like if I did? Would I radiate like the lovely lady in Walmart, unabashedly living for Jesus and reflecting His love?
I find, in the climate of today’s world, it is not always easy to stand up for my faith in Jesus. We live in a time of perceived freedom of thought and speech, when actually there is more of a “hive mind” expectation; if you are not for me, you are against me. It is a difficult time to maneuver in faith without sounding crazy or judgmental, and I know that mere fact has often stopped me right in my tracks. As a child of the Most High, saved through faith by grace, my deepest desire is to be set apart in this world for my Lord; to be sanctified.
Chambers says, “The one and only characteristic of the Holy Ghost in a man is a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, and freedom from everything that is unlike Him.”
Today's song choice is a little something different.
I'm Sanctified - Chicago Mass Choir
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