Hagiazo - sanctify - to be made Holy 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Good morning everyone! God is good all the time, all the time God is good. TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

Okay, in 1 Thessalonians 5 Paul gave us strong advice and the option is ours - to either follow his advice or reject it. Rejecting it means going against God - really? Do you really want to do that?

Now Paul gives (us)a final greeting. 1 Thessalonians 5:23
"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our LORD JESUS CHRIST comes again."

Wow! Can you say wow? The spirit, soul, and body refer to the entire being of a person, aka ALL OF YOU! This is Paul's way of saying that God must be involved in every aspect of life. It is wrong to think that we can separate the spiritual life from everything else, obeying God only in ways we choose or living for him only one day each week.

Christ must control ALL of US! ALL of YOU! not just a 'religious part' of you. In the KJV Bible it reads, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely........." The word sanctify - Greek hagiazo- is related to the word 'holiness' and implies that God himself is the ultimate influence in changing a man's life.
Holiness is more than a set of rules; Holiness or sanctification is the work of God's Holy Spirit who indwells us. Paul did all he could to teach the Thessalonians to be holy and then commits them to God who alone can make them holy.
This is my desire for you and me, that we commit ourselves completely to God and be made holy. Shalom! Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny