1 Thessalonians 5:19-23 - "Wholly Sanctified to the LORD"

1 Thessalonians 5:19-23

"Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Consider what it is to be wholly sanctified to the LORD. When we speak of being sanctified, we are ultimately speaking of being set apart unto Him, preserved by Him, and brought to behold in Him the fullness of God’s Salvation. These statements before us in 1 Thessalonians are simple yet profound, pressing upon us the reality that sanctification is not found in ourselves, nor in any contribution of our own hands, but in Christ Who is our Life, our Righteousness, and our Peace. May the LORD help us to weigh these things prayerfully as we look to the One Who alone makes His people holy in the sanctifying death of the LORD Jesus on their behalf, (John 17:19).

How many times do we use words without really thinking about what they mean? We talk about being sanctified, but what does it mean? Along with the great Gospel teaching of redemption and justification, we must add sanctification as one sadly misunderstood by many who profess to be Christians today. The misunderstanding begins when men try to tell you that men still have their part somewhere in it. They say, "Yes, redemption is a work of God, that Christ did it, but..." And that little word "but" taints everything. They speak of redemption, saying that Christ died, but then you must make it effectual by believing. They speak of justification, yes, God justifies, but it’s when you believe that He’ll justify you. And they say the same thing with sanctification—that’s our part. They split it up: here’s God’s part, here’s man’s part.

However, if any part of salvation depends upon us, then there’s no hope. That is how we must see this matter of being sanctified before God. If we read the Scriptures for what they say, notions of contributing anything to this work are laid to rest. Even in verse 23, sanctification is wholly ascribed to God Himself. It says plainly, "the very God of peace sanctify you wholly." Even when Scripture commands, be sanctified, it uses a passive verb—something acted upon you, not something you perform. Be sanctified. Someone is acting upon you.

First, then, what does it mean to be sanctified unto the LORD? It means to be set apart unto God for His holy and just purposes. When something is set apart for a particular purpose, you are sanctifying it. Psalm 4:3 says, “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself.” Those who are godly are so because the LORD has set them apart. No one can claim any godliness in themselves. It is because God has set them apart for Himself.

Second, we see that sanctification is the work of the Triune God. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly." Is that the Father, the Son, or the Spirit? Yes. God, three Persons in one Godhead, one with Himself in this matter of sanctifying His people.

• The Father sanctifies in electing them from eternity. Jude writes, “to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called” (Jude 1:1). To deny election is to deny the work of God.

• Christ sanctifies His people in His death. Hebrews declares, “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one” (Hebrews 2:11). When Christ died, those set apart in Him were sanctified in His Offering. Isaiah said He would see His seed and be satisfied.

• The Spirit sanctifies in calling. Romans 15:16 says, “that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” The Spirit sets apart those for whom Christ died and manifests them in time.

So it is that the apostle Paul puts the whole work of salvation into the sovereign work of God alone. The command not to “quench the Spirit” is immediately placed within the assurance that sanctification is the Spirit’s own effectual operation in the elect. Election stands first: God chose a people in Christ before the foundation of the world, setting His love upon them without regard to any foreseen merit. Redemption follows. The LORD Jesus Christ, by His once-for-all offering, purchased those same elect, obtaining not merely the possibility but the certainty of their salvation. And in time, the Spirit effectually calls, indwells, and sanctifies them—not partly by their contribution, but wholly by His Power.

Therefore, Paul prays, “The very God of peace sanctify you wholly,” placing the entire scope of salvation—election past, redemption accomplished, calling and sanctification present—as God’s work from beginning to end. Man adds nothing; Christ supplies all; the Spirit applies all; and the Father preserves all unto the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ.

Finally, there is then an inseparable connection between being sanctified by the LORD Jesus Christ and being set apart by the Spirit of God. You cannot disconnect those for whom Christ died and those who are called. How do we know Christ has died for us? The Spirit of God sets us apart unto Him. That is the only way we know. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God," (Romans 8:16).