Be Sanctified

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NIV)

Contrary to what many believe, accepting Christ is not the ultimate goal of God's plan for the salvation of humanity. One can certainly receive Christ while continuing to live in sin. At that stage, even though one is a Christian, one remains a carnal Christian, still living according to the desires of the world. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that becoming a Christian brings about an immediate, radical transformation. Transformation is progressive; this is where the Holy Spirit accomplishes His work of regeneration within us.

God desires that we be sanctified. Throughout the history of the people of Israel in the wilderness, we often hear Him asking them to sanctify themselves. What does it mean to be sanctified? It means turning increasingly away from sin and turning more towards God. Doing the one leads to the other. You either draw closer to God or you draw closer to the world—and, consequently, to sin. When we seek sanctification, we abstain from every form of sin, from the least to the most serious, for to God, there are no degrees of sin. Yet, immorality leads us to sin against others and against ourselves.

Sanctification requires that you spend more time with God in His Word, to know His will, and in prayer, to hear Him reveal the desires of His heart. The more time you spend meditating on the Word, the more you renew your mind and make room for the Holy Spirit to guide you in this process. It is never a finished work, for as long as you live in this corruptible body, desires will always be present to lead you astray; however, the Holy Spirit will gradually reveal to you the life that pleases God. Be holy for God, for that is what He desires for you. Flee all immorality.

May God grant you His grace and favor.