Set Apart

Sanctification. Now there’s a word that doesn’t come up in normal-non-religious-conversation every day! And yet, somehow, we have welcomed it into our religious dictionary and we throw it around like everyone should know what it means.

But what does it mean—and why should we be so concerned with it? The word “sanctification” or “sanctify” simply means to set apart for holy use. It means that that which is sanctified has been consecrated and purified. There is something special about the person who has been sanctified. God has set him or her apart because He views the person as valuable and He knows that the person can achieve wonderful things.

And Paul tells us point-blank what God’s will is in this area. He writes to the Thessalonians: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? What good news it is. God’s will (and, by the way, there are many times when we struggle to figure out what God’s will is for our lives) for us is that we would be sanctified—that we would be set apart and consecrated and freed from sin.

And this is Good News—no, it’s great news—not bad news. To realize that God wants to do something mighty in our lives—that He wants to eliminate the mundane and status quo—is a wonderful concept to wrap our minds around. He has so much more for us than we could ever think of imagine.

So why not allow Him to bring you to complete sanctification?