Pastor Phil Andrukaitis, July 23, 2023
The Apostle Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians
General Theme: Living Righteously While Waiting Patiently for Jesus to Return
Sermon Title: The Prayer of Sanctification
Sermon Text: First Thessalonians 5:23-28
Subject: A Sanctifying Prayer
Complement: Paul’s prayer of sanctification instills a hopeful confidence in the Christian because God has taken full responsibility to completely sanctify the “elect.”
Dominating Idea:
The hope of God’s sanctifying work ought to be stronger than our desire for our secret sins.
Overview & Review
I. Spiritual leaders prove their concern for the church. (1:1a)
II. Spiritual leaders provide care for the church. (1:1bc)
III. Spiritual leaders pray for the church. (1:2-10)
IV. Spiritual leaders pattern a life of loving service unto the church. (2:1 – 3:13)
V. Spiritual leaders prescribe exhortations for the church. (4:1 – 5:28)
A. Exhortations regarding practical sanctification (4:1-12)
B. Exhortations regarding eschatological concerns (4:13 – 5:11)
C. Exhortations regarding ecclesiastical [church] responsibilities (5:12-28)
1. Relating to the shepherding leaders (5:12-13)
2. Relating to the spiritually needy (5:14-15)
3. Relating to our sovereign savior (5:16-22)
4. Relating to our spiritual growth (5:23-28) Our Focus Today
Our Scriptural Text
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He Who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.
Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
(1st Thessalonians 5:23-28 ~ English Standard Version ~ ESV)
Introduction
John Newton (1725-1807) A “wretch” who found “Amazing Grace!”
“John Newton was nurtured by a devoted Christian mother who dreamed that her only son would become a preacher. But she died when John was a child, and he followed his sea-captain father to a sailor’s life. John didn’t care for the discipline of the Royal Navy: he deserted ship, was flogged, and eventually was discharged.
“He then headed for regions where he could “sin freely,” and ended up on the western coast of Africa, working for a slave trader who mistreated him. Newton’s life during that period bore the appearance of a modern Prodigal Son’s: a wretched looking man toiling in a plantation of lemon trees in the Island of Plaintains–clothes had become rags, no shelter and begging for unhealthy roots to allay his hunger. After more than a year of such treatment, he managed to escape from the island, in 1747.
“The following year his ship was battered by a severe storm. Newton had read The Imitation of Christ, and during the life-threatening voyage he became a Christian. Ironically, Newton then served as captain of a slave ship for six years. He gradually came to abhor slavery and later crusaded against it.
“Newton became greatly influenced by George Whitefield and the Wesleys. He married his long-time sweetheart and began studying for the ministry and preaching in whatever vacant building he could procure. Known as the “old converted sea captain,” he attracted large audiences. He was ordained within the Anglican Church, and in 1764 he took a curacy in Olney.
“Newton felt dissatisfied with the hymns of the traditional Psalter. He began writing his own, many autobiographical in nature, including Amazing Grace!
“He also befriended poet William Cowper, and they collaborated to produce Olney Hymns, which became the standard hymnal of evangelical Anglican churches. The hymnal, which includes Newton’s hymns Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken and How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds, was reprinted in England and America for the next century.
“In his old age, it was suggested that Newton retire because of bad health and failing memory. He replied, My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!”
[Source: “The Golden Age of Hymns,” Christian History, no. 31.]
Transitional Sentences
Paul, who saw himself as a wretched man (Romans 7:24) also knew that he served a Great Savior. In his letter to the Thessalonian Church, Paul has been counseling and encouraging God’s people to live sanctified lives (4:1-8). Why? Total sanctification of God is linked to saving faith and salvation because…
- …It is God Who calls sinners to Himself;
- …It is God Who justifies sinners – that is providing sinners the legal standing before His righteous and holy throne – through the sacrificial shed blood of Jesus Christ;
- …It is God Who glorifies the sinner for heaven because the sinner has been “born of God.”
However, Paul’s prayer of sanctification may have generated the following questions in your mind: What is the difference between justification and sanctification? Secondly, how does sanctification impact the sinner’s spiritual maturity?
Differences between Justification and Sanctification
| Justification | Sanctification |
| Legal standing before God | Internal condition of the heart |
| Once for all [the cross of Christ] | Continuous throughout life |
| Entirely the work of God | Saints cooperate by submitting |
| Perfect in this life | Not perfect in this life |
| The same for all Christians | Greater in some than in others |
In answering the second question, how does sanctification impact the sinner’s spiritual maturity, we need to understand the concept of sanctification.
Concept of Sanctification
Paul begins his prayer of sanctification with these words, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely…
What does “sanctify” mean? To “sanctify” hagiazō (Strong’s #37) means “to set apart,” “to separate” unto holiness. Throughout the Old Testament, there are numerous examples where God sanctified people and things. For example: God “sanctified” the seventh day as a day of rest (Genesis 2:3). When Moses received the Ten Commandments, God “sanctified” the people of Israel as His holy nation (Exodus 19; Ezekiel 37:28). In the New Testament, God “sanctified” John the Baptist to be the forerunner of Christ (Luke 1:13-17) along with the twelve disciples who would follow Jesus and fulfill His purposes.
And so, when we apply the biblical understanding of sanctification to the context of salvation, we see that God Himself has separated elect sinners from the everlasting penalty of sin, the domineering power of sin, and God will faithfully deliver these redeemed sinners from the presence of sin [heaven].
I. The God of Peace Is a Sanctifying God.
The God of peace, Himself, completely sanctifies believers. God does not delegate the responsibility of sanctification to angels, to apostles, to other Christians or to us. Rather, God personally and completely accomplishes His will and purposes in our lives. That is why Paul writes, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12b-13). God will hold each of us accountable for our submission to Him. How does God completely sanctify Christians? There are three stages:
The first stage of sanctification begins with regeneration by God the Holy Spirit.
In other words, when a sinner is “born-again,” “…not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man…” there is a distinct point in a person’s life when spiritual life occurs.
Nobody gradually becomes a Christian. God may gradually draw sinners to Himself; however, there is a distinct point in time when a spiritually dead sinner becomes alive. Just as a woman cannot be a “little” pregnant, a spiritually dead sinner is not a “little saved.” The unbeliever remains under divine condemnation and is powerless to resist in until God the Holy Spirit regenerates the condemned sinner and gives him/her life from above.
And when regeneration occurs, there is a definite break from the ruling power of sin and an increasing desire for the things of God. To be free from the power of sin is to be able to be set free from the “patterns of sinful behavior” [Grudem].
Therefore, those who have been regenerated become partakers of the divine nature (2nd Peter 1:4), become new creations in Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:17), and have been permanently credited with Christ’s righteousness (Romans 3:21-25; 2nd Corinthians 5:21). As a result, God declares regenerated sinners as being holy and calls them to live their lives as those who have been forgiven of all their sins.
The second stage of sanctification is a progressive work throughout life.
Being conformed into the image of Christ is a “full-time” job for God the Holy Spirit. As we humble and submit ourselves before God, as we read Scripture and pray for an ever-increasing desire for the things of God, and as we cleanse ourselves from sin by departing from iniquity, our hearts and lifestyles become more like Christ, bearing His name unashamedly. Read 1st Timothy 4.
Paul’s words to the Corinthian Church and the Philippian Church are worth noting:
2nd Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord Who is the Spirit.”
Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The third stage of sanctification is completed with glorification and/or Christ’s return.
Since the presence of sin remains with us, even though sin’s controlling power has been broken and its devastating penalty has been removed, our present sanctification will never be possible in this life. When our souls depart from our bodies, sin will remain behind with our bodies. Consequently, our sin will never leave this earth and enter heaven.
The God of peace is not only a sanctifying God, He is also a preserving God.
II. The God of Peace Is a Preserving God.
What is God preserving? God preserves our total being. God preserves our bodies, souls, and spirit.
- Our bodies will be resurrected, no matter the manner of death or burial format.
- We are living souls. Souls live forever; but where? That depends upon the will of God and our faith in Christ.
- And as for the spirit, that part of us that was given spiritual life and communes with God, will become united with our living souls and resurrected bodies.
Paul’s most excellent theological prayer reveals that God is a preserving God. Therefore, desiring that that the Thessalonians remain on the path of holiness, Paul asks the Lord to preserve them totally throughout the stages of sanctification.
The God of peace is a sanctifying God, a preserving God and a faithful God.
III. The God of Peace Is a Faithful God.
Verse 24 reveals the promise that when God calls a sinner to Himself, God extends a general call to everyone and only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will respond to the effectual call of the Holy Spirit with faith and obedience in Christ.
And those who are called are regenerated and those who are regenerated will experience the influences of God the Holy Spirit, thus becoming partakers of the divine nature.
And those who have become partakers of the divine nature are justified and those who are justified are adopted by God and those adopted by God are sanctified by God. And those sanctified by God will be preserved by God and will persevere in their God-given faith. And those who persevere to the very end will be glorified.
Listen to Jude’s doxology: “Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Having affirmed God’s faithfulness regarding the sanctification of every believer, Paul asks the Thessalonian Church to pray for him and the mission team. What are Paul’s requests?There are three:
A. Remember to pray for the mission team’s personal sanctification.
While Paul prayed for others, he too recognized his own need for others to pray for his sanctification. Spiritual leaders and workers need strength, wisdom, patience discernment, and the list goes on.
B. Remember to greet one another.
Whatever the cultural norm for the church family, greet one another appropriately. Leave no one person out. Cultivate a friendly and faithful family atmosphere within this church and other churches. Don’t show favoritism. Don’t become impatient with others, especially when you have to minister to them. Cultivate relationships with everyone in the church family. And never take one another for granted.
C. Remember to read this letter to all the brothers.
Paul is making a strong appeal, placing them under an oath to have this letter read ALOUD to all the brothers. As far as Paul was concerned, he recognized and accepted God’s divine plan. You may recall that Satan hindered Paul – so that Paul was unable to personally visit them. Imagine if Paul did manage to visit the Thessalonian Church, we would not have 1st Thessalonians in the Canon.
Whenever God thwarts our ways, delays our hopes and dreams, there is a divine reason behind it and a blessing for many others.
Conclusion
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” I began this message with an illustration of God’s grace in John Newton’s life. And because of God’s grace in our lives, we can have blessed assurance from God that He will complete His sanctifying work in us (Philippians 1:6).
Whatever the sin that has taken hold of you; that sin that “blocks” the intimacy between you and God – and intimacy you long to have – know this, that your hope in God’s sanctifying work in you must be stronger than the desire for that sin. Confess that sin to God; turn away from it; and tell a trusted, mature Christian.
Bible Believing Baptist Church 