Good Morning Friends,
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify
you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus. The one who calls you is faithful and he will
do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I charge
you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-28)
The work that is happening in your life is
God’s work. He is sanctifying you. It doesn’t happen all at once and it won’t
be finished on this side of heaven. God is now at work in everyone who has
received Jesus and He will continue to be at work until you draw your last
breath. God has promised it and He is absolutely faithful. It isn’t an easy
work and sometimes brings great pain. Scrubbing the evil influences of sin out
of the recesses of your heart is painful. God loves you enough to do what needs
to be done even though it causes you pain.
Paul closes this letter with a challenge to do
three things that will assist in the sanctifying work God is doing your heart
and in the hearts of those around you.
When we pray for each other we join God’s work.
God works in our own lives through those prayers. God works in the lives of
others through our prayers. In the divine scheme of things, our prayers release
God’s work.
Our fellowship with other believers also
assists God’s work in their lives and ours. Identified by a holy kiss, it’s
more than just a simple act, it’s sharing in the lives of other believers,
being a part of their lives and their being a part of ours.
One more way we assist God’s sanctifying work
is by reading and encouraging others to read His Word. It is the word of life
and growth, the Word of God Himself. He’s given it to us so that we can grow
through it and so that we can use it in the lives of other believers to help
them grow.
At the very end of it all is grace -- it was at
the beginning, too. (1 Thessalonians 1:1) Grace is where our relationship with
God starts and where it will end, too!
His, by Grace, Steve
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