Pray for Sanctification

1Thess 5:23-24 "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 Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."

While justification is a positional matter incorporating our sins having been forgiven, the salvation which we entered into through faith in Christ also includes our eventual sanctification, which is our freedom from sinful attitudes and behavior unto a life of godliness in service to the Lord.

God's will for us Christians is our sanctification, partly of which, for example, incorporates our freedom from sexual immorality.  "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality" 1Thess 4:3 But sanctification is not just God's will for us. It is His purpose for chosing us for salvation. Eph 1:4 "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" And while we are called to make every effort to this end, as it is written, "make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." 2Peter 3:14, yet let us not forget or underestimate the fact that "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Co 1:8

Thus in light of it being God's will and we already have His promise of it's eventual fulfillment, lets us pray that He will bring forth major strides in the sanctification of the Christian community, breaking sin habits and developing a blameless lifestyle, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life. Php 2:15,16


And now I pray for you, the reader, that God may sanctify you thoroughly, separating you from sin unto godliness. May you be found blameless on the judgement day. May you be sanctified in your spirit such that your attitude and the inferences you draw may be pure. May you be sanctified in your soul, that is, in your mind, will and emotions, such that your thoughts may be pure, and you may will those things which are right based upon pure convictions, and you may feel the way that Jesus feels about things. And also may you be sanctified in body that you may be freed from sinful habits of the flesh and behave in a way which is clean.
If you notice significant effects to this end in the future, feel free to glorify God and let me know that I and others may be encouraged to pray further along these lines.

Steve Amato


The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources Jan 29,2022