ESOCS Devotional 15 May 2024 – Holiness: A Requirement for Sainthood
MEMORY VERSE: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything, give thanks, for that is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Prove all things. Hold fast to what is good. Abstain from all appearances of evil.”1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 NKJV
TEXT: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:13-28
13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25 Brethren, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
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In Psalms 16:3, the Lord God states that the saints in every land are His, and He takes special delight in them. In Exodus 19:6, the Lord God of Israel revealed the conditions for attaining sainthood. The believer must obey the Lord and keep His commandments. Whoever obeys Him will become a member of God’s special treasure on earth. They will also form part of God’s Kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
In John 17:7-9, we hear Jesus making special requests from the Father to sanctify believers whom He had assembled to Himself during His earthly ministry. He specifically asked that God should make them holy, and to teach them the truth of His word. In a nutshell, Jesus was asking for the sanctification, justification, and consecration of believers to qualify them for Kingdom citizenship, (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 3:24). This request became necessary because sanctification, justification and attainment of holiness are only possible in God the Father, in Christ Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit. Those who are sanctified are called “saints”.
In our text, we understand that holiness and righteousness are part of the hallmarks of the disciples or Church members, who submit in humility to the service of God, and to the teachings of His word. In other words, true believers must submit themselves to the service and instructions of those who teach the good news. It follows therefore that Christian leaders who are laboring for the Lord deserve the respect and admiration of the Church members. This is part of the conditions they must keep to qualify for holiness. Others include: Always trying to be kind to everyone. Making sure you forgive one another. Being joyful always. Praying without ceasing. Giving God thanks in all circumstances. Not putting off the Spirit’s fire. Not despising inspired spiritual messages. Avoiding every kind of evil. Above all, testing everything, but holding fast to the good ones.
Those who are able to come to terms with the above admonitions will, for sure, experience God’s sanctification, holiness and peace in every way. And the Lord will keep your whole being – spirit, soul, and body – free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- The Lord God insists that we must be holy because He is holy. How possible is this?
- Lord Jesus, justify and sanctify me always through your atoning sacrifice.
Further Reading: Exodus 9:1-12; 1 King 20:22-43; Mark 4:1-20
ESOCS Devotional 15 May 2024
