And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it. 1 Thess. 5.23-24.

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. John 17:14-19

The first bible text of our discourse is a form of a prayer of certainty. By the way, who will offer up prayer without the conviction that God hears and will answer? Have we not been guaranteed by our Lord Jesus to believe that we already receive whatsoever we desire when we pray? Mk.11:24. The concluding part of our text appears to be a vouch from the Apostle who can be seen to bear witness to the faithfulness of God who has called us to obtain the promise of eternal salvation that he will perform the final aspects of the requirements of this operation of faith through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth to qualify us for heaven.. 2 Thess. 2:13.   

Prayer is our strongest and most powerful weapon by which we lay hold or pursue after the promises of God. It works very effectively (O thou that hears prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shall purge them away. Psalms 65:2-3) if we wield it rightly to ask according to his will (and this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:14-15) while we keep walking in the paths where prayers are  answer (and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.1 John 3:22) for the fulfillment of the purposes for which the Lord gave himself for us a member of his body – the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph.5:26-27.

First, your sanctification is God’s responsibility as well as your cooperation with him as he work in you to bring a clean thing out of an unclean (Job 14:14) just as he will not save if you have not called upon the name of the Lord to be saved. It is finished, Christ has completed the transaction of our salvation on the cross, but the promise of eternal life (Titus 1:2) with the things that accompany salvation (Heb.6:9) are also given by promises, so that we, as children of promise, should lay hold on these promises to walk out our individual’s salvation with fear and trembling, even as the faithful God continue to work in you, both to will and do according to his good pleasure. If you sin, God made a promise to forgive if you will confess it. He also promised to give you grace and mercy for help to overcome the sin that will destroy you if you go before him in prayer at the throne of mercy – my yoke is easy and my burden is light, and you will find rest for your soul.

The apostle calls on the God of peace to sanctify you, meaning that peace with God by doing those things that are pleasing in his sight (against your self-willed or rebellious spirit) is an important issue between you and him for the furtherance and continuation of his works of salvation in you. We lose peace with God whenever we live defiantly against his word or the guidance of his indwelling spirit such as Adam was in denial, contention and argument for his sin with God – the woman you gave me. Gen.3:12.

There is another good text from the book of Hebrews chapter 12 verses 14 which says, follow peace with all men and holiness, without which, no man shall see God. We can also see again that the process of sanctification is done in the tranquility of the body, soul and spirit, in the quietness of mind and peace with man. To be at peace with all men as much as it is possible with you, seeking and pursuing peace without holding back your forgiveness against anyone for whatever reason, lest any root of bitterness or hostility of spirit should spring up to troubles you, lest you become defiled. Malice, bitterness, unforgiving spirit, murmurings and disputing and such things mar the sanctifying works of grace in the life of a believer: these things are evil and unclean, able to disentitle you for heaven. Philippians 2:15.

It is time to stop seeking and hiding to making excuse (s) for your sin like Adam did in the Garden. Job 31:33. He was once pure, holy and spiritually alive in God to enjoy the cool of the day fellowship until he lost the holy flesh (Jer.11:15) and died spiritually as the consequence of his action according to the warning given to him beforehand, if he should one day, eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The sentence of physical death to return back to the dust was the actual present judgment of his disobedient; while the second death is the future loss and effect of his spiritual death which is the capital eternal condemnation and punishment that brought Christ into the world for the reparation and restoration from Adam’s fall; that through faith in his name, for the atonement of his life which he made as a ransom to be testified in due time, the believer is passed from the state of spiritual death (which is to be dead in trespasses and sins, slave to sin, the wages of which is the second death – the vengeance of eternal fire) unto a new life, which is the believer’s present spiritual life of been dead to sin – alive in God through his crucifixion with Christ (Gal. 2:20), preparing him for eternal life hereafter.

To serve God, not in sincerity, but in pretence, though you bring glory to his name (Philippians 1:18) on earth, but sadly ended up in hell is of what purpose? Without holiness, no man shall see God. Stop praying and asking God to bless or use you without sanctification in your body, soul and spirit – without the grace for power to bring your body under subjection, lest after that you have preached to others, you should not be a cast away. What is the profit of been used or blessed here on earth, but afterward, you become a vessel of dishonor wherein there is no pleasure for eternity – a worker of iniquity? The most important prayer you will ever pray, and to keep praying (let him who think he stand, take heed, lest he fall) for yourself, or which others (Gal. 6:1) should ever offer unto God on your stead is the prayer of sanctification – search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24.

What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? Behold, he puts no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinks iniquity like water? Job 15:14-16. Who can understand all his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. Psa.19:12-14.

From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If your heart and mouth is not sanctified (comedian believer), how do you speak with the tongue of the learned to overcome corrupt communication, foolish talking, coarse joking with jestings which are not convenient – things that grieve or upset the spirit of sanctification, for which things sake the wrath of God is coming upon the children of disobedience? Do you not know that every idle word spoken shall be accounted for on the day of judgment? Mt. 12:36.

God is a Father of all goodness and mercies, but a God of principle (a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning) as well. Adam’s failure to be rooted and grounded in the word of God resulted in his expulsion from the Garden of Eden (then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how says thou, ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abides not in the house for ever: but the Son abides ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8.32-36) and the discontinuation of God’s works in his life as sin separates us from him whose eyes are purer than to look at iniquity.

Whatever God made Christ to be unto us (but of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 1 Cor.1:30) is meant to be lived out by us in order to effectuate the reproduction of the same virtue in or by us until Christ is fully reproduced or replicated in us (Gal.4:19) through the quickening power of the indwelling spirit of Christ (it is the spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing. John 6:63) as it is practically impossible for the carnal mind in the body of sin to live and walk in the world and please God without the operation of the sanctifying spirit of God in him, if he has not despised the spirit of grace (Heb.10:29) to become a reprobate believer (unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Titus 1. 15-16) which might put him at risk of disqualification to participate in the harvesting or reaping of incorruption or incorruptible body (Galatians 6:8) in the final process of confirmation of the adopted transaction, to wit, the redemption of our body. Rom 8:23.

Was Christ made unto us as righteousness? Righteous life or righteousness should be our watchword and lifestyle – he that speaks truth – God’s undiluted word unapologetic shows forth righteousness (Prov.12:17):  little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous (1 John 2:7): whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God. 1 John 3:9-10.

Was Christ made unto us sanctification? Sanctification or sanctity lifestyles should become our pursuit and goal. We are called to live as becomes a saint as our Lord is coming back to be glorified in his saints. He is the king of saints, and the kingdom shall be theirs and their King shall rule forever over them. Rev.15:3-4. We are called to be saints (Rom.1:7), not after we get to heaven, but here on earth to live as becomes as God’s sanctified ones. Eph.5:3. Note: let all the people God has sanctified from the womb to be his and confesses daily to hallow his name also sanctify themselves unto him in every conversation, lest they should affront the glory of God with corruptible lifestyle and move him to jealousy and vengeance to defend the glory of his sanctity: to break upon and against them who will not sanctify him by their walk and lifestyles. Num. 20:12.

Christ is made unto us sanctification is the grace of enablement of a saintly lifestyle: for the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:11-14.

Believers are God’s holy nation (1Pet.2:9) and holy brethren (Heb.3:1), partakers of the heavenly calling, such should they be in their representation of him as they sanctify him in their hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in them with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of them, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse our good conversation in Christ. 1 Pet.3:15-16. Spiritual impostors and actors in the religious world may blindly and hypocritical declared their favorites (though a secret lodge fraternity or freemasonry member, or an unknown pedophile, lesbian or gay) saintly or canonized (declared to be a saint) at death because of his charitable works and obedient to the law of the land with no regard to the greatest testimony of him (God) whose eyes are upon the ways of man, as he sees all his going, before whom there is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves? Job 32:21-22.  

Was Christ made unto us redemption? Salvation is a lifestyle of a changed sinner into the life of a new creature in Christ Jesus. 2 Cor. 5:17.We should therefore, as obedient children, live and walk by not fashioning ourselves according to the former lusts in our ignorance, but as a saved pilgrim on their way to heaven, abstaining from fleshly lusts which war against the soul (1Pet.2:11): even as God who has called us is holy, we should seek and follow after holiness, and be holy in every manner of conversation; because it is holy, be you holy, for I am holy. 1Pet.1: 14-18.

Was Christ made unto us wisdom? Wisdom is the gift and power of a lifestyle (be wise as serpent) available to help us to navigate throughout our journey out of this evil world to the city to come, which we now seek. Wisdom from heaven is first pure – the pure in heart shall see God. The bible speaks about glorifying God in your body and spirit which are God’s. Worldliness is a sin of the defilement of the flesh, but our text reveals that the God of peace will sanctify your whole body soul and spirit. Many don’t even realize that they need sanctifying grace for deliverance from the love, the friendship, and the conformity to the world, lest they should be condemned with the people of the world. Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate, let us therefore go unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we have no continue city, but we seek one to come. Heb.13:17.

The world is a curse place with all its faded glory and fashion, so are her beautiful Babylonian garments. Joshua 7:21. The garments of the sons and daughters of Zion should never be in any way be conformed or uniformed – uniformity to the lustful and ungodly clothing and adornment of the fallen world. Your religion and faith in Christ is unholy and defiled if you are a worldly believer (pure and undefiled religion before God and Father is to keep yourself unspotted from the world. James 1:27): you are called to sanctify yourself unto the Lord in separation from the world- away from the lifestyles, mentality and practices therein. If the heart is not fully purged from the dead works (woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also. Mt.23:25-26) to serve the living God, how can any expect the outside of the body to be cleansed? 1 Tim. 2:9-10. 1 Peter 3:1-5.

Self-willed believers erroneously maintain that God is not looking at their outward appearance (s), but on their hearts, therefore, they can put on whatever they like as clothing (strange clothing and attire of a harlot – ignorantly, conscious or unconscious clothing designed and worn to attract men’s eyes to her body and excite the lusts of their flesh. Prov.7:10. Zephaniah 1:8): it should known that not all dresses or habiliment is decent to wear outside or to the house of God for a new creature in Christ Jesus, but where defilement spirit is hidden and sanctification is incomplete, the mind is blinded to that which is good, acceptable and perfect will of God. Gen. 35:1-4.

Few months ago, I was in an online counseling season where we discussed about breaking the yoke of the indwelling sin. One of the participants, a female, argued and excused sin that we cannot be freed from sin (which contradicted Christ own words that if the Son shall set you free, you shall be freed indeed – being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed of the word of God) because the scripture says that if we claim that we have not sin, we are a liar and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8. This text simply means that if we seek to hide our sins like Adam after we sin or transgress the word of God, the truth is not in us because of our refusal to admit or acknowledge our error or iniquity against the word of God which is always true. How can a young man keep his way pure, by taking heed unto your word. Psa.119:9. If a believer is walking in the light, that is, walking by God’s word, which in order word is to walk in God’s ways, there is no sin for such to confess, than to continue to grow strong in faith, in grace, and in the knowledge of his Lord and Christ; for the righteous shall hold on his way, and he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. Job 17:9.

There is grace, not to continue in sin, but to overcome every weight (for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb.4:15-16), and the sin which doth so easily beset us. The entrance of sin into our lives is because of the inherited self willed of Adam’s transgression passed unto us not to take heed to the word of God. Heb.2:1.

Thus the reparation text for remedy from sin from the book of 1 John 1 verses 8-9 through humble and simple act of going back to the light which is to admit and confess our sin for forgiveness and cleansing is given until we are strong in the grace to learn to overcome the sin which is making us to fail and fall as we plead earnestly for power to abide in the light and truth sent to lead us into God’s eternal holy hill. Psalms 43:3.

(A). God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5. This text shows the perfection of the holiness, purity, glories, goodness, faithfulness, steadfastness and the righteousness of God, even as the fruit of the spirit of God is also in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable to God. Spiritual brokenness (not spiritual gifts or position in the ministerial calling or church role) play an important role in the sanctification process in the life of a believer – sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17. His submission to the word of God (spiritual brokenness) controls his behaviors, speeches, eyes and ears, dressing etc. The degree or measure of his growth (sanctification is a process – perfecting holiness in the fear of God) in sanctification is apparent in the ways and manners he react or respond to situation and people in divers situation – the way he speaks and what he says – what he loves to hear or listens to apart from spiritual songs, hymns and the word of God – what is his response and inner reaction to the outward distractions, lustful and seductive appearances and attractions and beauty of the world and the pride in it etc.

If the word of God is mixed with faith in the heart (but we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 2 Thess. 2:13), the thoughts pattern will also be changed, thus the full power of a circumcised heart is the result of the pureness of his heart (Prov. 22:11) to stay and keep walking under the power of the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus (since we are already living in the spirit, because the spirit of God is in us. Rom 8:9) which has set us free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8.1-2) to give room for the word of God to produce or bring forth visible changes from within us to affect (1 Thess.2:13) our outward conversations, presentations and relationships, God-ward or man-ward – you are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and irreproachably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. 1 Thess. 2:10.

(B) God is light and in him is no darkness at all. This is the awakening of the dignity of our union with the Father in Christ Jesus as the light of the world. It is impossible for the enemy to lay claim on you or charge(s) against you as long as you are conscious to live by what is written even as Christ once lived by what is written and the prince of this world found nothing on him. The sanctification of believer is to walk in the light of the word of God: it is a lamp to his feet and light in his paths (Psa.119:105) lest he be defiled by the world (James 1:27), or by the corruption in his flesh, or by the errors of the wicked men: your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psa.119: 11.  

Are we not commanded to be filled with the spirit? If you heed not this command, you will be living like an half Egyptian and half Jewish man in the spirit. What does this imply in the spirit? It means that you have not fully drinks enough from the water of the well of life to fully quench the sinful demands and thirstiness of the flesh, sin and the world around you. What is man that drinks iniquity like water?  

There should be a self conscious and efforts (through prayer and grace received) on your part in your daily walk to fulfil and accomplish the sanctification Christ was made to be for you. Sanctification of Christ should not be a wishful thinking or fantasy, but by the practical yielding of the members of your body in obedience as instruments of righteousness unto holiness (Rom.6:19), you can have the testimony that Christ is your sanctification – your refiner, lest otherwise, you should fall into the category, condemnation and destruction of the generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness. Prov.30:12.

If Adam had made that conscious effort and labour to stay in the word (Heb.4:11-12), he will remain sanctify by the same word to be at peace and in the rest and fellowship with God in the garden. The Garden of Eden was not the best thing that has ever happened to Adam, though he was given dominion to reign and rule, but the best thing that could have happened to him was the spiritual body (and the Lord God said, behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. Gen.3:22), the immortality which was lost as the Holy flesh departed from him. Note: faithfulness to the word of God is crucial for the continuation of the works of God as a faithful creator who will not deny himself, though we believe not. The depth to which every thought in us is brought into captivity to the obedience of God’s word determines the cleanliness of our life and ways before him. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. Leviticus. 20:7-8.