33 - Faithfulness of God

FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
1 Thessalonians 5:23-28
Introduction:
Apostle Paul shows how much he loved and appreciated the Thessalonian Christians as shown in his final
petition/plea in this letter. He wants the Thessalonian believers to realize the faithfulness of God. That He will
certainly help them to be sanctified and blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We know that during their time, they are suffering persecutions and they are surrounded by unbelievers and so
in their situation, it is hard for them to live in a sanctified and blameless a life with an alien environment that’s why
Paul encourage them through this letter. This will make them realize also that Christian life is to be lived not in our
own strength but through the power of God. I believe this is also an encouragement to us as we are living in this alien
world, as we are surrounded by unbelievers and situations that may persuade us to live an unsanctified & blameless
life…
Our God is a faithful God…Amen! Whatever He had promised, He cannot break it (unlike man). He will
definitely help us to live a sanctified and blameless life until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And even in our
topic last Sunday regarding the Christian Conduct towards our leaders, others, our own selves and to the spiritual gifts
entrusted unto us is not possible without a sanctified & blameless life.
That’s why Apostle Paul begins his final instruction with what he had mentioned in Chapter 3:13,4:3,4,7,8---
that is to be sanctified (to be holy).
….. there are two (2) points that I will be sharing this morning from our passage that shows/demonstrates God's
faithfulness not only the believers in Thessalonians but also us believers today ...1. GOD Himself Sanctifies us
wholly, 2. God Himself keep our whole being blameless
…..Lest us read our passage this morning….

I. GOD HIMSELF SANCTIFY US ENTIRELY (v23)
What is this sanctification/sanctify
 The Greek word for sanctify is “hagiazo” means to consecrate, separate, dedicate, to set apart for
special purpose, to make holy
a. Sanctification is the will of God (1 The 4:3)

Stages in Sanctification
1. We are sanctified positionally.
 The time we believed & accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior, we are sanctified already
positionally (positionally because before we are in the world as sinners but now we become His
child, we are now set apart for His purpose).
Hebrews 10:10
By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all
time.
Acts 26:18 (Paul before Agrippa)

18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the [a]power of Satan
to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been
sanctified by faith in Me.’
2. Sanctification is a progressive action

- Unlike justification that is one time ( we are justified when we believed Jesus Christ by
faith)
- Sanctification is a process, a day-to-day process of growing to be mature in our spiritual
life. Growing in maturity is the result/evidence of our obedience to His word,
Leveticus 20:7-8 (to the Israelites)

7 You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8
So you shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
John 17:17
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
 Sanctification is by the will of God, by sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and not from our own
work…..
1 Peter 1:2
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey
Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Before we go to what sanctification Paul is talking about here…..as mention in our 1 st point
I. HE HIMSELF SANCTIFY US WHOLLY (v23)
 Wholly in Greek word “holoteles”

- Derived from holos- means whole
telos- means end purpose
- Means describing someone reaching the end-goal of entire sanctification,
complete,perfect
3. Complete Sanctification
-this is what Apostle Paul says in our passage- complete sanctification for the Thessalonian
believers and also to us.
-this will just be completed at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete
it by the day of Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 3:13
13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the
coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
- Same as with glorification,
Colossians 3:4
4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
1 John 3:2
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know
that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
When he returns with glorified being, we will be like Him, it will be our complete separation
from sin, a total sanctification in every regard……Amen!
Illustration of some being sanctified

Exodus 19:23
23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You [a]warned
us, saying, ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.’”
Matthew 23:17
You fools and blind men! Which ismore important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the
gold?
Ephesians 5:25-26 (He sanctify the Church)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
II. GOD HIMSELF KEEP OUR WHOLE BEING BLAMELESS (23)

 From the Greek word “ámemptos”
–means without defect, not blameworthy, faultless
Paul mentions here the nature of man as tripartite being--- but the emphasis in the scriptures is the whole
being/existence of the person & overall unity of man as one created by God….God Himself keep our whole
being blameless…in our
a. In Body- outward material (How we use our body parts in our Christian life)
Psalm 15:2-3
One who walks with integrity, practices righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
3 He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor do evil to his neighbor,
Nor bring shame on his friend;
 How we are using our tongue as part of our body, is it for the truth or to slander someone?
 How are we using our body in doing the ministry given to us, is it w/ complain or arguments?
b. In Soul- refers to our intellect/mind, emotion,will (How our mind, will, emotion respond in our
Christian Life?
Romans 12:2
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that
you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
c. In Spirit- directly worship & prays to God, our ability to connect to God (How we relate God in our
lives?
John 4:24
God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Luke 1:47
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
Romans 8:26
26 Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as
we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who
searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the [p]saints
according to the will of God.
 This is the work of the spirit that is in us already….

 This is our whole being and God must involve in every aspect of our life. He must reign in our
body, soul & spirit our whole being.
 Our whole being to be keep blameless is not our own work but by the work of God thru the holy
spirit.
III. CONCLUSION
God showed His faithfulness in the 2 aspect and certainly He will do it as mentioned in v24
UNTIL THE COMING OF OUR

LORD JESUS CHRIST
1. GOD HIMSELF SANCTIFY US WHOLLY
2. GOD HIMSELF KEEP OUR WHOLE BEING BLAMELESS

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FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

…..Lest us read our passage this morning….

a. Sanctification is the will of God (1 The 4:3)

Acts 26:18 (Paul before Agrippa)

2. Sanctification is a progressive action

Leveticus 20:7-8 (to the Israelites)

I. HE HIMSELF SANCTIFY US WHOLLY (v23)

 Wholly in Greek word “holoteles”

- Same as with glorification,

Illustration of some being sanctified

II. GOD HIMSELF KEEP OUR WHOLE BEING BLAMELESS (23)

 This is the work of the spirit that is in us already….

UNTIL THE COMING OF OUR

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