Is Sanctification Positional, Progressive, or Neither? - Part 5

So far in our study of sanctification, we have seen that sanctification is the blood of Jesus purifying us from all sins so that believers are now called saints, holy ones.

We have also seen that sanctification is a decision we make to present our bodies (set apart) to God for his purposes to flow through our bodies and for purity (morality) to flow through our bodies.

We have yet to see that sanctification is positional or progressive.

With this in mind, let’s continue our study by examining 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5, which reads,

Additionally then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received instruction from us on how you should live and please God — as you are doing — do this even more. For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you knows how [the word how is not in the Greek manuscript] to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passions, like the Gentiles, who don’t know God.

In these verses, we learn that sanctification is God’s will, and we learn that sanctification is a decision believers make to present our bodies to God so that we control our bodies in a moral way that honors him.

Sanctification in these verses is not becoming more and more holy but is separating our bodies from impure purposes and presenting our bodies to God for his pure purposes.

Let’s now continue with 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.

Paul writes,

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.

We see in this verse that we do not sanctify ourselves, but it is God who sanctifies.

However, in other verses we discover we do sanctify ourselves, meaning we make a decision to separate our bodies from immorality and set apart our bodies for morality, which honors God.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, we see that God is the one that sanctifies.

In context, the word sanctify is used by Paul as he prays that the God of peace would work in the Thessalonica believers to bring internal peace to them, so that believers are not weighed down with fear, worry, stress, and anxiety at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This work of God would be progressive sanctification in the believer as God separates and protects (kept blameless) the believer from fear, worry, stress, and anxiety, thus giving them peace during their lives while they await the return of Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 is talking about Paul’s prayer for the progressive sanctifying work of the God of peace regarding the spirit, soul, and body of the Thessalonica believers.

Concerning spirit and soul, I believe this refers to the emotional health of the believer.

Soul in the Greek language is the root word for psychology, meaning the study of the mind.

I believe that Paul is praying that the God of peace would purify and protect (keep blameless) the minds of the believers from thoughts that cause fear, worry, stress, and anxiety.

Concerning body, I believe that Paul is talking about the effects of fear, worry, stress, and anxiety on the body; therefore, he is praying that the God of peace not only brings emotional peace to the believers but also bodily peace as it relates to physical deterioration that fear, worry, stress, and anxiety does to the body.

Concerning the soul and spirit, Paul could be referring to sanctification as the work of God in a believer to progressively purify the attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors of a believer. However, this would not make a believer progressively holy (pure) because they have been made holy by the blood of Jesus.

Also, concerning the soul and spirit, Paul could also be referring to 2 Thessalonians 3:13 when he prayed that God would grow the believers in love toward each other.

Concerning the body, Paul could also be referring back to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5, when he instructed the believers to set aside their body for morality rather than immorality.

NOTE: The phrase “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” is used in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 and 5:23-24. This is not referring to our standing before God, which is eternally secured by the finished work of Jesus. This is simply Paul encouraging believers to be living morally and lovingly when Jesus returns.

Okay, let’s complete this series of studies on sanctification by examining one final verse in Part 6 – 1 Peter 1:15.

Click below for Part 6 of Is Sanctification Positional, Progressive, or Neither?

Part 6: Is Sanctification Positional, Progressive, or Neither?