For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31 [NAS])
This week in class we talked about sanctification meaning to set apart for a sacred purpose, to be free from sin, to purify.
If we have trusted Christ with our lives, we have been purified, we are free from the bondage of sin, we have been set apart for a sacred purpose, we have been sanctified.
Ephesians 2:4-5 (MSG) says, “Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, He [God] embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us!”
This passage goes on to talk about why God created us, for what purpose He has set us apart. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
So we need to ask ourselves, if we were created for good works, and we have been sanctified through Christ Jesus, are we living like we have been set apart for a sacred purpose? Are we living like we have been sanctified?
Here is what I challenge you to do, step away from the computer and go to God in prayer. Ask God to reveal places in your life that need to be improved, sin in your life that needs to be eradicated, hurts in your life that need to be healed. Ask God to show you what it means to be truly set apart for a sacred purpose, what it means to be sanctified.
I must warn you that it is not easy. God will reveal things that you don’t want to deal with. God will point you to scripture that convicts you and seeks to improve your life.
Galatians 5:24 tells us that if we belong to Jesus, we crucify--we utterly destroy--the power of our flesh and all our worldly passions our worldly desires. Being set apart for a sacred purpose means dying to yourself, it means self-sacrifice; but in the end God promises that it is worth it, God promises that if we lose our lives for Him we will find true life in Him (Luke 9:24).
