I always hear my friend’s response, “I am blessed and sanctified.”, every time I ask him how he is.  There were times we would crack up when our paths cross or even when we send text messages.  It was becoming a “cliche” though I know deep in my heart there was something powerful beneath such phrase.

What triggered me to dig deep was when I came across this verse one day.

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

The verse prior to this talked about the Spirit of God saying that some will depart from faith and one of the ways is commanding to abstain from foods which God created them good and are to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Peter’s vision was congruent to the above-mentioned verse.  “And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” (Acts 10:15 NKJV)  I like the NIV version which simply states, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

Every good and perfect gift comes from above.  Everything that is of God is good because that’s Who He is, He is good.

In the history of creation, He created everything and saw them GOOD.  At the end of the 6th day after the creation of man, He saw them VERY GOOD.

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.  And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”  (Genesis 1:9-10)

“And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:12)

“God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,  and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:17-18)

So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:21)

 ^“And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”  (Genesis 1:25)

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)

When God created man, He BLESSED them, He said to them BE FRUITFUL and MULTIPLY, FILL THE EARTH and SUBDUE IT, have DOMINION over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. (Genesis 1:28)

“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)

Because of the fall, mankind’s perception was tarnished.  Our thoughts have become contaminated with good and evil as a result of Adam partaking of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God only wanted us to desire and see GOOD, but Adam failed.

But God Who is rich in mercy and abounding in love, was not taken by surprise.  He had a solution in mind from before the foundation of time.  “For God SO LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)  A glorious redemptive plan was set that at the appointed time, salvation was made available BY GRACE through FAITH.

“NOW this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

Believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord is partaking of salvation.  It is being saved and redeemed from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of His marvelous light.  It is a life filled with HOPE, having a confident expectation of good that is about to break forth at a given time.  It is a life filled with PEACE, nothing-missing, nothing-broken, nothing-lacking in our lives because He fills us with His all in all, Who Himself is the Prince of Peace.  It is a life filled with LOVE that is poured out in our hearts by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  It is a life where His GOODNESS and mercy pursuing us all the days of our lives.  It is a life that is BLESSED (Genesis 1:28) and SANCTIFIED (1 Timothy 4:5).

To be sanctified means to be holy, to be consecrated and set apart for God’s use.  It is to be withheld from common, mundane, profane use and to be treated with special care as a possession of God.  It is declared and reserved exclusively for celebrating God’s glory.  It is being accepted and separated to God, unassociated with the things He doesn’t desire for us to have and to be.  Sanctification is that relationship we have with God unto which men enter by faith in Christ.

Hmmmm …. what the Holy Spirit powerfully revealed in the light of God’s word about sanctification pulverized my religious thoughts of what it means to be sanctified in Christ and brought confidence in my heart to boldly declare it in my own life.  Our sanctification doesn’t come by our own effort lest we boast.  It comes by receiving the freshly spoken Word of God that we have been sanctified by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.

“Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.”   He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:8-10)

When we receive what has spoekn to us, it changes us.  Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, WE speak what WE know and testify what WE have seen, and you do not receive OUR witness.” (John 3:11)  Our posture of humility is when we RECEIVE THEIR witness that you and I have been set free from the curses of the law brought by the fall in the garden of Eden and are NOW BEING RESTORED BACK TO BE BLESSED and SANCTIFIED for His use.  We are no longer our own.  We are His own precious possession, Him being our Good Good Father Who only desires GOOD THINGS for His children.  

Our lives surrendered to His will is a life well lived in freedom and is expressed in thanksgiving, praise and worship.  Our attitude of gratitude is a posture of humility that left on our own ability, sanctification is an impossibility.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for making us pure, holy, blameless, blessed and sanctified by the power of the Blood of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Jesus, for withholding nothing from us, for the joy set before You, You endured the cross that we may be redeemed and reconciled back into the arms of our Father. Thank You, Holy Spirit for anointing us to see the effect of the finished work of Jesus Christ in our lives and empowering us to walk a life transformed by the renewing of our minds. Amen!