For this is the will of God, your sanctification…
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Learning how to find God’s will for things like our vocations, spouses, and so on has been important, but in the final analysis the Lord is concerned first and foremost with our holiness. Certainly, our pursuit of the right spouse or vocation cannot finally be separated from our growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, we err if we think we are seeking our Father’s will for our lives and do not stop to ask whether the choice we think we should make will help us to become more holy. In our verses today, Paul tells us outright that God’s will for our lives is our sanctification — our growth in holiness. Our culture says happiness and “fulfilling one’s own potential” are the rights of all men. But, God cares little for such things if they do not make us holy. No matter the cost, we are to be holy as He is holy. This is a tall order, and we will stumble from time to time. Praise God we have the gift of repentance and the power of the Holy Spirit to pick us up when we fall and conform us to the image of Christ. Each of us faces unique challenges in his/her sanctification. Some might feel unfulfilled in a marriage but should remain married even if they think they would be “happier” elsewhere. Others may have to befriend a difficult person because Jesus calls us to go the extra mile. Maybe a lifelong goal or dream will have to be forfeited to care for an ailing parent, engage in ministry, or otherwise remain faithful to Christ. No price is too high to pay to do God’s will and bring our personal holiness ever closer to completion in the fear of God. What is God’s will for your life? The simple answer is that His will for your life is that you be holy. This is easy to affirm with our lips, but it is very difficult to have it take root in our minds and hearts. Even Christians can falsely believe the Lord wants us to be happy more than He wants us to conform to His will. Ultimately, our holiness will be joined with our happiness in eternity, but those who seek happiness at the expense of holiness will have no reward.
Source: S C Ball March 8, 2024
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