Chapters 4&5......God’s will
“This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” Chapter 4v3; “Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.” Chapter 5v24.
So begins and ends this section outlining the will of God for us and the work of God in us, the issue being our sanctification. He introduced this subject in the last verse of chapter 3 as the ultimate goal of our salvation “..to the end He may stablish your hearts in holiness...” He now proceeds to expound aspects of our sanctification, and the flow of thought seems to join these two chapters as one, culminating in the thought of the complete sanctification of our whole beings. This is a subject about which there is a great deal of confusion, and is important we understand the terms. According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology the generic meaning of sanctification is “the state of proper functioning.” To sanctify someone or something, is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by it’s designer. If we apply the words “set apart”, this best captures the meaning. Holiness is an attribute of God, and means He is “apart”, He is “other”. In the sense that He is higher and superior to all, absolutely apart from His creation, He has a right to expect we human beings will function exclusively for Himself, and it is to this exclusive use by One apart from all, that sanctification refers. We should not understand it merely as the absence of evil, it involves that, but also the presence of good, in the sense of excellence of character. Sanctification has negative and positive aspects and a reading through these two chapters will fully illustrate this. In sanctification, God makes us useful to Himself, when in our unregenerate state He could not. The thrust therefore of this first epistle is salvation (chapters 1&2); stability (chapter3); and sanctification (chapters 4&5).
The negative aspects of sanctification noted in the chapters 4&5
• 4v3 “...not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles...”
• 4v7 “...for God has not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
• 4v13 “...that ye sorrow not as others....”
• 5v4/5 “But ye brethren are not in darkness...we are not of the night or of the darkness.”
• 5v6 “Therefore let us not sleep as do others...”
• 5v19 “Quench not the Spirit.”
• 5v20 “Despise not prophesyings.”
• 5v22 “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
There is plenty in the above list of prohibitions to challenge us; Christianity, however, is not lived in a vacuum, and there are also listed many positive features of the sanctified life.
The positive features of excellence in our sanctification.
• 4v1 “...how ye ought to walk and to please God.”
• 4v7 “God has not called us .....but unto holiness.”
• 4v9 “Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
• 4v12 “...that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without...”
• 4V16 “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
• 5v8 “Let us who are of the day be sober....”
• 5v11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another..”
• 5v13 “..be at peace among yourselves.”
• 5v16 “Rejoice evermore.”
• 5v17 “Pray without ceasing,”
• 5v18 “In everything give thanks...”
Paul is presenting an alternative lifestyle in no uncertain manner. Three phrases stand out in the section which brings the thrust of the teaching before us:
4v5 “Not......as the Gentiles which know not God.”
4v13 “Sorrow not even as others which have no hope.”
5v6 “Let us not sleep as do others...for they that sleep, sleep in the night.”
He begins in verses 1-2 with a debt to be paid.....”...you ought to walk and to please God.” You owe it to God and the Lord Jesus, for all they have done for you, it is our obligation to walk so as to please Him. The placing of this in the chapter revealing the teaching of the coming of the Lord to take us to Himself, is reminiscent of the story of Enoch, of whom it is recorded “By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death......before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 12v5). We will all in like manner be translated to glory, we owe it to Him to live to please Him. We should not be complacent in this, since we are to “abound more and more”. There can be no limit to this as we follow the one who said “I do always those things which please the Father”.
In verses 3-8 there is a grievous sin to be avoided. One of the ways in which we can please God is to “Abstain from fornication”, a practise that is rife in the Gentile world “which knows not God.” This sin is particularly hateful to God and appears at the head of almost every sin list in the new testament, the practice of which brought the extreme discipline of excommunication from the church (1 Corinthians 5). The Greek word porneia covers every form of sexual sin from sex outside of marriage, to adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, all which are contrary to the Divine design. We are to “possess our vessel in sanctification and honour”, that is in the context of marriage which “is honourable in all things” Hebrews 13v4. He says “not in the lust of concupiscence”, which means an unnatural craving for that which is forbidden. In verse 6 he highlights another dimension of this sin which is that of “defrauding your brother”; this is an aspect particularly hateful to God, because of the hurt and the sense of loss it brings to another, who by reason of marriage has an exclusive right to the marriage bed (see 1 Corinthians 7v5). The sin of adultery robs a person of the most sacred God-given intimacy. God is the “avenger of such”, and we need to take care not to despise God, who has taken away the penalty of our sins, yet reserves the right to exercise discipline in the wayward life.
In verses 9-10 there is a loving character to be emulated. “...ye, yourselves, are taught of God to love one another.” We have been the recipients of an eternal and indescribable love that transcends all human loves, and we are to share that with all believers; this is fundamental to our Christian faith. The God who loves us expects us to love the brethren ( 1 John 5v1....”every one that loves Him that begat, loves him also that is begotten of Him.”). Paul wrote in Romans 5v5 “...the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.” Hearts which have been “flooded” by Divine love should be overflowing to others who have been so blessed. It has been well said that “love is not only what God does, love is what God is!!” This love is within us by Divine birth, and will grow ( “increase more and more”), as we grow. Abundance in pleasing God will lead to abundance in love for the brethren. They were to abstain from lust, a perversion of love, but there is a pure love in which they can abound.
In verses 11-12 there is a duty to be enacted. “Walk honestly(becomingly) toward them which are without”. Repeatedly we have the generic meaning of sanctification illustrated-- “the state of proper functioning.” People need to work to earn their living, Christians are to do the same. It is all too easy, particularly in the “nanny state” syndrome in which we live to come to depend on others for our living. Says Paul, “Ambitiously endeavour to be quiet (not protesting, not activating), and to do your own business, working with your own hands.....that ye may lack nothing.” The world at large expects this of everyone and we should be a good example, because we represent the Lord.
In verses 13-18 there is a glorious revelation to be enjoyed. “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord...” Here we have the new testament revelation of the “rapture” of the church to be with Christ before the end of time period of tribulation, described in broad terms as “The day of the Lord” in chapter 5. Although hinted at in other parts, nothing like this had ever been revealed. In 1 Corinthians 15 v51, Paul describes the same event as “a mystery”, defined as that “...which in other ages was not made known, but is now revealed....(Ephesians 5v5). This new revelation “by the word of the Lord” is the doctrine of the first stage of the second coming, the details of which will become clear. He did not want them to be ignorant concerning the dead (those who are asleep). Ignorance in any part of the things of God leads to confusion and uncertainty and so Paul uses positive language to describe this amazing event to come.......”The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout...”; “...the dead in Christ shall rise first...”; “We....shall be caught up with them in the clouds..”; “...and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Features of the rapture
God will bring those who are asleep (also called the dead in Christ) with Him.
He is coming Himself, I.e. not accompanied by angels. By contrast, when He comes to set up the kingdom on earth all the armies of heaven will be with Him (Revelation 19v11). This fulfils His promise in John 14v3 “..if I go I will come again and receive you unto myself”
The terms of the rapture are faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus (v14). There is no evidence of a “partial rapture” based on faithfulness. (see chapter5v10).
The dead will precede the living and both will “together” meet the Lord.
The Lord will descend from heaven to the air, in the second stage some years later He comes to the earth ( Revelation 19vv11-19). This distinguishes the Rapture from the Advent.
He comes with a shout, with a voice to wake the dead; c/f John 5v25; this will be a precision shout that will be heard only by believers. The shout symbolises the resurrection of the church.
He comes with the voice of the archangel; There are three other places the archangel Michael appears and each time it is in conflict with Satan or high ranking demons....Daniel 10v13; Jude v9; Revelation 12v7. The point of this is the meeting of Christ and the church takes place in the air, the very place where Satan and his hosts rule (Ephesians 2v2”...the prince of the power of the air...”). It is in the very centre of demonic power Jesus will come and the voice of the archangel symbolises the restraining of Satan. Billions will gather and rejoice and pass through his domain, and he will be powerless to stop them.
He comes with the trump of God; We should not confuse the trump of God with the seven trumpets of Revelation which have to do with Divine judgment on the earth. The first meaning of the trumpet is of “the gathering of the congregation and the journeying of the camps” (Numbers 10v2). Clearly this has resonance here. There is a further indication in the Divine prophetic programme in Leviticus 23, where, following the ingathering of the harvest, we have “the feast of trumpets”, the call for the regathering of Israel. In the absence of definitive statements, it would seem that the trump of God has to do with the regathering of Israel. What we have here is a change of dispensation, the completion of the church, leading to the call to Israel. By any standards this event is epoch- making and introduces the world to a whole new period called “the day of the Lord” in chapter5.
Only those “in Christ” will go, every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost until this day, people without number, the dead, the living, to be with the Lord for ever.
We will be “caught up”, the word is harpazo and means to seize, to remove by force. This very graphic word is variously translated as “by force” (Matthew 11v12; John 6v15; Acts 23v10.) “Caught away/up” (Acts 8v39; Revelation 12v5; 2 Corinthians 12vv2-4). “Pluck/pull” (Jude v23; John 10 vv28/29). This is to be seen as a rescue mission, as it precedes a whole “sea change” for the world. The logistics of this are staggering, and, perhaps, we should rename it “the harpazo”. This is a great defining moment for the Christians, for the nation of Israel, and for the world as a whole.
The closing feature is that of eternal comfort for the saints, which is the great incentive to godly living until the day comes.
In chapter 5 verses 1-10 we have a stark contrast to be understood Within the scope of these verses we have the state of the believer and that of the unbeliever placed in sharp contrast. Note the repetition of “they” and “them” as against “we” “ye” “you”. There is to be a sharp separation in the end times of which these verses are speaking, and there is to be a consequent moral separation now. In chapter 4 he has revealed something they didn’t know, here he refers to what they “knew perfectly”. This is a challenge to church leaders today, that in so short a time they had initiated these young believers in matters of prophecy. He describes prophetic things as “the times and seasons”. Times are undefined periods of time, marked out by specific events; seasons are different trends within those time periods. He refers specifically to the time period known as “the day of the Lord”. The new testament refers to the “day of Christ” many, many times: (Romans 13v12; Philippians 1v6v10; 2v16; 1 Corinthians1v8; 3v13; 5v5; 2Corinthians 1v14; 1 Thessalonians 5v4; 2Timothy 1v18; 4v8; 2 Peter 1v19). This is the period of time when Christ, united with His church, rules supreme first in heaven then on the earth. There is reference also to “the day of God”....this is the eternal state, a period without an end, when the Godhead rule throughout all the unending ages, and commences with the dissolution of the present universe, and the creation of the new (2Peter 3v12). The day of the Lord is a prophecy-wide term in both old and new testaments, and always seen in a fearful way. The title “Jehovah” is the title of God in connection with His covenant with Israel (Isaiah 42 v5-8; Exodus 3v15-16.) This world has been usurped by a predator and Jehovah will reclaim it to keep His covenant with Israel, He never breaks a covenant. The parable of Matthew 13v44 is of the man hiding the treasure in the field, and in order to claim the treasure, he bought the field at great cost to Himself. At Calvary, Jehovah bought the field (the world) and the day of Jehovah is the period when He stakes His claim. This commences at the revelation of the “man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2v3), and continues on until the end of the millennium, during which Jehovah will systematically dismantle the corrupt world system, and deal finally with the usurper, and fulfil His covenant. This day is discussed in 3 major prophecies ISAIAH, EZEKIEL, and JEREMIAH; also in 7 minor prophecies...OBADIAH, JOEL, AMOS, HOSEA, MICAH, ZEPHANIAH and ZECHARIAH. A cursory reading of these predictions should make us tremble as we contemplate the fearful judgments “when God arises to shake terribly the earth”. This day of the Lord will include: the refining of the true Israel; the destruction of all anti-God powers, the expulsion of Satan and his demons to eternal punishment; the consigning of all deceived by Satan to the lake of fire; the disintegration of the existing universe. No wonder the Baptist declared to the people of his day to “flee from the wrath to come”. Running almost concurrently, the day of Christ will be remedial and victorious while the day of the Lord will be judgmental and vexatious. Some of the awesome features are:
Each and every judgment will come swiftly and unexpectedly It will come “as a thief in the night”. This is at the beginning; the same phrase occurs at the end (2 Peter 3v10), so each shaft will fall at a time when it is least expected. The complacency of man knows no bounds and, to the very end, Divine retribution will fall. In the midst of it all, the compassion of God knows no bounds in His repeated offer to repent, as the book of Revelation records.
The first wave will come at a time when all are proclaiming “peace and safety” The early years after the “harpazo” will be characterised by times of world peace. In Daniel 11vv21-23, the historical character, Antiochus Epiphanes, a brute of a man who symbolises the beast of the future day is said to “come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” In Revelation 6vv1-2 the end time world ruler comes conquering without striking a blow (the bow without the arrow symbolising the threat of war rather than actual war). He will commence as “a little horn” and rise to global power creating a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity. This will be the greatest deception of all time. According to Revelation 13 he will command the worship of the world.
There will come sudden destruction The false sense of security will be shattered by the outbreak of world war such as has never been seen....Revelation 6vv3-8 “...and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the (wild) beasts of the earth.”
The judgment will be all pervading “They shall not (by no means) escape”. There are those who think they are too insignificant, or too good for God to judge them. Said Paul in Romans chapter 2v3 “Thinkest thou this O man that....... thou shalt escape the judgment of God? It was said of the flood “it took them all away”; in this, the day of judgment, an unspecified quarter of the earth will perish in totality. During the second world war some 55 million are said to have been killed; what this means in numbers is almost unthinkable.
The unbelieving world is sleepwalking into Divine judgment In verse 7 the spiritual state of the Godless world is exposed. “They that sleep, sleep in the night ...they that be drunken are drunken in the night”. They live in spiritual darkness, whether in insensitivity, or inebriation, whether unconscious of the danger or deliberate dulling of the senses. Some have no knowledge of God, some don’t want to know.
In verse 4 the day is the day of Christ, not the day of the Lord, and Paul does not want these to be overtaken by the Lord’s return. They are to be watchful, and active until the day dawn. The sense of this is confirmed in verse 9 where he says “whether we wake (watch) or sleep we should live together with Him.” We are not to be like the world but to be alert until He comes. For the remainder of this section they are reminded of who they are in Christ.
Verse 5 “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day.” Blessed with spiritual awakening, heading for the day of Christ, and, ultimately, the day of God.
Verses 6-8 We are those who should be alert and of sound mind, turning away from worldly vices, and putting on Christian virtues, such as faith, love and hope, for which they became renowned in chapter1. This will call for a war mentality while we are here, and the Christian virtues will protect our hearts and minds.
Verse 9 We have been appointed to obtain salvation by Divine decree, and secured by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. This ultimately means deliverance from the very presence of sin to a life free from sin in His presence. This verse refutes the notion of a partial rapture; our participation in it depends alone on His death, not our faithfulness....”who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with Him.”
In verses 11-24 we have a partnership to be engaged. The section ends with the promise of a perfect work within, God’s whole sanctification of His saints, but it requires cooperation from us and he closes the letter by focusing on three areas of the Christian life. 1) Verse 11 corporate responsibility; 2) Verses 12-15 leadership responsibility; 3) Verses 16-22 personal responsibility.
1. Corporate responsibility verse 11. Note the emphasis, “together” and “one another”. We are members of the greatest corporate body on earth, and we have a duty to each other, whether in a local or universal sense. There are two functions we have to fulfil, that of exhortation and edification. We need both, exhortation to continue in the face of obstacles, and edification to progress in our faith. These are positive attitudes to each other, and this ministry we can all perform. We, sometimes excel at pulling each other down, it is much better to build each other up. We are not in competition with one another, rather to be complimentary.
2. Leadership responsibility verses 12-15 This is in two parts; a) the attitude of the saints to the leaders (verses 12-13; and b) the actions of the leaders in the congregation (verses 13-14).
a) There has to be leadership in any church situation; we live in a world characterised by rebellion against authority of any kind, but Christian attitude should be of a higher standard. God has set rulers in the Church over the company for the good order and nourishment of His people. We are to know them, not only who they are, but what they are for us. They labour among you (they toil sometimes to the point of exhaustion...leaders, whether elders or teachers are occupied in your welfare more than you can see); they are over you in the Lord, that is, they can admonish you, pointing out errors if need be, keeping you on “the straight and narrow”, as they say. Their authority is as that of the Lord when they instruct you in the word; they are not to be authoritarian, because they are under shepherds “in the Lord”, they are not the Lord! We are to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake, not for the sake of their position, but for their works. Leaders who lord it over God’s people have the Lord to deal with, our duty is to esteem them, to respect them for their work, and to do it in love. We should not expect leaders to be perfect, but we must give them their place. This attitude in the company will avoid stress and will bring conditions of peace.
b) How are leaders to act, what is their role in the church? He spoke of their works in v13, now he enumerates them. Firstly they are dealing with a variety of needs and many complex situations; there are unruly who need to be warned; feebleminded who require comfort; weak who need to be supported. There will be those who try them and they need patience; there will be those vindictive who need to be restrained. They will need to know the differing dispositions of all their people. They will also need to know the Lord and His word to be able to give a word in season. It may be this pastoral work is somewhat lacking in the modern day. The unruly, those who want to step out of line, need to be admonished. The word for warn is rendered in the Thesaurus.com as “to reprove or scold in a mild and good-willed manner.”; those feebleminded or faint hearted, lacking courage, need encouragement speaking clearly in a tender manner, encouraging them so as to stimulate; the weak, it may be sick or infirm or in poverty, or in loneliness, like the widow or the orphans, need support, whether material or spiritual; there may be those who insist on justice of a vindictive sort, they are to be forgiving, and reminded, that vengeance belongs only to the Lord; some require a lot of patience, the idea is “long minded or longsuffering”...not everyone is at the same level of understanding. This hands on involvement is to be the norm in all churches. Rather than seek personal vindication they are to seek the benefit of all. Overall their work is to enhance the company for good.
Personal responsibility verses 16-22 In the church we all have a responsibilities and Paul enumerates seven short sharp commands that are to mark everyone involved. All seven are in the imperative present and the force is.....DO IT, and DO IT NOW, and DO IT ALWAYS! The first three have to do with personal life, then four to do with matters in public life. This is the Christian life!
• Rejoice evermore......the deep inward joy of the believer which is independent of all external circumstances. No situation on earth should be allowed to rob us of this. The prophet Habakkuk faced a real life dilemma, here was his conclusion (chapter 3vv17-18) “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the field and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation.” The Psalms are full of this teaching.
• Pray without ceasing We have a hotline to heaven, use it constantly, let every breath be a prayer, every heartbeat. Like Nehemiah in seeking the favour of the foreign king “....so I prayed to the God of heaven, and I said to the king...Nehemiah 2vv4-5. We can pray in the church, we can pray at home, we can pray in the street, we can pray for hours, even days, we can pray in the moment of need..... the greatest privilege on earth, to speak directly to the God of the universe at any time, for any reason! There is not one of us who cannot engage in this most powerful service on behalf of ourselves and others. “Power with God and men” will be the result. Prayer is to become an attitude not just an act.
• In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Here again the will of God, as in chapter4v3; He wants us to be a holy people, now a thankful people. Always in every aspect of life we have cause to give thanks to God. In the fourfold dimension of prayer in 1Timothy 2 it appears as an integral part “..supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks.” Paul said of the ungodly in Romans 1v21 “...neither were thankful.” Thankful in everything, in the good times, and the bad, because sometimes He allows trying circumstances to increase our faith. John the Baptist establishes a principle in John 3v27 “...a man can receive nothing except it were given him from above.” We have much cause to be thankful, for everything we possess is a gift from God.
• Quench not the Spirit.. the Spirit of the Lord indwelling us is characterised as a fire, the flames of which stir us up to exploits for Him. We are not to pour water on the flame of spiritual exercise, whether in ourselves or in others. He came in living tongues of fire at Pentecost. Paul beseeches Timothy to “stir up the gift of God within you...”; the word is “rekindle”, energise the spiritual gift within. Peter says in 1 Peter 2v22....”see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently”; the word means “at white heat” or “boiling over”. There can be nothing staid or lethargic about the operation of the gifts of the Spirit, charismatic gifts require charismatic operation. We can quench the Spirit within ourselves; we can also do it in others by denying or curtailing opportunities. Human arrangement can militate against the free flowing passionate operation of the Divine flame. In 1 Corinthians 12v4, not only are Divine beings in control of the giving of the gifts, and the diversity of the gifts, but in the operations of the gifts, and this must be allowed free, unhindered progress.
• Despise not prophesyings These times were marked by the absence of new testament revelation such as we have today; they relied on supernatural utterances delivered by gifted prophets who pointed the way to go in matters of uncertainty. Humans, being what they are, would, perhaps, exaggerate the value of their prophecies, but none were to be despised for in general they were the words of God. This situation pervaded as late as 400a.d.; The gift was “done away” as per the prediction of 1 Corinthians 13v10. A modern equivalent could be not to despise any teaching of the word, no matter it’s imperfect form of delivery or unbalanced content.
• Prove all things, hold fast that which is good Everything we hear pertaining to the things of God, we are to put to the test of revealed scripture. We are not to be gullible, and there are many false teachers, and fanciful commentators. The realm of biblical study has been infiltrated by fables and human psychology, and so. In the words of the apostle John, we have to “try the spirits to see if they are of God.” The word for prove is used for the testing of metals, a protracted and laborious process to produce the right product. This is well illustrated by the Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily to see if these things be so.” This required careful scrutiny and comparison and examination of the truth. They were to hold fast that which is good. By implication this involves rejection and jettisoning the false. This includes, in new testament language; fables, human traditions, heresies (private opinions), false teaching and the like.
• Abstain from all appearance of evil Other versions render this as “every form of evil”, but the usage elsewhere in scripture tends to support the A.V. translation, where the word is variously used as “shape”, “fashion”, or “sight”. The section began in chapter 4 with the command to abstain from fornication, and ends with the injunction to abstain from even the very appearance of evil. Public perception is very important in our testimony for God, and, although we cannot be ruled by perception which may be prejudicial, we have to avoid giving even the appearance of evil. Time and space forbids us to elaborate, but we need to familiarise ourselves with the biblical concept of evil, which exposes some surprising features; in the end evil is as seen by the eye of God and the bible goes into great detail. One example is in Luke 16 v25 where heaven’s view is that one man living sumptuously, while another lives on scraps is an evil. If we have been blessed with material prosperity and fail to share with the needy, this, in the eyes of God is an evil. Another is Matthew 5 v37 where Jesus said that insincerity in our speech comes from evil.
None of this is possible without the help of God, He is the prime mover in our sanctification, as He was in our salvation, but, for the work to be effective, He requires our cooperation; we need to work with Him, and He is committed to us, and requires our commitment to Him. When these two things are in place (and His part will always be there), then the work of sanctification can be completed. Marvel at the glorious closing words to this real, but challenging teaching......”Himself the God of peace sanctify you wholly and your entire spirit soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” The work of justification (the act of being made right with God) takes place in a instant; the work of sanctification (the process of being made like God) can take an entire life time. Notice the personal touch “Himself the God of peace.” Paul uses this in these epistles time and again (chapter 3v11; chapter 4v16; here in chapter 5v24; 2nd Thess.2v16 & 2nd Thess. 3v16). This is a work that the Lord personally does within us: his aim is to maintain conditions of peace between Himself and us; to sanctify the whole man, spirit, soul & body (note: God’s work begins from within); this He will do until the day of perfection when we shall be free from all sin and possessed of all that is godly. There are many aspects to sanctification (pre-conversion sanctification, positional sanctification, sanctification by proxy, progressive sanctification and perfect sanctification. All of these aspects arise in different places in the New Testament. A perfect God will not rest until He has perfected us.
In verses 25-28 we have their partnership implored He asks for prayers on their behalf; he sends greetings to all the brethren with love; he charges them (brings them under a solemn vow in the sight of the Lord) that this epistle be read unto all the brethren and he concludes with the normal parting phrase “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen”. Note the repetition of “holy” in connection with the brethren, in keeping with, and the confirming of the context God’s “holy ones” God’s “saints”, those set apart for His use.
“This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” Chapter 4v3; “Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.” Chapter 5v24.
So begins and ends this section outlining the will of God for us and the work of God in us, the issue being our sanctification. He introduced this subject in the last verse of chapter 3 as the ultimate goal of our salvation “..to the end He may stablish your hearts in holiness...” He now proceeds to expound aspects of our sanctification, and the flow of thought seems to join these two chapters as one, culminating in the thought of the complete sanctification of our whole beings. This is a subject about which there is a great deal of confusion, and is important we understand the terms. According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology the generic meaning of sanctification is “the state of proper functioning.” To sanctify someone or something, is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by it’s designer. If we apply the words “set apart”, this best captures the meaning. Holiness is an attribute of God, and means He is “apart”, He is “other”. In the sense that He is higher and superior to all, absolutely apart from His creation, He has a right to expect we human beings will function exclusively for Himself, and it is to this exclusive use by One apart from all, that sanctification refers. We should not understand it merely as the absence of evil, it involves that, but also the presence of good, in the sense of excellence of character. Sanctification has negative and positive aspects and a reading through these two chapters will fully illustrate this. In sanctification, God makes us useful to Himself, when in our unregenerate state He could not. The thrust therefore of this first epistle is salvation (chapters 1&2); stability (chapter3); and sanctification (chapters 4&5).
The negative aspects of sanctification noted in the chapters 4&5
• 4v3 “...not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles...”
• 4v7 “...for God has not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
• 4v13 “...that ye sorrow not as others....”
• 5v4/5 “But ye brethren are not in darkness...we are not of the night or of the darkness.”
• 5v6 “Therefore let us not sleep as do others...”
• 5v19 “Quench not the Spirit.”
• 5v20 “Despise not prophesyings.”
• 5v22 “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
There is plenty in the above list of prohibitions to challenge us; Christianity, however, is not lived in a vacuum, and there are also listed many positive features of the sanctified life.
The positive features of excellence in our sanctification.
• 4v1 “...how ye ought to walk and to please God.”
• 4v7 “God has not called us .....but unto holiness.”
• 4v9 “Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
• 4v12 “...that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without...”
• 4V16 “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
• 5v8 “Let us who are of the day be sober....”
• 5v11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another..”
• 5v13 “..be at peace among yourselves.”
• 5v16 “Rejoice evermore.”
• 5v17 “Pray without ceasing,”
• 5v18 “In everything give thanks...”
Paul is presenting an alternative lifestyle in no uncertain manner. Three phrases stand out in the section which brings the thrust of the teaching before us:
4v5 “Not......as the Gentiles which know not God.”
4v13 “Sorrow not even as others which have no hope.”
5v6 “Let us not sleep as do others...for they that sleep, sleep in the night.”
He begins in verses 1-2 with a debt to be paid.....”...you ought to walk and to please God.” You owe it to God and the Lord Jesus, for all they have done for you, it is our obligation to walk so as to please Him. The placing of this in the chapter revealing the teaching of the coming of the Lord to take us to Himself, is reminiscent of the story of Enoch, of whom it is recorded “By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death......before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 12v5). We will all in like manner be translated to glory, we owe it to Him to live to please Him. We should not be complacent in this, since we are to “abound more and more”. There can be no limit to this as we follow the one who said “I do always those things which please the Father”.
In verses 3-8 there is a grievous sin to be avoided. One of the ways in which we can please God is to “Abstain from fornication”, a practise that is rife in the Gentile world “which knows not God.” This sin is particularly hateful to God and appears at the head of almost every sin list in the new testament, the practice of which brought the extreme discipline of excommunication from the church (1 Corinthians 5). The Greek word porneia covers every form of sexual sin from sex outside of marriage, to adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, all which are contrary to the Divine design. We are to “possess our vessel in sanctification and honour”, that is in the context of marriage which “is honourable in all things” Hebrews 13v4. He says “not in the lust of concupiscence”, which means an unnatural craving for that which is forbidden. In verse 6 he highlights another dimension of this sin which is that of “defrauding your brother”; this is an aspect particularly hateful to God, because of the hurt and the sense of loss it brings to another, who by reason of marriage has an exclusive right to the marriage bed (see 1 Corinthians 7v5). The sin of adultery robs a person of the most sacred God-given intimacy. God is the “avenger of such”, and we need to take care not to despise God, who has taken away the penalty of our sins, yet reserves the right to exercise discipline in the wayward life.
In verses 9-10 there is a loving character to be emulated. “...ye, yourselves, are taught of God to love one another.” We have been the recipients of an eternal and indescribable love that transcends all human loves, and we are to share that with all believers; this is fundamental to our Christian faith. The God who loves us expects us to love the brethren ( 1 John 5v1....”every one that loves Him that begat, loves him also that is begotten of Him.”). Paul wrote in Romans 5v5 “...the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.” Hearts which have been “flooded” by Divine love should be overflowing to others who have been so blessed. It has been well said that “love is not only what God does, love is what God is!!” This love is within us by Divine birth, and will grow ( “increase more and more”), as we grow. Abundance in pleasing God will lead to abundance in love for the brethren. They were to abstain from lust, a perversion of love, but there is a pure love in which they can abound.
In verses 11-12 there is a duty to be enacted. “Walk honestly(becomingly) toward them which are without”. Repeatedly we have the generic meaning of sanctification illustrated-- “the state of proper functioning.” People need to work to earn their living, Christians are to do the same. It is all too easy, particularly in the “nanny state” syndrome in which we live to come to depend on others for our living. Says Paul, “Ambitiously endeavour to be quiet (not protesting, not activating), and to do your own business, working with your own hands.....that ye may lack nothing.” The world at large expects this of everyone and we should be a good example, because we represent the Lord.
In verses 13-18 there is a glorious revelation to be enjoyed. “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord...” Here we have the new testament revelation of the “rapture” of the church to be with Christ before the end of time period of tribulation, described in broad terms as “The day of the Lord” in chapter 5. Although hinted at in other parts, nothing like this had ever been revealed. In 1 Corinthians 15 v51, Paul describes the same event as “a mystery”, defined as that “...which in other ages was not made known, but is now revealed....(Ephesians 5v5). This new revelation “by the word of the Lord” is the doctrine of the first stage of the second coming, the details of which will become clear. He did not want them to be ignorant concerning the dead (those who are asleep). Ignorance in any part of the things of God leads to confusion and uncertainty and so Paul uses positive language to describe this amazing event to come.......”The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout...”; “...the dead in Christ shall rise first...”; “We....shall be caught up with them in the clouds..”; “...and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Features of the rapture
God will bring those who are asleep (also called the dead in Christ) with Him.
He is coming Himself, I.e. not accompanied by angels. By contrast, when He comes to set up the kingdom on earth all the armies of heaven will be with Him (Revelation 19v11). This fulfils His promise in John 14v3 “..if I go I will come again and receive you unto myself”
The terms of the rapture are faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus (v14). There is no evidence of a “partial rapture” based on faithfulness. (see chapter5v10).
The dead will precede the living and both will “together” meet the Lord.
The Lord will descend from heaven to the air, in the second stage some years later He comes to the earth ( Revelation 19vv11-19). This distinguishes the Rapture from the Advent.
He comes with a shout, with a voice to wake the dead; c/f John 5v25; this will be a precision shout that will be heard only by believers. The shout symbolises the resurrection of the church.
He comes with the voice of the archangel; There are three other places the archangel Michael appears and each time it is in conflict with Satan or high ranking demons....Daniel 10v13; Jude v9; Revelation 12v7. The point of this is the meeting of Christ and the church takes place in the air, the very place where Satan and his hosts rule (Ephesians 2v2”...the prince of the power of the air...”). It is in the very centre of demonic power Jesus will come and the voice of the archangel symbolises the restraining of Satan. Billions will gather and rejoice and pass through his domain, and he will be powerless to stop them.
He comes with the trump of God; We should not confuse the trump of God with the seven trumpets of Revelation which have to do with Divine judgment on the earth. The first meaning of the trumpet is of “the gathering of the congregation and the journeying of the camps” (Numbers 10v2). Clearly this has resonance here. There is a further indication in the Divine prophetic programme in Leviticus 23, where, following the ingathering of the harvest, we have “the feast of trumpets”, the call for the regathering of Israel. In the absence of definitive statements, it would seem that the trump of God has to do with the regathering of Israel. What we have here is a change of dispensation, the completion of the church, leading to the call to Israel. By any standards this event is epoch- making and introduces the world to a whole new period called “the day of the Lord” in chapter5.
Only those “in Christ” will go, every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost until this day, people without number, the dead, the living, to be with the Lord for ever.
We will be “caught up”, the word is harpazo and means to seize, to remove by force. This very graphic word is variously translated as “by force” (Matthew 11v12; John 6v15; Acts 23v10.) “Caught away/up” (Acts 8v39; Revelation 12v5; 2 Corinthians 12vv2-4). “Pluck/pull” (Jude v23; John 10 vv28/29). This is to be seen as a rescue mission, as it precedes a whole “sea change” for the world. The logistics of this are staggering, and, perhaps, we should rename it “the harpazo”. This is a great defining moment for the Christians, for the nation of Israel, and for the world as a whole.
The closing feature is that of eternal comfort for the saints, which is the great incentive to godly living until the day comes.
In chapter 5 verses 1-10 we have a stark contrast to be understood Within the scope of these verses we have the state of the believer and that of the unbeliever placed in sharp contrast. Note the repetition of “they” and “them” as against “we” “ye” “you”. There is to be a sharp separation in the end times of which these verses are speaking, and there is to be a consequent moral separation now. In chapter 4 he has revealed something they didn’t know, here he refers to what they “knew perfectly”. This is a challenge to church leaders today, that in so short a time they had initiated these young believers in matters of prophecy. He describes prophetic things as “the times and seasons”. Times are undefined periods of time, marked out by specific events; seasons are different trends within those time periods. He refers specifically to the time period known as “the day of the Lord”. The new testament refers to the “day of Christ” many, many times: (Romans 13v12; Philippians 1v6v10; 2v16; 1 Corinthians1v8; 3v13; 5v5; 2Corinthians 1v14; 1 Thessalonians 5v4; 2Timothy 1v18; 4v8; 2 Peter 1v19). This is the period of time when Christ, united with His church, rules supreme first in heaven then on the earth. There is reference also to “the day of God”....this is the eternal state, a period without an end, when the Godhead rule throughout all the unending ages, and commences with the dissolution of the present universe, and the creation of the new (2Peter 3v12). The day of the Lord is a prophecy-wide term in both old and new testaments, and always seen in a fearful way. The title “Jehovah” is the title of God in connection with His covenant with Israel (Isaiah 42 v5-8; Exodus 3v15-16.) This world has been usurped by a predator and Jehovah will reclaim it to keep His covenant with Israel, He never breaks a covenant. The parable of Matthew 13v44 is of the man hiding the treasure in the field, and in order to claim the treasure, he bought the field at great cost to Himself. At Calvary, Jehovah bought the field (the world) and the day of Jehovah is the period when He stakes His claim. This commences at the revelation of the “man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2v3), and continues on until the end of the millennium, during which Jehovah will systematically dismantle the corrupt world system, and deal finally with the usurper, and fulfil His covenant. This day is discussed in 3 major prophecies ISAIAH, EZEKIEL, and JEREMIAH; also in 7 minor prophecies...OBADIAH, JOEL, AMOS, HOSEA, MICAH, ZEPHANIAH and ZECHARIAH. A cursory reading of these predictions should make us tremble as we contemplate the fearful judgments “when God arises to shake terribly the earth”. This day of the Lord will include: the refining of the true Israel; the destruction of all anti-God powers, the expulsion of Satan and his demons to eternal punishment; the consigning of all deceived by Satan to the lake of fire; the disintegration of the existing universe. No wonder the Baptist declared to the people of his day to “flee from the wrath to come”. Running almost concurrently, the day of Christ will be remedial and victorious while the day of the Lord will be judgmental and vexatious. Some of the awesome features are:
Each and every judgment will come swiftly and unexpectedly It will come “as a thief in the night”. This is at the beginning; the same phrase occurs at the end (2 Peter 3v10), so each shaft will fall at a time when it is least expected. The complacency of man knows no bounds and, to the very end, Divine retribution will fall. In the midst of it all, the compassion of God knows no bounds in His repeated offer to repent, as the book of Revelation records.
The first wave will come at a time when all are proclaiming “peace and safety” The early years after the “harpazo” will be characterised by times of world peace. In Daniel 11vv21-23, the historical character, Antiochus Epiphanes, a brute of a man who symbolises the beast of the future day is said to “come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” In Revelation 6vv1-2 the end time world ruler comes conquering without striking a blow (the bow without the arrow symbolising the threat of war rather than actual war). He will commence as “a little horn” and rise to global power creating a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity. This will be the greatest deception of all time. According to Revelation 13 he will command the worship of the world.
There will come sudden destruction The false sense of security will be shattered by the outbreak of world war such as has never been seen....Revelation 6vv3-8 “...and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the (wild) beasts of the earth.”
The judgment will be all pervading “They shall not (by no means) escape”. There are those who think they are too insignificant, or too good for God to judge them. Said Paul in Romans chapter 2v3 “Thinkest thou this O man that....... thou shalt escape the judgment of God? It was said of the flood “it took them all away”; in this, the day of judgment, an unspecified quarter of the earth will perish in totality. During the second world war some 55 million are said to have been killed; what this means in numbers is almost unthinkable.
The unbelieving world is sleepwalking into Divine judgment In verse 7 the spiritual state of the Godless world is exposed. “They that sleep, sleep in the night ...they that be drunken are drunken in the night”. They live in spiritual darkness, whether in insensitivity, or inebriation, whether unconscious of the danger or deliberate dulling of the senses. Some have no knowledge of God, some don’t want to know.
In verse 4 the day is the day of Christ, not the day of the Lord, and Paul does not want these to be overtaken by the Lord’s return. They are to be watchful, and active until the day dawn. The sense of this is confirmed in verse 9 where he says “whether we wake (watch) or sleep we should live together with Him.” We are not to be like the world but to be alert until He comes. For the remainder of this section they are reminded of who they are in Christ.
Verse 5 “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day.” Blessed with spiritual awakening, heading for the day of Christ, and, ultimately, the day of God.
Verses 6-8 We are those who should be alert and of sound mind, turning away from worldly vices, and putting on Christian virtues, such as faith, love and hope, for which they became renowned in chapter1. This will call for a war mentality while we are here, and the Christian virtues will protect our hearts and minds.
Verse 9 We have been appointed to obtain salvation by Divine decree, and secured by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. This ultimately means deliverance from the very presence of sin to a life free from sin in His presence. This verse refutes the notion of a partial rapture; our participation in it depends alone on His death, not our faithfulness....”who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with Him.”
In verses 11-24 we have a partnership to be engaged. The section ends with the promise of a perfect work within, God’s whole sanctification of His saints, but it requires cooperation from us and he closes the letter by focusing on three areas of the Christian life. 1) Verse 11 corporate responsibility; 2) Verses 12-15 leadership responsibility; 3) Verses 16-22 personal responsibility.
1. Corporate responsibility verse 11. Note the emphasis, “together” and “one another”. We are members of the greatest corporate body on earth, and we have a duty to each other, whether in a local or universal sense. There are two functions we have to fulfil, that of exhortation and edification. We need both, exhortation to continue in the face of obstacles, and edification to progress in our faith. These are positive attitudes to each other, and this ministry we can all perform. We, sometimes excel at pulling each other down, it is much better to build each other up. We are not in competition with one another, rather to be complimentary.
2. Leadership responsibility verses 12-15 This is in two parts; a) the attitude of the saints to the leaders (verses 12-13; and b) the actions of the leaders in the congregation (verses 13-14).
a) There has to be leadership in any church situation; we live in a world characterised by rebellion against authority of any kind, but Christian attitude should be of a higher standard. God has set rulers in the Church over the company for the good order and nourishment of His people. We are to know them, not only who they are, but what they are for us. They labour among you (they toil sometimes to the point of exhaustion...leaders, whether elders or teachers are occupied in your welfare more than you can see); they are over you in the Lord, that is, they can admonish you, pointing out errors if need be, keeping you on “the straight and narrow”, as they say. Their authority is as that of the Lord when they instruct you in the word; they are not to be authoritarian, because they are under shepherds “in the Lord”, they are not the Lord! We are to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake, not for the sake of their position, but for their works. Leaders who lord it over God’s people have the Lord to deal with, our duty is to esteem them, to respect them for their work, and to do it in love. We should not expect leaders to be perfect, but we must give them their place. This attitude in the company will avoid stress and will bring conditions of peace.
b) How are leaders to act, what is their role in the church? He spoke of their works in v13, now he enumerates them. Firstly they are dealing with a variety of needs and many complex situations; there are unruly who need to be warned; feebleminded who require comfort; weak who need to be supported. There will be those who try them and they need patience; there will be those vindictive who need to be restrained. They will need to know the differing dispositions of all their people. They will also need to know the Lord and His word to be able to give a word in season. It may be this pastoral work is somewhat lacking in the modern day. The unruly, those who want to step out of line, need to be admonished. The word for warn is rendered in the Thesaurus.com as “to reprove or scold in a mild and good-willed manner.”; those feebleminded or faint hearted, lacking courage, need encouragement speaking clearly in a tender manner, encouraging them so as to stimulate; the weak, it may be sick or infirm or in poverty, or in loneliness, like the widow or the orphans, need support, whether material or spiritual; there may be those who insist on justice of a vindictive sort, they are to be forgiving, and reminded, that vengeance belongs only to the Lord; some require a lot of patience, the idea is “long minded or longsuffering”...not everyone is at the same level of understanding. This hands on involvement is to be the norm in all churches. Rather than seek personal vindication they are to seek the benefit of all. Overall their work is to enhance the company for good.
Personal responsibility verses 16-22 In the church we all have a responsibilities and Paul enumerates seven short sharp commands that are to mark everyone involved. All seven are in the imperative present and the force is.....DO IT, and DO IT NOW, and DO IT ALWAYS! The first three have to do with personal life, then four to do with matters in public life. This is the Christian life!
• Rejoice evermore......the deep inward joy of the believer which is independent of all external circumstances. No situation on earth should be allowed to rob us of this. The prophet Habakkuk faced a real life dilemma, here was his conclusion (chapter 3vv17-18) “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the field and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation.” The Psalms are full of this teaching.
• Pray without ceasing We have a hotline to heaven, use it constantly, let every breath be a prayer, every heartbeat. Like Nehemiah in seeking the favour of the foreign king “....so I prayed to the God of heaven, and I said to the king...Nehemiah 2vv4-5. We can pray in the church, we can pray at home, we can pray in the street, we can pray for hours, even days, we can pray in the moment of need..... the greatest privilege on earth, to speak directly to the God of the universe at any time, for any reason! There is not one of us who cannot engage in this most powerful service on behalf of ourselves and others. “Power with God and men” will be the result. Prayer is to become an attitude not just an act.
• In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Here again the will of God, as in chapter4v3; He wants us to be a holy people, now a thankful people. Always in every aspect of life we have cause to give thanks to God. In the fourfold dimension of prayer in 1Timothy 2 it appears as an integral part “..supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks.” Paul said of the ungodly in Romans 1v21 “...neither were thankful.” Thankful in everything, in the good times, and the bad, because sometimes He allows trying circumstances to increase our faith. John the Baptist establishes a principle in John 3v27 “...a man can receive nothing except it were given him from above.” We have much cause to be thankful, for everything we possess is a gift from God.
• Quench not the Spirit.. the Spirit of the Lord indwelling us is characterised as a fire, the flames of which stir us up to exploits for Him. We are not to pour water on the flame of spiritual exercise, whether in ourselves or in others. He came in living tongues of fire at Pentecost. Paul beseeches Timothy to “stir up the gift of God within you...”; the word is “rekindle”, energise the spiritual gift within. Peter says in 1 Peter 2v22....”see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently”; the word means “at white heat” or “boiling over”. There can be nothing staid or lethargic about the operation of the gifts of the Spirit, charismatic gifts require charismatic operation. We can quench the Spirit within ourselves; we can also do it in others by denying or curtailing opportunities. Human arrangement can militate against the free flowing passionate operation of the Divine flame. In 1 Corinthians 12v4, not only are Divine beings in control of the giving of the gifts, and the diversity of the gifts, but in the operations of the gifts, and this must be allowed free, unhindered progress.
• Despise not prophesyings These times were marked by the absence of new testament revelation such as we have today; they relied on supernatural utterances delivered by gifted prophets who pointed the way to go in matters of uncertainty. Humans, being what they are, would, perhaps, exaggerate the value of their prophecies, but none were to be despised for in general they were the words of God. This situation pervaded as late as 400a.d.; The gift was “done away” as per the prediction of 1 Corinthians 13v10. A modern equivalent could be not to despise any teaching of the word, no matter it’s imperfect form of delivery or unbalanced content.
• Prove all things, hold fast that which is good Everything we hear pertaining to the things of God, we are to put to the test of revealed scripture. We are not to be gullible, and there are many false teachers, and fanciful commentators. The realm of biblical study has been infiltrated by fables and human psychology, and so. In the words of the apostle John, we have to “try the spirits to see if they are of God.” The word for prove is used for the testing of metals, a protracted and laborious process to produce the right product. This is well illustrated by the Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily to see if these things be so.” This required careful scrutiny and comparison and examination of the truth. They were to hold fast that which is good. By implication this involves rejection and jettisoning the false. This includes, in new testament language; fables, human traditions, heresies (private opinions), false teaching and the like.
• Abstain from all appearance of evil Other versions render this as “every form of evil”, but the usage elsewhere in scripture tends to support the A.V. translation, where the word is variously used as “shape”, “fashion”, or “sight”. The section began in chapter 4 with the command to abstain from fornication, and ends with the injunction to abstain from even the very appearance of evil. Public perception is very important in our testimony for God, and, although we cannot be ruled by perception which may be prejudicial, we have to avoid giving even the appearance of evil. Time and space forbids us to elaborate, but we need to familiarise ourselves with the biblical concept of evil, which exposes some surprising features; in the end evil is as seen by the eye of God and the bible goes into great detail. One example is in Luke 16 v25 where heaven’s view is that one man living sumptuously, while another lives on scraps is an evil. If we have been blessed with material prosperity and fail to share with the needy, this, in the eyes of God is an evil. Another is Matthew 5 v37 where Jesus said that insincerity in our speech comes from evil.
None of this is possible without the help of God, He is the prime mover in our sanctification, as He was in our salvation, but, for the work to be effective, He requires our cooperation; we need to work with Him, and He is committed to us, and requires our commitment to Him. When these two things are in place (and His part will always be there), then the work of sanctification can be completed. Marvel at the glorious closing words to this real, but challenging teaching......”Himself the God of peace sanctify you wholly and your entire spirit soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” The work of justification (the act of being made right with God) takes place in a instant; the work of sanctification (the process of being made like God) can take an entire life time. Notice the personal touch “Himself the God of peace.” Paul uses this in these epistles time and again (chapter 3v11; chapter 4v16; here in chapter 5v24; 2nd Thess.2v16 & 2nd Thess. 3v16). This is a work that the Lord personally does within us: his aim is to maintain conditions of peace between Himself and us; to sanctify the whole man, spirit, soul & body (note: God’s work begins from within); this He will do until the day of perfection when we shall be free from all sin and possessed of all that is godly. There are many aspects to sanctification (pre-conversion sanctification, positional sanctification, sanctification by proxy, progressive sanctification and perfect sanctification. All of these aspects arise in different places in the New Testament. A perfect God will not rest until He has perfected us.
In verses 25-28 we have their partnership implored He asks for prayers on their behalf; he sends greetings to all the brethren with love; he charges them (brings them under a solemn vow in the sight of the Lord) that this epistle be read unto all the brethren and he concludes with the normal parting phrase “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen”. Note the repetition of “holy” in connection with the brethren, in keeping with, and the confirming of the context God’s “holy ones” God’s “saints”, those set apart for His use.
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