Sanctify Ourselves

Verse of the day: Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

In preparation for crossing the Jordan Joshua gives the people a very important command, “Sanctify yourselves.” He was commanding them not to approach God haphazardly. He was admonishing them to prepare themselves for being in God’s presence by cleansing themselves and separating themselves from that which was common and would make them unclean. The cleansing he was speaking of, most importantly, was not just external, but internal. Joshua wanted nothing to hinder God working in their midst, this meant being careful that there would be no sin that would hinder their crossing the Jordan and inheriting the land. Today, we are still called to be sanctified, for without it we cannot have a true relationship with God. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 tells us, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.’” God the Father sanctifies us by the Spirit and in the Name of Christ, as we are told in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” We are separated unto God, for His purpose, and therefore, our salvation is not an idle salvation. Just as Joshua told the Israelites to sanctify themselves, we too are called to sanctify ourselves, or set ourselves apart as born again believers. 2 Corinthians 6:17 clearly tells us, “Therefore, ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord’”. Far too many Christians try to use Jesus as “fire insurance”, acting as if we are only saved to escape eternal condemnation with no personal responsibility for the way we live or the choices we make. As God’s children our lives are to be lived for the purpose of glorifying God, as we serve Him by telling others about Jesus and living in such a way that the love of Christ is evident in our lives, by the way we walk with the Lord, act toward others, and serve others. Being sanctified by God’s saving grace is not license to live any way we want to, or based on what we determine to be right and true. We are to live in accordance to God’s Word, and sanctify ourselves by having reverence for Christ in our hearts (1 Peter 3:15). God’s will for our sanctification is expressed in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 where He tells us to avoid immoral behavior. We are saved and sanctified by grace, but we are called to sanctify ourselves by working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Today, this is a process that we must adhere to each and every day. The Holy Spirit, unlike in the Old Testament, is not given to us here and there. The Holy Spirit indwells us and seals us (2 Corinthians 1:22). Therefore, we need to avoid living haphazardly, as God is with us every second of the day, throughout the remainder of our life here on earth. Every day, we must begin our day with prayer and God’s Word. We must commit God’s truth to memory and apply it daily. How do we expect to see God work great things in our lives when we are living sinfully or being lukewarm in our Christianity? How can we point a finger at a perfect and holy God and complain about what He’s not doing in our lives, when we take little to no care about how we are living for Him? Do we want to see God working in our midst? Let us then take great care in sanctifying ourselves with His truth (John 17:17). Just because our salvation is not a salvation of works, it does not mean that we are not obligated to live out our salvation, and prove it, by our good works that are grounded in faith, and done by faith (James 2:18); for we are His workmanship, created in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Let us then be mindful every day that we are not only in God’s presence, but He indwells us. Therefore, not taking lightly our need to be sanctified before God every moment of every day.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).