The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will do this.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
The first half of today’s verse is a given – God is faithful …
… at least I hope it’s a given for you. Too many people – particularly after a tragedy – begin doubting God’s presence, power, and love.
That’s why scripture continually reaffirms the love, grace, power, faithfulness, and generosity of God. Why? Because we forget. We live in a broken world and are continually beaten down. We sometimes need re-affirmation of his grace like Paul does in 1 Thessalonians 5.
That’s the most important thing to take away from today’s verse. Nevertheless, these words also caused a question to arise in me. In a verse out of any context, when it says, “God will do this,” what is the “this” that God will “do”?!
There are many things in general that we know that God will do – love, bless, forgive, challenge, up-build, etc. – but it’s useful today to hear what Paul says, in the verse before today’s verse …
- God will “sanctify you entirely,” and
- God will make “your spirit and soul and body … sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Sanctification is a fancy term for “making you holy from the inside out.” And the second piece of this verse expounds on the same theme. God desires to make you holy, “sound,” and “blameless” in “spirit and soul and body.” His desire for you is from the inside out and through and through.
In Christ’s Love,
a guy who’s turned inside out
trying to do this himself …
and all it takes is submitting myself
to the carpenter’s hands
and he will do this
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