His Presence Blesses Us, as

He Makes us Holy!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

 † In Jesus Name †

 The Blessing

May the grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ strengthen your dependence on Him, as God fulfills His promise to make you Holy!

 How many of you…

A serious question to start with this morning.  

How many of you are always, and I mean always, joyful?

Honestly?

How about this one?

How many of you never stop praying? Every moment, of every day?

And how many of you can you say you are thankful for everything God is doing in your life and has done in the last six months?

Has anyone been able to answer all of those questions positively?

I couldn’t, either.

Which is why the apostle Paul urges us to do so if it was common to do, he wouldn’t be urging his readers then, or us now, to do so.

But rather than hear him urging us to do so, because he knows we will benefit from it, what we usually hear just causes us guilt, and maybe some shame.

Why can’t I do what God wants me to do, our mind says, why can’t I be the person who knows joy every moment, the person who is always thankful, the person who always trusts God and gives to him all that worries us in prayer?

And so what is good advice turns into something we feel we can’t live up to…

Then there is the challenge that Paul presents in verse 19, where it talks of not stifling or quenching the Holy Spirit.

The word there in Greek means to suck dry, to dampen, to take all the punch out of it.

It explains it a little clearer in the next verses, as we see the challenge to not dismiss those who claim to speak for God but to test them.

To see if they speak what is Godly and scriptural, what is good.

Does it teach what scripture says, to first love God and then love our neighbor?

Does it work within the guidelines God sets up in the Decalogue, the ten commandments, or in Philippians where Paul instructs us to Philippians 4,

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)

If it fits within those guidelines – this is good, hold on to it, hold onto it!

Grasp it!

Don’t let go.

If it pulls you away from God if it causes you to put yourself before showing love and mercy to others, if it is contrary to any of God’s commands, then drop it.

For it is bad, it is evil.

That is the simple test – if it helps you know God and shows love to your neighbor – hang on to it.  If it doesn’t completely stay away from it.

And if you do that – living joyfully, giving all your burdens and anxieties to God, and being thankful in all things becomes something that you can begin to do, for nothing is impeding the work of the Holy Spirit!

Here is where it happens!

If we struggle to do the things we should do as God’s people, then we need help.

The Holy Spirit provides that help and more, as the Apostle Paul also states in this passage.

“Now may the God of peace make you holy, in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again!”

You see, it is God who saves us, who makes us, and keeps us blameless

This is the blessing that comes to those who trust in God and are baptized, as we are united to Jesus at His death for us on the cross, and with His resurrection.

Not just forgiving our sins once, and leaving it up to us, but giving us the promise that in Him, every sin is forgiven.

That as James writes, we can confess our sin and know He is faithful to forgive sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

It is that ongoing ministry of God, His keeping us blameless through His words, through remembering the promises of our baptism, to the promises here as we commune with Him at the altar, that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

You see, being holy, isn’t about being perfect.

We can try.

We must try!

But holy at its root, means to be set apart.

If Dr. Larry in his chemistry lab doesn’t set apart certain pieces of equipment to deal with this chemical and not others, explosive things might happen!

For example, his students could accidentally make nitro-glycerin.

(By the way, that is why Pastor Parker was never allowed to take chemistry!)

Certain things need to be set apart for everyone’s good.

That setting something apart is what is at the meaning of the word “holy.”

and the other word which translates from the same Greek word, “sanctification.”

God makes us holy, in every way, as the Spirit brings us to life in Jesus, and then keeps us holy, giving us the desire for that relationship.

When we do sin, the Spirit reminds us and urges us to run to God and ask for forgiveness, depending on His promises.

This is how God makes us holy, His special people.

As He does so, we are thankful to Him for all He does, assured that He loves us

We learn to continually pray, giving to Him all that concerns us in prayer, all that worries us, all that grieves us.

And we live in joy, knowing the love and mercy and peace of our God.

For He has promised, and God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful!  AMEN!

One more time, hear the blessing and promise the Apostle Peter gave us today,

²³ Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ²⁴ God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

Amen?  AMEN!