“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬

As Paul the Apostle closes his first letter to the Christians at Thessalonica, he prays for their sanctification. Notice that the source of their sanctification is the God of peace. The scope includes every part of their being (“completely”). He is not praying that the sin nature be eradicated from them, but that every part of them—spirit, soul, and body—be set apart for God.

Our spirit is that part of us which enables us to have communion with God. It is the part of us that allows us to understand and reason spiritually. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” We might say that our spirit is our God-consciousness—the part of us that enables us to relate to Him. This relates to our spiritual life, affecting our worship and our prayer.

Our soul has to do with our emotions, desires, affections, and inclinations. The word for “soul” here is where we get our word “psychic.” It relates more to our self-consciousness. The Lord uses this same word in John 12:27 when He said, “My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

Our body is the house in which our person dwells—“our earthly house,” as 2 Corinthians 5:1 reminds us. This relates to our world-consciousness.

For our spirit, God desires that we be set apart from anything that would defile us. As 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” This ensures that nothing hinders the testimony of the Holy Spirit in our lives or our relationship with God as His children (Romans 8:16). It also ensures that nothing interferes with our worship, for God is seeking worshipers who “must worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:23–24).

Our soul, which is the seat of our emotions, must be set apart from evil thoughts. As the Lord said, “Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man” (Matthew 15:18–19). We are also called to abstain from fleshly desires that war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11).

Our body is likewise to be kept from defilement and sinful use (1 Thessalonians 4:3–8; Romans 6:19). It is to be yielded to God as an instrument of righteousness.

Ankerpunt voor vandaag:
The Lord desires that all three areas of our lives—spirit, soul, and body—be sanctified, preserved, and blameless when He returns. This means that in every area we are to be set apart for God, preserved by Him, and blameless before others, giving no legitimate grounds for accusation.