"For it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer" (1 Timothy 4:5).
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
In the dictionary 'to sanctify' is defined as 'to make holy and purify'. Spiritually 'to become sanctified' means that one who fell away due to sins receives the grace of salvation through Jesus Christ, changes by faith and the power of the Spirit, and achieves pure heart void of evil. It is to resemble the Lord and recover the image of God.
By accepting Jesus Christ and receiving forgiveness of sins, we are deemed children of God, who is holy. But we still need to circumcise our hearts, become sanctified, and resemble the Lord. Only after becoming sanctified can we understand God's heart and will, extend His kingdom, and glorify Him.
Since God is holy, as the children of God sanctification is our duty and our ultimate goal in our Christian lives. If we really have faith and know the love of God, then we must circumcise our hearts every day and advance towards sanctification. So, let's look into how to become sanctified.
1. We have to look into ourselves with the word of life
As said in 1 Timothy 4:5, "For it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer," we have to arm ourselves with the Word of God to become His holy children. We should not mistakenly think that just because we have vast knowledge of the Word we can become sanctified. When we read the Bible or listen to sermons, we must apply what we realize to our lives and try to change ourselves. If not, then we are apt to have faith that is only knowledge. This may lead to committing such sins as disobedience or judging and condemning others.
For example, you summarized a sermon from the Love Chapter about rejoicing with the truth as follows: "Those who rejoice with the truth are not jealous when others are recognized and loved more by others. If you think of their shortcomings, have uncomfortable feelings, and even implicitly speak of their shortcomings; it means you are not rejoicing with the truth. You should not get discouraged thinking why you are falling behind others though you try hard, but you have to rejoice as if you were praised."
Once this is done you have to reflect upon yourself using this message. When you check yourself thinking about whether or not you really rejoiced with the truth about everybody and whether you really rejoiced when others were better-off than yourself, you can look into your heart through the works of the Holy Spirit.
You will be reminded of not having rejoiced with the truth in certain situations and reminded that you got discouraged through envy and jealousy. Now you have to cast off such untruths in you and cultivate love in your heart. If you lack such an effort, you won't be able to cultivate holiness as quickly and it means that you are lacking in spiritual faith.
The thing is, although we reflect upon ourselves with the Word, it cannot lead us to holiness by itself. Suppose we realized we had some untruths in us. Sometimes, we can be full of the Spirit and joy just through that realization. We think we won't get discouraged any longer but rejoice with the truth. But after some time, we find ourselves acting in the same way as in the past. The fact is the nature of untruths was not actually removed. If we just enjoy the blessing of realization without moving on, we cannot but remain in the same level. On finding untruths, we must cast them away quickly by praying fervently. Then, we can achieve sanctification.
2. We have to pray fervently in the fullness of the Spirit
Let's say that we have done the self-examination through the Word of God we've reflected upon ourselves. We must now cast away untruths and fill up with truth with the grace and strength of God and the help of the Holy Spirit. To do this, ardent prayers are a must.
Using eloquent speech or just shouting in a loud voice is not praying fervently. We have to earnestly and truthfully ask God with all our heart and pray through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Those who pray fervently on their knees with all their hearts can quickly become filled with the Holy Spirit even when they are tired.
Suppose a leader who has been a Christian for a long time is filled with worries and is lacking in happiness and joy while praying. How could he expect to receive God's answer? If we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness first as said in Matthew 6:33, we won't be faced with any worries. We have to hold on to the Word, pray in detail about what we realized and what we will have to accomplish.
Ephesians 6:18 says, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." When we pray in the Spirit, a strong yet clear voice will come out. To the people sitting next to us the sound of the prayer should also be good. Even though we do not think of the words that are spoken in prayer, they tend to flow out like spring water. When we pray properly we will have the evidence of our lives being actually changed.
Many people pray for a long time, but regretfully, many of them cannot offer up the aroma of prayer that God can accept. They pray they want to realize the original evil in them but they ignore the advice of others. They pray that they want to be gentle and holy, but they easily get irritated in uncomfortable situations. Externally such prayers seem to be seeking holiness, but in fact it is a prayer that seeks one's own and is done with selfish desires. I hope you will check whether your prayers are really the ones that ask for holiness with all your heart, which gives God the aroma of prayer to bring down the answer.
3. We have to look up to and obey the Lord and the shepherd
We have to look up to the Lord and hear His voice, for He is the Chief Shepherd. Those who look up to the Lord will also look up to and obey the shepherd who leads them in the truth.
A flock can get good grass only when they hear and follow the voice and guidance of the shepherd. If there are any ferocious animals or danger, they can avoid them and be protected by the shepherd. God's holy children are not living their lives just for themselves. They have a sense of duty and responsibility to the church and toward church members.
So, they always have to watch and understand the shepherd's will and heart so that they can lead the church with one mind and heart. After all, what is the heart and will of the shepherd? It is to seek only for the glory of God. It is also the souls' salvation, holiness, and blessing. So, if they are united with the shepherd and put their focus on his heart and will, they can more quickly become sanctified and go into spirit and whole spirit.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I urge you to always reflect upon yourself through the holiness gospel, change yourself through fervent prayers, and become united with the Lord and the shepherd to seek only for the kingdom and glory of God. In doing so, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will receive all the glory and rewards that God has in store for you.
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