“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” 1 Thess. 5:23-24
Holy and loving Father, this Gospel-soaked passage makes us weep and dance. Weep over what we missed out on for so long; and dance because we’re finally coming alive to the ways and means of your grace.
From beginning to end, our salvation is from you, by you, and for your glory. You called us to life in Jesus, are transforming us to be like Jesus, and you will keep us blameless for Jesus. Little wonder you’re called “the God of peace,” for nowhere else can such peace and be found. It’s staggering, freeing, and hope-supersizing: Because of what you have done for us in Jesus, we are called, calmed, cherished and changing … all by grace, all the time, all for you.
Father, how did we miss the “goodness” of the good news of the Gospel for so long? Jesus is to be our “portion” before he’s our pattern—out substitute to trust before he’s our model to follow. Yep, we are saved by works, but by Jesus’ work on our behalf, not by our anything.
As we seek to make more of Jesus, we trust you to make us more like Jesus. Paul boldly declared in this passage, you are faithful and you will do it. We equally declare, with boldness and joy, “Hallelujah, and thank you!” So Very Amen.