1st Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLV - May the God of peace set you apart for Himself. May every part of you be set apart for God. May your spirit and your soul and your body be kept complete. May you be without blame when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. The One Who called you is faithful and will do what He promised.
1/29/07-1/31/07
It is God Himself who has set us apart for Him, and He desires to have all of us completely surrendered over to Him alone. We have been justified and made blameless by the blood of Christ. God is the One who has called us and what He began He will complete for He is the faithful and true (Revelation 19:11)* who does what He promises. God has said, “Be holy for I am holy.”(1 Peter 1:15-16) This is the essence of what it means to be set apart. It also means that we offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). However, even though God commands it of us, this is not something that we can do by ourselves or in our own strength. Like everything that God commands of us, He must also work it in us by His Holy Spirit and we must ask that He do so. For we must realize that such work is impossible for us, but that all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26). Therefore, we pray, “Our Father, You have called us to be Yours, set aside for You that we might be conformed to the likeness of Christ and live our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). For the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ who purchased us for this very reason, set us apart for Yourself that our whole selves would belong to You, dedicated to You, and used by You. Lord, call Your people out from the world to be separate (2nd Corinthians 6:16-18) and unite us to Yourself that all may see that we have been made holy by You. May we become a light in this darkness, a city on a hill (Matthew 5:13-15). May we so shine for You that the world may believe. Father, call Your children into a life of holiness – lived for You and seeking after You to the praise of Your glory and grace. Be glorified in us*, oh, our God, every day of our lives and from now through forever. Hear us now and for the sake of Your great name, answer us, oh, Lord. Amen.”
*See the song Take All of Me on the Faithwriters link.
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