Psalm 4:3
This text
speaks of a very important and profound subject in a manner that the simplest
of us ought to understand. The subject
is sanctification, but it is not what some people call sanctification. To some sanctification is the eradication of
the old evil nature so that the sanctified one cannot sin anymore. That is not what is meant by sanctification
in the Bible. Sanctification is the
setting apart of one to be dedicated to the service of God. Just one example is the case of Jesus
Himself. Jesus said in John 17:19, "And
for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through
the truth." Now in the first
place Jesus had no evil nature to eradicate, so that cannot be the
meaning. He did set Himself apart, and
He dedicated Himself to serving the Father.
Let the believer then abstain
from sin as much as possigle, but in sanctification let him know that he does
have sin, but let him set himself apart and be didicated to serving the Holy
Father.
In Psalm
4:3 let us look at who the sanctified are.
It is him that is godly. The
original meaning of this word was "kind" or one who bows the neck to
one's peer. This certainly should be a
characteristic of the godly. In modern
language the word has come to mean pious ones, or worshippers of God. The text states that the LORD has set apart
(sanctified) him that is godly. This
does not mean that God sanctifies one because of that one's holiness. The quicker we learn that the only holiness
we have is that given of God to us, the better we shall be. There are no efforts, however many or however
energized, that can make the believer godly.
In 2 Thess.
2:13 we read, "...God
hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth:" This
would teach us that the sanctification of the godly began before man was ever
created. In the beginning God through
the sanctification of the Spirit chose a people for Christ and set them apart
unto salvation.
Let us
note for Whom the godly are set apart.
The text says it is for Himself. that is for God, Himself. He has set those, whom He has made godly,
apart for his own habitation. In Eph. 2:22 we read "In
whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the
Spirit." You see though we
enjoy the benefits of it, our entire salvation is not made for us but for the
Lord's glory. Note 1 Cor. 6:19, 20, "What?
know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God's."
Let us
note particularly Who the Sanctifier is.
It is the Lord Who began the work in eternity before the worlds were
created. Notice 2 Thess.
2:13 quoted 2
paragraphs above. Note Phil. 2:13,
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure." See it is not only
God Who works in us what good works we have, but it is also God Who works in us
the will to do them. He also continues
to so work as we see in Phil. 1:6,
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
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