SANCTIFY YOURSELVES

Sanctify Yourselves

   Lev 20:7, 8  "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy:  for I am the LORD your God. 

And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you." 

       I suppose it would be safe to say that most people think of sanctification as the eradication of the evil nature so that one can not sin any more.  Yet we find that no where in scripture.  Instead our Lord said, "I sanctify myself."  If sanctify means to eradicate the evil nature, and if Christ would sanctify Himself, that would mean that He had an evil nature which He would eradicate.  That is a blasphemous thought.

       Here in verse 7 the Lord's people were com- manded to sanctify themselves.  In the preceding context we learn that they had been offering their children in sacrifice to false gods.  His command to sanctify themselves was to abstain from this impious practice.  In the original 10 command- ments they were commanded to have no other gods before Him, Jehovah.  It meant they were to separate themselves unto the Holy God, and thus be holy themselves.
       They were to do this because of Who He was.  He was the Lord, and He was their and our God.  I repeat He was holy :7.

       They were to sanctify themselves, and so are we to do because of God's command.  They were to keep His commandments because of His sanctification.  This sanctification is also to be done because of what He has done for us. He said to them in verse 8 "...I am the LORD which sanctify you." 

       He has sanctified us in election when out of all people of the world God gave to Christ a people.  Jesus said all that the Father has given me shall come to me, John 6:37a.  He sanctified (separated) us in a holy calling 2 Thess. 2:13, 14 "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:    Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

       He has also sanctified us in justification and glorification.  See Rom. 8:30, "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."   Having these wonderful blessings, are you obedient to sanctify yourself?