"A Sanctified Soul" (2 Timothy 2:21b)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/3/2025 9:53 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                Focus:  “A Sanctified Soul”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  2 Timothy 2:21b

 

            Message of the verse:  “sanctified.”

 

            We will be looking this morning at a second characteristic of a vessel for honor, which is a sanctified soul.  The word sanctified is from the Greek word hagiazo, which has the basic meaning of being set apart.  I will now put what my Online Bible dictionary has to say about the word sanctified.

 

37 ἁγιάζω hagiazo hag-ee-ad’-zo

 

From 40; v; TDNT-1:111,14;  {See TDNT 14 }

 

AV-sanctify 26, hallow 2, be holy 1; 29

 

To make holy, consecrate, sanctify

1) to dedicate, separate, set apart for God

1a) Of things {Mt 23:17,9 2Ti 2:21 }

1b) Of persons: Christ {Joh 10:36 17:19 }

2) To purify, make conformable in character to such dedication

2a) Forensically, to free from guilt {1Co 6:11 Eph 5:26 Heb 2:11 10:10,14,29 13:12 }

2b) Internally, by actual sanctification of life {Joh 17:17,19 Ac 20:32 26:18 Ro 15:16 1Co 1:2 7:14 1Th 5:23 Re 22:11 }

2c) Of a non-believer influenced by marriage with a Christian {1Co 7:14 }

3) In the intermediate sense of ceremonial or levitical purification

3a) Of things {2Ti 2:21 }

3b) Of persons {Heb 9:13 }

4) To treat as holy {Mt 6:9 Lu 11:2 1Pe 3:15}

 

            Now if we look at sanctification in a negatively way it means set apart from sin, and positively, it means he is set apart for God so a believer is set apart from sin and set a part for what the Lord desires for him to do for the cause of Christ.  MacArthur writes “Just as the vessels in the tabernacle and temple were set apart from all mundane uses and dedicated solely to God and His service, so are those believers who are vessels of honor in the church.  Their supreme purpose as Christians, the purpose from which all duties derive, is to serve God.  For that they keep themselves pure.  It would be inconceivable that a vessel could alternate between being used for vile waste and for food for guests.  An honorable vessel is kept pure.”

 

            He goes on to say that “sanctified translates a perfect passive participle, indicating a condition that already exists.  When we trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, He immediately ‘became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption’ (1 Cor. 1:30).  Every believer has been chosen by God ‘from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth’ (2 Thess. 2:13; cf. 1 Peter 1:2).  Salvation itself is a sanctification setting us apart to God.  But it also is the beginning of a lifelong process.  It is both a reality and a progressive experience.”

 

            “Christians not only are sanctified by having a right relationship to God but also are being sanctified as they grow in fulfilling God’s purpose of righteous living.  That is the meaning of the term used here.  ‘For this is the will of God, your sanctification,’ Paul declares; ‘that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality….For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification’ (1 Thess. 4:3, 7).  The sanctified life is a life of purity, holiness, and godliness.  It is a vessel for honor, worthy for the Lord to use.

 

            “Now on the negative side, the believer is being sanctified, or set apart, from unrighteousness. Our new, redeemed life in Christ is to be in stark contrast to our former, unsaved life.  ‘For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so no present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification’ (Rom. 6:19; cf. v. 22).  Honorable vessels are separated from sin, from the world, from the flesh, from Satan, and from the self-will of the old self.”

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This is a tall order for follow, but I know that the only way to be faithful in following what the Lord desires me to do is to remember that the Holy Spirit of God lives in me to cause me to live for Christ, and also because I can read and study the Word of God each day, and then also by being a part of a Bible believing church.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to do the things that I am to do for the cause of Christ which I mentioned in the section above.

 

3/3/2025 10:36 AM