1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 23Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24Faithful is the one who calls you, and he will do it.
These verses are givens as a prayer as Paul begins to close up his letter to the Thessalonians. Verse 23 uses the rare optative mood in Greek, which is used for prayers and wishes. These verses are also significant theologically and reveal Paul’s interpretation of God’s will for all people. In 4:3, he reminded the Thessalonians that it is God’s will for them to be sanctified. Now Paul tells them how this will happen. God’s will for us is to be entirely sanctified, to be completely made holy and restored to the image in which God created Adam and Eve. To be sanctified is to be given to God in consecration, to have the stain of sin removed so that we can be in God’s holy presence. Without holiness no one can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Paul defines what the word entirely (holoteleis) means. The word itself is made of two parts: whole and perfect. When the two parts are combined, it adds emphasis to the idea of totally and completely sanctified, with no parts left out. The idea of total sanctification is emphasized with the following word whole (holoklēron), which means that something is no longer damaged by sin but has been remade into Christ’s holy and loving image. Our transformation is not just a spiritual matter but includes our should and body. The triad spirit, soul, and body represent our whole being. There is no part that God does not change. The internal transformation of our thinking should lead to a change in how we live in our bodies. Even our bodies can be sanctified and become instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:19).
Paul emphasizes the holy quality of this change with the word blamelessly (amemptōs). He used the same word in his prayer in 3:13 for how God can establish believers hearts in holiness. This prayer echoes the earlier prayer with the hope of full sanctification with victory over sin and immorality and the power to love like God. Paul adds a time reference that God can keep us blameless until Jesus comes again. Paul essentially brings all of the major themes of the letter together in verse 23: holiness, moral living, and Jesus’ second coming. Our spiritual victory is not something that comes and goes with the ups and downs of life. We can live in holiness with victory over sin and temptation all the time.
The thoughtful reader may pause at the end of verse 23 and think, how is it possible for me to be blameless in holiness? No one is perfect; all of us sin. Paul answers that question in verse 24. God is the one who makes this possible. God’s call is for us to be holy (4:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16). God does not set us up for failure or ask us to do something he will not enable us to do. God is the power behind our entire sanctification. Our part is listen to the Holy Spirit in growing trust and obedience. Entire sanctification does not happen by accident but only with purpose. Entire sanctification does not mean that we will never sin or fail but that we are trusting in God to help us overcome temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). These verses are a powerful invitation to participate in God’s plan for us prepared before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-4).
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