Your Daily Devotional for April 7, 2006

April 7, 2006

 

A Recipe for Godly Living

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

1 Thessalonians 5:22-23

 

As the Apostle Paul concludes his epistle to the church at Thessalonica, he admonishes the believers to sanctify themselves. To “sanctify” means to separate for a purpose. How do we appear to the world? Your outward appearance should testify that you’re a Christian and living for God. Our lives should be indicative of God’s presence. Someone ought to be able to look at a young lady and know that there’s something different about her.  People ought to be able to look at a young man and know that he has some morals. Too many believers today are teetering at the very edge of sin. The Apostle Paul warns us in today’s verses to abstain even from the minutest appearance of evil.

 

This verse has many practical applications. I’ve made it a practice in my life not to step into a liquor store even if all I want to get is a pack of gum or sunflower seeds. I don’t ever want to be someone’s excuse for not coming to know the Saviour.  In the same way, teenagers, your manner of dress should be a statement to others that you belong to Christ.  I don’t want my kids to wear any apparel that would even hint of any interest to the devil’s crowd. Moms and dads, think about this: Are your homes void of the appearance of evil? Does your fridge contain alcoholic beverages? Are there magazines on your coffee table that suggest a worldly or perverse lifestyle? 

 

Friends, our lives should be set apart. This includes our internet, forms of entertainment, and the type of music we listen to. In this day of utter confusion, it is imperative to take the right stand. We ought to step back from any winds of doctrine that come our way. In Romans 15:16, Paul mentions that he was “sanctified by the Holy Ghost.”  On the same token, the Apostle describes the Corinthian church as being “sanctified in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:2)  We are set apart for a purpose at the moment of salvation. The devil can’t have us anymore. We can put a sign on our heart that says, “Under New Management.” Positionally, we’re there already in Christ, but sanctification is also a process of growing more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. 

 

We are also sanctified through the Word of God. Ephesians 5:26 speaks of being sanctified and cleansed by the washing of the word. Abstaining from any appearance of evil is not going to happen by merely having a list of do’s and don’ts. Don’t get me wrong. I believe that godly parents should have guidelines in their home for their kids to follow, but it goes far deeper than having a list. It begins in our heart. 

 

Let’s not tell the Lord that He can only have us on Sundays. We must allow God to sanctify us not only in part, but “wholly.”

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