Though I usually use the New International Version of the Bible in my teaching and preaching, now and then some other version of a text captures the meaning of a Bible verse a little better.  Such is the case of this verse where I've gone to the RSV, the Revised Standard Version.  Today's title, "Wholly Holy," is a catchy little phrase, and it sums up fairly well what this message is all about.

          St. Paul tells us this morning, "May the God of peace Himself, sanctify you wholly; and may your body, soul and spirit be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Stated another way, we could say, "May God make you 'wholly holy' in life."

          With a title, "Wholly Holy," one might think we should sing, "Holy, Holy, Holy," but I didn't want this to get corny.  Some have said a good sermon ought to have a good beginning, a good ending and as short a distance in between as possible.  Sem profs told us every good sermon ought to have 2-3 points and last at least 15 minutes.  Puritan sermons had it reversed: they had fifteen points and lasted 2-3 hours.  Luther's sermons usually lasted a full hour and people heard them standing up.  I once heard of a little boy coming home after attending church alone and being asked by his mother, "Son, what was the pastor's sermon about?"  After a thoughtful pause, the boy replied, "I don't know. He didn't say."

          A sermon ought to have a point to it, and so should the Christian life.  It should have a reason why we live for Jesus.  Our physical life begins at birth, and our spiritual life begins by rebirth in Holy Baptism.  And we people usually hope there will be a long time between the beginning and the end of our life.

          One point I'd like to make today is that we are here for a greater purpose than simply to be born.  Even spiritual rebirth is not all there is.  Christian author Francis Schaeffer titled one of his books, How Then Shall We Live?  Another Christian author, Ralph Neighbour, titled one of his books, Where Do We Go From Here?  Both are good questions and the answer can be summed up in a word that has a history of being misunderstood.  That word is "sanctification."

          We hear of sanctification now and then in church, but don't talk much about it.  Perhaps that's why it's so misunderstood.  We know that God definitely wants to sanctify us, but how and for what purpose?  What is sanctification and how does it happen?

          Sanctification has a fairly simple and direct meaning.  The word comes from two Latin words: sanctus, meaning holy, and facio, meaning to make something happen.  Sanctification, then, means "to be made holy."  And it's a process.  It doesn't happen all at once, but over a long period, usually a lifetime.  God wants us to be made more holy than we are today, and the Holy Spirit helps make this happen.

          Sanctification is the process whereby we come to be more like Jesus.  St. Paul says in our text, "May the God of peace Himself, sanctify you wholly; and may your body, soul and spirit be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

          A college football coach was talking with a high school prep star.  The young man had been recruited by no less than 50 colleges and universities.  His game films looked great and the coach was convinced the young man would be a stand-out at the college level.  The coach had received a phone call from his parents telling him their son would like to attend the coach's college and play ball for him.  As quickly as he could, the coach went to see the young man and his family.  The introductions went well and the coach was warmly welcomed into their midst.  He spoke highly of the academics and the sports program telling the recruit and his family how he would play on a major college level and graduate with a degree which would have him ready for a job later on.

          The coach and the recruit went for a walk and the coach asked, "Can you run?"  "Sure!" came the reply.  "Last year I ran two four-minute miles."  The coach grinned and continued, "Can you kick?"  The young man answered, "Sure!  I kicked several footballs out of the stadium during the last two seasons."  Writing furiously in a notepad, the coach asked, "Can you tackle?"  "I put 5 guys in the hospital last fall," boasted the recruit.  "How about your grades?  I can't use you if you can't pass your classes."  "Not a problem, coach.  I've had straight A's since kindergarten."  The coach could hardly contain himself as he asked the last question, "Do you have any faults?"  After a long pause, the youth answered, "Well, I do have a tendency to stretch the truth a bit."

          Sounds like that young fellow needs his life sanctified!  Telling the truth is a big part of it.  Jesus once said, "The truth shall set you free." (John 8:32)   Sanctification means we are made holy and set apart for God's use.  It means we are changed by God for the better.  St. Paul often calls New Testament believers "saints."  Saints are "holy ones" who have been set apart by God.  The point is that God has set us apart in the new birth so that He can continue this process in our lives.

          How does the Holy Spirit sanctify us, or make us "wholly holy?"  One important way is through studying the Bible.  The more we read it, hear about it, and learn what it says, the more we will know what it says and do it.  The Bible is God's answer book.  It's the place we go to know what He wants to tell us.  If a football player wants to play on the team, he has to learn the team playbook.  That's our Bible, and though it may seem confusing at times, the more you study it, the more clear it becomes.  The Holy Spirit opens our minds and hearts to hear what it says.

          Another important way is through regular worship.  In worship services, we hear God's Word explained and applied to life.  If a sermon doesn't help you in your Christian life, even just a little, it's no good.  Worship services aren't meant to be tours through a museum, where we enjoy a glimpse here and there of some old grandeur.  Worship services are to be more like a trip to the Emergency Room, where we find out what's the problem and how to treat it.  Regular worship is very important in our sanctification, our becoming holy.

          A third way we're wholly holy is through prayer.  Prayer is a heart-to-heart talk with God.  In prayer we make contact with God.  We find answers for our questions, and solutions for our problems.  Prayer helps us seek the Lord and His will.  As we pray in different situations, God shows us a better way, a sanctified way, the way Jesus would take.

          But the most important part of sanctification is faith, faith in Jesus Christ.  Sanctification begins in the heart.  By nature you and I are enemies of God, even enemies of people.  We are more selfish than loving, more self-centered than God-centered.  But with faith in our hearts, you and I accept and appreciate the blessings of God's grace.  The Holy Spirit creates in our hearts a gratitude and love for God.  St. John tells us, "We love Him because He first loved us."  (1 John 4:19)   With faith in Jesus, our life and our attitudes are changed.  But that means we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, and not look away.

          Last Wednesday when it was so cold, I was driving down a hill.  For just a moment - a split second - I took my eyes off the car in front of me.  When I looked back, that car had stopped, and though I was going slowly, the car slid and I had to drive onto the sidewalk to avoid a crash.  Taking your eye off the road for only a moment can cause a wreck, and it's the same in our Christian life.  If you take your eyes off Jesus our Savior, for a week, a day or even an hour, it can lead to an awful wreck in life.  You and I must keep our eyes on Jesus every moment.

          The sanctified life makes friends out of enemies.  Our view of life changes, and our value of the things of life changes.  God helps us put the things of the world into perspective.  No longer are our toys so important, but people are.  No longer is the world so important, but heaven is.  The sins we did so often begin to go away, not all at once, though some do.  But each day brings a new blessing of good things done, rather than the same old sins.  And all because the Holy Spirit now lives within us.  He gives us grace to do better, speak better and live better.

          A man and his wife wanted to get back to nature, so they bought a few acres in the country.  They built a small cabin on the only open place they could find and started to clear the land of rocks so they could plant grain.  But when they took away the big rocks, they saw lots of medium-sized stones hidden by the big ones.  Then when they took away the medium-sized stones, they saw all kinds of pebbles hidden beneath.  And only when they gathered up all the pebbles could they finally plant their grain.  Sanctification is like that - it's a lifelong process of cleaning up our lives.  We fix one area, and God shows us another.  But we keep working, and we let the Lord show us what He wants us to do, and how He wants us to change.

          In Jesus Christ we are wholly holy.  I know it sounds goofy, but it's true.  On the cross He removed our sins.  By His resurrection we know He is God's Son.  And He sent us the Holy Spirit that we might be sanctified.  Just as sin comes from the heart, so also comes any good deed.  The Holy Spirit changes our hearts, make them better, and that is the essence of sanctification.  This Advent, may God lead us to rejoice in the good changes He brings us, especially through faith in Jesus Christ, amen!

Copyright © 2005 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.