I need to be in shape for this. . .

We have literally dozens of mugs in our kitchen cupboard. When someone visits and happens to get a mug from the cupboard themselves, they might pick one that is set apart. You know, the mug that ‘belongs’ to one person in the household and no one else uses it. My husband has his with writing that says, “Born to golf, forced to work.” Mine is a double-sized burnt orange, and our granddaughter has one with Homer Simpson on it. Set apart mugs, just for us.

In Scripture, the idea of being set apart uses a religious-sounding word. Those set apart for God are called “sanctified.” In some cases, people becomes sanctified by offering themselves to God, but most of the time this term is used for those God sets apart for Himself. He does that so He can use them to accomplish His will on earth.

This sounds a bit like slavery to those inexperienced. Just like a cup in the cupboard, are the people whom God has sanctified merely sitting around waiting until He tells them what to do? Are they unable to do anything else?

My study Bible says that all believers in Christ are set apart for God and His purposes, doing only what He wants, hating all that He hates. This is an initial event in our lives, but also progressive. We belong to God and live for God, but it takes awhile for us to learn how to act like it. It also says “sanctification is accomplished by means of the truth.”

I wrote about that yesterday. Truth does not enslave people. It sets us free. Without it, we are slaves to all sorts of things, slaves to sin, to selfishness, to fear and worry. When we believe lies, those lies motivate us to negative thinking and behavior. Truth is freedom, and truth sets us apart for God.

Jesus prayed, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. . . . Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.”

Jesus never did anything other than the will of God. He was actively engaged in the world, healing the sick, blessing and loving people. That His life was not spent on a shelf clearly proves that sanctification is never boring. He also ate, drank, slept, enjoyed His friends, and did all the things people do. Sanctification is not a pious, I’m-too-holy-to-be real kind of existence either.

Jesus knows total truth and in that knowledge is totally free from bondage. Sanctification is that—knowing truth and being free to talk, live, do truth. And this is a most joyful thing.

Yesterday I woke up thinking “He is risen” and even though it was only Easter Saturday, the truth of the resurrection filled me with such joy that I even told God, “I don’t think I can be this happy all day—it takes too much energy!”

Just before we ate, being sanctified meant God gave me a job to do. Our family sat down to the dinner table and I read Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15 about the reality and significance of the resurrection. As he said, if Jesus did not rise, then we who believe in Him are pitiful, but He did rise and because of that, we glorify God.

I knew God wanted me to read this, even though there were several present who do not believe in Him. Never mind. The joy of doing His will overwhelmed me. Sanctification is not a ‘grit your teeth and do it’ sacrifice, but an incredibly wonderful privilege.

I don’t think I could handle such a privilege every moment of every day though. After everyone went home, I fell sound asleep on the sofa—totally exhausted (odd for a person who hardly ever take a nap). However, now I understand why God gives me those days now and then of being a bit like mug sitting on the shelf. I’m simply not in shape for the rigors of being set apart!