Benediction (1 Thess. 5:23-24)

This sermon was preached on 18/4/2010

Both the Old and New Testaments contain several benedictions, which indicates that flexibility is allowed in what is said through them. A benediction is not the same as a doxology – a doxology is a statement of praise. Most people, I think, regard a benediction as a form of prayer. Such a view is not wrong, but we need to be more specific when working out what it is. It is more a pronouncement than a petition, although it is composed of petitions. Further they are words that contain definite promises, which means that we cannot insert earthly matters into them (a benediction cannot specify that a congregation’s members will have health and wealth simply because there is no divine guarantee that God will give them). The focus of a benediction is God, sometimes on a particular attribute, at other times on God as the Trinity.

The character of God

Paul describes the Lord as the God of peace, and he has the Father in view. In calling him the God of peace, Paul includes the ideas of the Father being at peace with the Thessalonians and the Father providing peace for the Thessalonians. So the apostle wants his readers to think about their relationship with God and the resources they have in God.

At one time, the Father was not in a relationship of peace with them. Instead there was hostility and disagreement. They were opposed to God and under his wrath, facing punishment for their sins. The way they came into peace with him was by believing in Jesus and trusting in him for mercy. Paul tells the Roman Christians that because they were justified by faith in Christ they are now in a position of permanent peace with God. This state of peace is unchangeable, even by their subsequent sins. Of course, they will be chastised for such sins, but the chastisement is a family experience.

The resources that the Father has for his people are covered by the term ‘peace’. When two equal countries are in a state of peace they can contribute equally to one another’s requirements. If one country is very poor and the other is very rich, then the poor country receives help according to the resources of the wealthy country. In the spiritual world believers have nothing in themselves and everything they need is found in God. Under the umbrella of peace, we can place all that God does for them – pardon, providence working for their good, progress in the life of grace, promises kept, and the prospect of heaven.

Paul goes on to speak about sanctification, but he does so with the background of a permanent relationship of peace with the Father and the full availability of the Father’s provision to bring about full sanctification.

Complete sanctification

Paul’s expectation for his readers was based on God’s goal for them. God’s intention is to present all of them faultless before the presence of his glory. The occasion of complete sanctification will be the day of Jesus’ second coming. This is obvious because only then will the bodies of believers be fully sanctified, even if the souls of those of them who died are made so at their deaths.

Verse 23 has been at the centre of theological discussions regarding the nature of each human. Paul seems to indicate that each person has three parts – a spirit, a soul and a body. We can understand the distinction between one’s body and one’s inner life, but we find it difficult to distinguish between aspects of one’s inner life. Perhaps the following will help.

First, this threefold description of human nature is not the only description that God gives in his Word. Elsewhere he describes humans as having a mind, affections and a will. At other times, each of them are included in the general term ‘heart’. So it is possible to speak about human life in more than one way.

Second, the writer to the Hebrews (4:16) says that ‘the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’ In other words, the Bible can distinguish between the soul and the spirit. Some scholars suggest that spirit is that part of our make-up that relates to God and the soul is that which relates to other creatures and creaturely things such as enjoying music, appreciating art and other similar experiences.

Third, sometimes the Bible uses the terms spirit and soul interchangeably, as in the well-known response of Mary, the mother of Jesus, when she said in Luke 1:46-47: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.’ So whereas the above-mentioned distinction may be true at times, on other occasions the terms mean the same.

Fourth, Paul could be using terminology with which the Thessalonians as Greeks were familiar. We know that discussions of what was included in the composition of a human being were taking place in Greek society before, during and after the time of Paul. It may have been one popular way of describing the make-up of humans. If this is the case, it is an example of Paul using cultural terminology to explain spiritual realities.

Whatever is meant by soul and spirit, it is clear that Paul wanted the entirety of each believer to be sanctified, both in this life and on the day when Jesus returns. Sanctification involves the whole person.

In thinking about sanctification, we can observe that it is produced by God’s power, that it progresses in God’s realm of peace, that it involves the entire person, and includes all that will occur to a believer before the second coming of Jesus. Is sanctification 100% God’s power and zero% our involvement, or 90% God’s power and 10% our contribution, or 50% God’s power and 50% our input, or 100% God’s power and 100% our dedication? The answer is the last option. It is a work that God performs in us and through us, but we will be enabled to work out what he works into us.

Sanctification from one point of view takes place in an hostile environment influenced by the world, the flesh and the devil. Yet from another point of view it takes place in a peaceful environment: it is performed in and by those who are at peace with God and is achieved in those who experience the limitless range of God’s resources. Justification is the base of our sanctification and it is achieved in those who have been adopted into God’s family and who have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.

Further, sanctification always produces a balanced person. Healthy physical growth is in proportion. If one leg grows six inches less than the other we know there is something wrong. We also grow suitably in the spiritual life. For example, we cannot claim to be growing in love if we are argumentative all the time. The best example of balance growth is the list of graces mentioned by Paul as the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Balance also involves the body as well as the soul – we should not allow the body to become a means of sinful behaviour.

Sanctification also involves all that takes place between conversion and the consummation. At conversion, a sinner begins to live a holy life which develops as long as he lives; when he dies his soul becomes perfect, but his body does not. He is not completely holy until his body is resurrected and conformed to the glorified body of Jesus.

We should note how Paul speaks about the coming of Jesus because it is the final event in the long process of sanctification. The apostle looks forward to that great occasion because it will be the time when his body will be glorified (he speaks about this in Philippians 3:20-21 also). He is longing for it to come.

Why do we love Jesus? For many reasons. We love him for his beautiful character, for his stoning death, for his glorious resurrection, for his ascension and exaltation, for his intercession, and for what he will do for us at his second coming. He is the Lord, with all power, able to raise us from the dead and renew our whole man, and do it for all of us simultaneously if we trust in him. We like to see Christian progress in one another but we should desire intensely the perfection of us all in the future.

Paul’s confidence in the certainty of this great future event is not found in the intentions of Christians to live holy lives. Rather he bases his confidence in the faithfulness of God. Faithfulness is rare today. God is so different. He is faithful to his character, to his Word, to his promises, to his people. God cannot deny himself, nor can he contradict his Word or fail to keep his promises to his people. He is faithful when we are tempted (1 Cor. 10:13), faithful when pardoning us (1 John 1:9), faithful in chastening us (Ps. 119:75).

Some lessons

First, it is beneficial for us to think of individual attributes of God. Here Paul mentions two – peace and faithfulness. There are many more, and we should think about them often. It would be a good practice to think of one of them for ten minutes every day. When you go home tonight, take a sheet of paper and write on it ‘Monday, God’s omnipotence or power.’ Then tomorrow set apart ten minutes to apply that attribute to your life at present and write down the various aspects that it affects. Do it with another attribute on Tuesday.

Second, sanctification is by grace, which is the only reason why it becomes a certain goal. If it were left to ourselves, there would not be any progress in sanctification. We don’t make ongoing progress by good resolutions themselves. We need grace, and the good news is that grace works in the lives of those who trust in Christ.

Third, keep our eyes on the second coming. It has been observed that one of the problems of the instant society is that people have very little to look forward to. At one time, people saved up for something they wanted – they had a goal which affected their behaviour in the present. So much is going to happen to us when Jesus returns – resurrection, public declaration of acceptance by God, provision of the endless inheritance in the new heavens and new earth and reunion with other believers are some of the events that will occur.

We are in the middle of a general election campaign in which politicians are promising change. Such is fine at one level, although they don’t have the resources to keep their promises. It is so different with God. He will change us and make us perfect in holiness for ever.