“Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.” Leviticus 20:7-8

We used to sing a chorus in our church, and it came to my mind when I read this verse in Leviticus:

A vessel of honor for God

A vessel of honor for God

Sanctified, holy, that I might be.

A vessel of honor for God

To sanctify something is to set it apart for God’s exclusive use and purpose. God had chosen Israel as His special people, to serve Him and eventually be the means of all nations knowing Him. In this passage in Leviticus, He instructed them to sanctify themselves and be holy. They were to keep His laws because He was the Lord who had sanctified them. As we read the Old Testament, we see that they gradually turned away from the path the Lord had for them, served other gods, and failed to live the way God had planned.

But God’s plan for mankind had not changed, and when the time was right, He came to earth, took upon Himself the form of flesh, and gave His life freely on the cross to redeem us from our sins. All of those who accept Him as their Saviour, are now His chosen people.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: I Peter 2:9

As His chosen ones, how does the Lord sanctify us?

  • The Word of God – John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
  • Work of the Holy Spirit – “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.” I Thessalonians 5:23
  • Fellowship with Believers – “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25
  • A daily, consistent walk with the Lord – “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:24-25

Prayer: Lord, it is such a privilege to know you, to be one of your chosen and I desire to draw closer to you, to walk in the paths of holiness, and to be ready for your return.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

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