16 Jan Measuring Shorts
During our, “Say My Name” series this last Sunday, we took a look at Jehovah M’kaddesh. We learned that Jehovah M’kaddesh means, the Lord who sanctifies. As I prepared for that message, my mind went back to my early days as a believer. In those days, we were constantly taught that after you made a decision to follow the Lord you needed to move on to step two. Step two was referred to as sanctification.
Sanctification, in those days, had a different meaning to many in the church. I will say that everyone did not fall into this category, but there was in fact a substantial amount of church leaders and attendees who functioned in this manner. They made sanctification about our outward appearance. For example, I remember one of the local church leaders telling a woman who was very new to the church that she was not welcome back if she was going to continue to wear pants to church. Needless to say, she took him up on the offer of not coming back. I remember another church leader that has a measuring stick for all the teens who were about to board a bus for a day trip to a theme park. If anyone attempting to board the bus had shorts that were an inch or more above their knees, they were told to change or they would not be permitted to go on the trip. This, by the way, was the middle of July and it was ridiculously hot outside. Again, another example of what sanctification is not. I could provide a sizeable list of other examples, but I know you guys are smart and you get what I am saying.
Sanctification in those days had become a long list of don’ts and a minute list of do’s. There was more focus on the outer appearance that the heart, and as one might imagine, this did not sit well with many. I would go as far as to say, this turned many off from church. Sanctification is not a list of manmade rules; it is a matter of the heart. The Hebrew word sanctification means to be made holy. We know that God is holy. Not once, but twice, we see passages where the angels in the throne room address him as Holy, Holy, Holy (Isaiah 6, Revelation 4).
When God talks about being the Lord who Sanctifies us, He is essentially saying, I want to make you holy like I am. Sanctification is not a long list of rules, it occurs when we have a hunger/desire to be more like Him. Sanctification is about us finding ways to be more like Him. Being more like Him will take some extra time out of our day. Being more like him will require us to consider things we are part of. Are these things leading us down a path of being more like him (Holy)?
I want to challenge you to do something. Can you take a week, or at the least a couple days, and write down your daily activities. At the end of that time period, and based on what you recorded, create three lists. One list of things that makes you closer to God. Another list that is neutral and may or not have a negative impact on you spiritually. Lastly, create a list of things that obviously do NOT lend to a closer relationship with the Lord.
Once you have that list, pay close attention to the second and third list and determine items that need to come off those lists. Once you know what is making you less productive as a believer, scratch those items and replace the items spent on those things, with something on your first list (things that make you closer to God). If you do this, you will likely find we have some pretty serious time wasters. We might also determine that some of our everyday things are not pleasing to God.
If we really desire to be more like Him, to be Holy, we may have to make some adjustments. But if we do this, our relationship with Him will begin to flourish in 2021. I have already mentioned this a couple times, but I believe 2021 is a year of sanctification for Lake Hills Church and for the church in general. God’s desire for us is to be closer to Him, more like Him. I can’t get those thoughts out of my head and my heart since the first of the year.
Once again, sanctification is NOT a list of rules, but a desire to make us more like God (who is Holy, Holy, Holy). The faint in heart are going to have a difficult time in 2021, but those who desire sanctification, and pursue it, will flourish. Let’s go after God this year!