December 11 Petition Mission

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Thess 5:23-24).

In this magnificent request, the apostle Paul declares the INTENT of God’s plan: to sanctify you completely, that is, to bring you into alignment with His character, especially His peace. This explains the CONTENT of the plan: peace is not merely the end of hostilities against the warring forces against us, but a perfect sense that things are finally as they should be, the kind of perfect rest in His New Creation that the Lord enjoyed on the completion of the first. He also reveals the EXTENT of the plan: “your whole spirit, soul, and body.” There will be no vestige of the old life left: an imperishable body, an incorruptible soul, and an indestructible spirit! And the PORTENT? The promised coming (parousia, presence) of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, continue to do it in me today.