“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (CSB).

I love these verses because they offer a powerful assurance. Paul prays for the complete Sanctification of the saints in Thessalonica. He prays they will be kept free from falsehood and also free from sin. He prays that they will be kept whole and complete at the time when Christ comes again.

And then Paul expresses his confidence and conviction that Christ WILL DO IT. He emphasizes not the faithfulness or goodness of those that he is writing to. Instead, he emphasizes the faithfulness and goodness of the one who called them. Because Jesus is faithful in all things, we can have an assurance that he will bring the work of Sanctification that begins when we put our trust in Christ to completion. We need not be discouraged or fearful because Christ is faithful.

When our faith is weak. When we are painfully aware of our own inadequacies and failings. When we doubt the enduring love of God. We can take confidence. Christ is faithful. He has called us his and he will bring us to completeness and wholeness in him. He will patiently and persistently bring us to Heaven where we can enjoy God’s presence for all eternity.