As we wrestle with decisions, a good question to ask is “Will this make me more like Jesus?” “Will this make me more holy?” If there are multiple job offers, ask which one will make you more like Jesus. If there are multiple choices on the dating front, ask which person will help you know Jesus more.
Pastors are often asked questions about God’s will for a particular decision someone is facing. “How do I know which job is God’s will for me?” Or which relationship? Or which city to live in? Often I do not know the answer to a question about God’s will in a specific situation, but I can always point to one thing I know for sure is God’s will. And it is not a small matter. In fact, if we understand this and commit to this, the answer to a lot of decisions becomes clearer.
“For this is God’s will, your sanctification” (I Thessalonians 4:3). The word sanctification means to bet set apart.
- In the Old Testament the Sabbath is set apart from other days (Genesis 2:3).
After God rescued His people from Egyptian slavery, He commanded them to set apart the firstborn son in every family to Him (Exodus 13:2).