Set yourselves apart

And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” – Joshua 3.5

I love studying the topic of sanctification, or setting apart. About 12 years ago I did an extensive study of the topic in work towards my master’s thesis. I have a whole library of books on the topic – I know, my slave driving wife just had me redoing the library in my office (please read humour into this post). I remember coming across this verse while working in the paper and it still sticks in my mind.

‘Sanctify yourselves’ God says ‘because tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.’

So here’s what is happening. God had already set His people apart from the rest of the world. They were His chosen people. He sanctified them as His own.

But now He tells the nation to sanctify themselves in preparation to enter the Promised Land.

Sanctification is a two part process. God sets us apart at salvation. He makes us His. Immediately our salvation is secure because He sets us apart from the world. That is His work.

But we have a part in our day to day setting apart from the world. ‘Don’t be conformed to the world’ Paul writes in Roman, but be transformed by a renewed mind.’ But before that he says the same thing Joshua says in slightly different words – ‘present your bodies a living sacrifice.’

When we set ourselves apart to Him we see God do great wonders in our midst. We are already His, nothing can change that. But as we sanctify ourselves we get to see all the great things He can do in our lives.