POSSESS YOUR VESSEL
1 Thessalonians 4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor.
What is sanctification? It is being set apart by God for special use. The Lord Jesus asked the Father to sanctify us by His truth (John 17:17). When we are in Christ, we have been sanctified by Him. In 1 Corinthians 1:30, it tells us that because we are in Christ Jesus, He has been made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. I also think a good definition of sanctification is being made holy, the process of you acting out who Jesus made you. We have been made holy through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:10), but sanctification is the way we are able to act on that holiness rather than being made more holy. Jesus made you holy, righteous, and clean, but this sanctification that is available causes us to walk in true holiness.
The first part of the verse is our part. One of the things that troubles me is to hear ministers these days over-emphasizing God’s part and nothing on our part. It is dangerous because yes, everything is by grace, not earned. God has freely given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, but there is always a human side. Remember, Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please Him. This verse is a prime example of your part, my part, every believer’s part. Our part is to have faith, and faith without corresponding actions is dead; and our part in today’s verse is to know how to possess our vessel. In other words, I must know how to keep my body under. How do we do that? The short answer is, we walk in the spirit so we will not produce the lusts of our flesh. Paul said, “I have to keep my body under, lest when I have preached to others, I myself become a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
I think that learning to possess your vessel is one of the most important things we can do in order to walk out the fullness of the blessings of God. We have all these wonderful scriptures as positional truths, but we must do our part. I encourage you not to shy away from your part. Be careful when you hear people say, “It’s all been done by grace, and you have nothing to do.” Saying this is very similar to saying that God is in control, and you never know what is going to happen. You and I most definitely have a part, and that is to walk by faith and, by the help of the Holy Ghost, keep our body under. Never forget what Romans says, that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead will quicken or make alive your mortal flesh (Romans 8:11), and that is talking about possessing your vessel.