The sky over Germany in 1941 was as blue as it had ever been.  Dark green shoots struggled through the soil, then spring awakened in bursts of color.  The sun cast its rays among the birch and alder leaves, lighting them to electric green. Spiders spun webs in filigree while finches scavenged sticks and grass for nests.

            The heavens seemed unaware, even mocking in the routine march of the seasons while the long winter of hardship saw no end for the Jews who were laboring and dying in Nazi concentration camps.  They scratched for survival.  They died alone, frozen behind a hut, shot in a ditch, gassed in an underground chamber.  Still, the sun shined on and the rain fell, predictably, as it always had. 

            Yet, within the human heart stirs a tenacious determination to find meaning, to discover purpose even in the midst of meaninglessness.  And in the darkened hole of suffering, when the universe seems out of control, the human soul searches desperately for even the smallest pebble with which to build an altar of hope.

            And so it was, under the gaze of Nazi guards, a group of Jewish men were assigned to carry stones from one end of the camp to the other.  It was rumored that they were going to construct a building. Others whispered that the stones were part of a road project, soon to be under construction.  Day after day the men hauled stones, their backs acking, their bodies groaning against the load.  Then, finally, they completed the task.  The stones were piled in an enormous mass, ready for use.  The men stretched upon their bunks that night with a slight flutter of accomplishment.

            The next day the men were ordered into the camp yard as usual.  Their new assignment:  to carry the same stones to the other side of the camp – back to where they had been in the beginning.  With dampened spirits the men began.

            It became apparent that the task was meaningless.  The stones were moved back and forth, without purpose.  And as the men realized that they were acting in futility – that they and their work were meaningless – they began to waver and then to die.   In the midst of our own construction project, it would be like each one us, with shovels, going out now and filling up that big hole out there with all that dirt, and then removing it again – and again.   A meaningless task!  How futile!

            This prisoner of war story is a true story, and it was re-told by a pastor in a radio broadcast many years ago.  A real truth of this story, really our story, is that God’s grace in our lives is never meaningless.  There is a divine grace within us, which urges us to believe that life is not pointless.  That divine grace within us assures us that we are not superfluous.  That is why when hope dies, we die.  Our God-given sensibilities will not allow the nonsense of meaninglessness to flourish within us.  That is one reason we are to take God’s Word seriously for our lives.

            Perhaps especially for Today, God and God’s Word are to be taken seriously.  I think for the most part people are eager to find meaning for our lives, and in that, to know God’s will.  We attend seminars and read books on how to find it.   In and of themselves, each can offer something.  

            You, know, behind the interest in God there is a desire to have God make our choices for us.  For instance:  “I am praying for God to show me His will about whether or not to take this job, make this move, see this person.” Or “Please pray that my son (or daughter) will know God’s will about which college to attend.”  I do believe those are valid prayers while praying for discernment.   However, God’s will has already been revealed to us.

            God’s revealed will and desire for our lives are very specific.  There is no guess work, no need for searching or seminars.  There is only the choice of whether we obey when we know what God does desire.    One of the specifics of God’s will is that His followers - that’s you and me - participate in the process of what is called: sanctification.  Sanctification is literally being set apart and dedicated to God; and then living out that dedication.   Since God is holy, we, as His followers, must also be holy.  This is what the Apostle Paul refers to as he reflects in a pure life.  That is all   part of next week’s sermon.  Before we get to the pure life that Paul talks about, let’s spend a little time on that very big word: Sanctification.

When I was growing up in your basic lower income family, my broth and sister and I had play clothes, sometimes interchangeable for wearing to.  Then we had our Sunday, go to meeting clothes, that were set apart…for that special day.  Well, how much more important to know that we are set apart for God.  As I said, the literal meaning of sanctification is to be “set apart for God.”  The moment a lost sinner each one of us - comes to Christ and accepts Christ as Savior, we are “set aside” for God’s use.  Even the least of us.  In the Old Testament we read about Moses, a beloved leader – but also a murderer.  We also read about David – the one who wrote many of the great and meaningful psalms – also a murderer.  But they were both sanctified.  That is they were holy, because they had been set aside for God.

Sanctification is a working in and a working out by God.  In this, there is a three-fold working of sanctification for each of us.  The first is really the lead position.  This is that Christ has made us over.  He has sanctified us. 

Christ has purified us or freed us from sin.  We are accepted as His.  We will never be more saved than at the moment we put our trust in Christ.  We are never accepted because of who we are, but because of what Christ has done.  This is positional sanctification and it is perfection in Christ.   In this we are set aside for God, not because of who we are, but because of whose we are.

Then the second of the three-fold working is what is called the practice of sanctification.  This is the Holy Spirit working in our lives to produce a holiness in our walk, as we work out our holy living – every day.  In our daily practice of sanctification we are to be taught and instructed, learn, and grow deeper in Christ, through God’s Word.  We are to be doing for others the works God has in mind for His purpose.  This practical, or practice of sanctification will never be perfect, as long as we are in these bodies, in our sinful, human flesh.   Yet, that should not stop us.  We are to continue everyday to live out the fact of being set apart for God.  As we do, the Holy Spirit works in us – sort of being under construction.

The third of the three-fold working is called total sanctification.  I call it perfect sanctification.  This working out will occur in the future when we are conformed and transformed to the image of Jesus Christ.  In eternal life both the position and the practice of sanctification will be perfect.

This is why Paul writes to the Thessalonians first and, of course, to us, urging all to live by God’s standards, according to His revealed will.  His constant plea is for believers  to live a holy life, worthy of God’s name.  Yes, Paul is aware of the hostile atmosphere and the persecutions faced by all believers.   He is aware that evil seems to prosper and righteousness seems to suffer.  That is why Paul is quick to link the present with the future.  It’s been said that today makes sense only when eternity is kept in our sights.  The point or meaning of our life is to please God, and to learn what brings Him honor and delight.  God’s Word is always our first and best resource.   By turning our lives over to God, living a worthy life today, and doing God’s good works, we will then be prepared for that great day when Christ returns.  For in Christ, our lives, and we are not meaningless.

            This is one reason I am so happy that today we celebrate communion.  As we come to the Lord’s Table we remember what Jesus has done for us, and it was His choice, because of who He is.  It is not about us.  We also reflect on and are aware of what God is doing right now in our lives as we put our trust in Jesus, and as we live out our lives in Him.  We are also assured, all over again, what God has promised for our future.  And God is faithful – for each of our earthly tomorrows and until Jesus comes again.