To be sanctified is to be set apart, distinguished from, separated and apart from. To be without stain or imperfections, pure and holy, compliant with the Father.
In the creation account after God was done, scripture says “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested (away) from all His work which God had created and made” so as not to intermingle. Gods rest was in Himself away from the physical constructs He had made. That is why when we go into Gods Domicile we take nothing of creation in with us.
You see God had a place other than the creation He had before hand, distinguishably different in composition and design by way of contrasts.
He made creation with concepts of light and dark, Heavenly to earthen, physical verses the invisible spirit, and He placed mankind there, but God preserved His place and shielded it away from creation and humans carnal functions. As He said of those fixed on the created “seeing with their eyes they see not, and hearing with their ears they hear not”. Because it is with the heart that one must see and hear to understand the things of God”.
Even as the Father spoke through Isaiah “For as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts”. However Gods Heavens are not the ones in the skys of the created realm. Those were created on the 4th day, but the Heavens we experience with the re-generated mind of faith, the place where the Holy Spirit abides. This is Gods Domicile, “for the kingdom of God is within you’.
This is why the 7th day was sactified for God. That God rested from His works and called us there to participate. Because there could be no mixing of the two realities of Eternal and the temporal compositions.
When Adam sinned against God, he was sent forth from the Garden (God’s garden) and dispersed to work the earth. Our struggle was to get back to the garden for the veluptuois fruits of Gods Holy Spirit, of which we now enjoy through the redemption of Christ at the cross given to us. This is Gods tree of life, the place where we leave our old life and the reversal of the fall and the fruit of that dispicable tree. This is us un-fallen. Also understood as raised up or, resurrected. This describes the reversal of the curse past on to us by our first parents. Now we’ve become part of the family if God because of our adoption through His Son. In this way we are His kin and His kind. As James said “a kind of first fruit if His creation”. Or as Paul put it “old things HAVE past away, all things become new and all things are from God”. Selah! Meaning, let that sink in.
Because of this, we then the redeemed and the Elect are sent forth with the gospel introducing people into the Kingdom, to gather them to God. Instead of scattered and dispersed abroad the face of the earth to work the curse. The elect are gathered, selected and assembled together to another creation “in and of Christ”, to not be associated “in and of Adam”. To rest from their labors and to enjoy what God has given them from the beginning, of the things He has in Himself. Through one fruit of the Holy Spirit after another.
We then consume, assimilate then learn to activate them by faith. The garden with the goods that was called Eden, becomes “The Kingdom of God at hand” alive in us. Even as Paul wrote “it is not I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God who gave His life for me. If I live for any other cause, Christ’s death for me was in vain”.
This is our place of our rest and the sanctification that we are called to partake of now, and why we are called “a new creation (now) in Christ Jesus”. Not that it is new in the sense that it was just made. It is new in the sense that it never gets old, fades or wears out but is always in it’s Eternal Glory. It is “The forever new” and God already gave it to us. Let us not be found ignorant of this reality because after the recall, this is all that’s left, but it’s all that really matters because it’s everything eternal. Rest in this as seen in the beginning.
Genesis2.3 “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested (away) from all His work which God had created and made.” The seventh day was not suppose to be associated with this creation, being mankinds reality on earth but Gods reality in Heaven, as something other dimensional they were to partake of from the beginning.
God gave us the Sabboth to experience Him incrementally, to the degree we are able, to grow in understanding Him, to learn to never leave His presence. After all He did say “I will never leave you or forsake you”. So we just learn to realize and participate in His reality more and more clearly with each successive visit.
Moses spoke these words about God to the Israelites “You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O Lord, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.” Describing for us that Rest which is from the beginning.
And just in case you thought this place isn’t meant for us now, we need to look no further than the book of Hebrews
4 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest (away from the 7 days creation), let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, [a]not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed (this promise) do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest”. This God said because they wouldn’t take Him at His Word and enter in by faith. They are looking without for something from within.
In truth Gods place of rest has been His objective for His humanity from day one. Hebrews goes on to say “although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place:“They shall not enter My rest.”
Gods Rest then is at the core of the gospel.
This place being the one before God ever said a word is what we are talking about. And because “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested, meaning retired from all His work” associated with our carnal world.
When we accept the invitation to rest, we retire there too from the wranglings and the distractions that detain people from entering in. This is the home He has for us whose full aspiration is to be like Him. This is true godliness and the perfection delivered to us by the gospel. There is no other delivery mechanism to accomplish this task but the gospel.
This becomes our highway to holiness, our sanctuary and santification.
The only place this can truly take place is in God with God. How else are we suppose to emulate and associate with such? With Gods Holy Word and Spirit.
It is that God spoke a word that went out and the only way to get back to the beginning is by Gods word and God’s breath. These are the two agencies that came forth from the mouth of the Father to make creation. This is why Christ is the only Begotten if the Father, not referring to His manhood, but His Godhood of containing the fullness of the Father.
“In the beginning God said with His Word “let there be… And the spirit of God broaded over the face of the waters”. Showing us His two agencies, and that they are the prescribed method for our return as the only ones who came out of the proverbial mouth of God.
But you must use your tools of faith to enter in lest this opportunity pass you by.
We know Gods eternal word is His only Begotten. (John 1.1) and (Hebrews 13.8)
This is why God said through Isaiah “so shall my word be that proceeded out of My mouth, it (He) shall not return to Me void but accomplish all My desire”.
We are His desire because “in the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God, He was in the beginning with God” and He is now seated in sweet repose waiting for His enemies to become His footstool”. And because every human enemy hangs limp at the cross (Colossians 2), Gods only enemies that have not been neutralized at the cross, are those who refuse to believe and recieve to achieve the Rest of the 7th day. They would rather stay in their old nature and fight. Even 1 John 2 says “I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.” As being a junior achievement for the young in faith.
We can know that Christ was pre-existing with the Father. And that when the Son said “follow Me that where I am you may be also” as God the Father also affirms “My word (His Son) shall not return to be void” (or in vain), but shall accomplish all My desire. We know that to follow Christ is to go to where word leads us. Which is where word originated from and where word returns, which is back to the Father having something with Him. That something would be us the Elect, of those who have taken God at His word, who are “in Christ” who planted Himself in us and we in Him. Who also said “if you keep My words and My words abide in you, the Father and I will come to you and make our home in you”. And so they did. But because their things are eternal, they don’t move in with old furniture. With them everything is Spirit and Truth and Eternally new and un-depleatable. This is why Paul called us a new creation of something we are now, not later. That is if you are able to receive it. Or better yet, recieve them.
There remains a rest to the people of God”. If you are waiting for Gods Rest or God’s Son to appear later, you will miss out just like the bygone generations. They like the old wine in old wine skins better. But we have “a new and living way”.
This why Hebrews says “there remains a rest to the people of God, for those who have entered that Rest have ceased from their works like God did from His.” And “let us fear lest anyone fall short of it” because there is a fearful judgment to those who don’t.
This is the place that God sanctified, set apart and spot lighted that place called the seventh day for all Eternity. It is the same day that scripture calls “that day” and “in that day”, “The Lord’s Day” and “in the day of the Lord” and “in Christ”.
This is the Kingdom of God at hand. Meaning within reach but not carnally assimilated. You can rest assured of this. Amen!