Jehovah
Mekoddishkem is the name for the Lord who sanctifies and makes us
holy. Mekoddishkem is derived from the Hebrew word “qadash”
which means “holy” or “sanctify”. The anglicized version of
Mekoddishkem is “M-qadash”. The Septuagint denotes this name as
“the Lord who sanctifies you”. This name can literally be
translated as "the Lord who sets you apart." God is
referred to as Jehovah Mekoddishkem only two times in the Old
Testament. The first is in Exodus 31:13. “Say to the Israelites,
‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and
you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord,
who makes you holy.'” (NIV). The other is in Leviticus 20:8. “Keep
my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”
(NIV). As we draw closer to Him and live obedient lives following His
Word, we are set apart and sanctified.
Sanctification
is derived from the Greek word “hagios”, which means “set apart
for holiness”. This word refers to the day-by-day growing process
that separation to God brings. “But just as he who called you is
holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15, NIV). As we separate
ourselves from the things that desecrate our life in Jesus Christ, we
grow closer to the Lord and are in the process of being changed into
His likeness—holy
and set apart for His purpose.
In
John 17 Jesus prays for his disciples and for believers that are to
come. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify
them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that
they too may be truly sanctified” (John 17:16-19, NIV). Jesus set
his own life apart (sanctified himself) for the purpose for which His
father sent Him. He is our example. We are called to do the same. He
sends us into the world to share His gospel of redeeming love, and we
must set ourselves apart (sanctify ourselves) for His purpose. To be
sent in His power, we must be set apart for His purpose. We are to
sanctify ourselves by the truth of His Word. The call to share His
Word and the call to be separated to God are inseparable. They go
hand-in-hand. We can't share the love of a holy and forgiving Lord
without living it ourselves.
Paul
prays in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 for us to live holy lives until the day
Jesus returns. “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you
through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”(NIV). To live a
holy life until the day He comes promises a great future. “When
Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him
in glory” (Colossians 3:4, NIV). “But we know that when Christ
appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (I
John 3:2b, NIV). In that moment He appears, we shall be totally
separated from sin that has plagued us in this life. Completely and
forever separated to Him, we will know Him as He has always known us.
We will live with Him forever.
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