TUESDAY, JULY 4
Joshua 7:1-13
Joshua 7:13

"Up, sanctify the people, and say,
Sanctify yourselves…"

SANCTIFICATION IS A MUST FOR GOD’S PEOPLE (1)

As God’s will, purpose and command for His people is to be holy as He is holy, we must be holy to enjoy His holy presence and blessings, to be meet for His use, and to see the Lord when He comes.

If we are used to living in a clean, pure and hygienic environment, we shall not want to stay in an unclean, impure and unhygienic place. God is perfectly holy, pure, and true so He will surely not condone anything sinful, untrue, unholy, unclean, ungodly, or unrighteous; neither will He stay with His people when they turn sinful, ungodly, and worldly. The people of Israel could defeat their mightier enemies when God was with them, helped them, and blessed them; but when there was sin in their midst, God was not with them, and they were defeated before their enemies, even their weaker enemies. When this happens, praying and fasting cannot get back the holy presence of God. There is no way to enjoy God’s holy presence except by separating oneself from sin and humbly returning to the Lord in repentance. "Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you" (Josh 7:12-13).

Sadly, many so called "Christian" leaders, members and churches nowadays do not want to be separate unto the Lord. Instead, they criticize and condemn those who practise biblical separation as unloving, unkind, unfriendly and narrow-minded believers who do not support their unbiblical unity and harmony for their worldly ecumenical mindsets which welcome all kinds of faiths, doctrines and religions! Is the holy God with them? Definitely not! If we truly want God’s holy presence to be with us, we must be separate and sanctified!

THOUGHT: Without holiness I shall not enjoy God’s holy presence!
PRAYER: Lord, make me clean, separated and consecrated to Thee.