When the writings of the Hebrew Scriptures were first written, and while copied through the millennia, they were written in the language of one people, the Hebrews. But when the Christian Scriptures were written, a more cosmopolitan language was used, the common language of the day, Greek. Because of this, some loan-words were pulled across from Hebrew or Aramaic, but almost all of the language was commonly understood by people outside the community of faith.
This caused some problems in trying to clarify distinctive elements of belief in and following of Jesus, but for the most part it worked great. It worked even at the point of understanding holiness. Something that gets lost in interpretation of the Christian Scriptures is that there was a common understanding of "holiness" which was widely accepted by everyone, including those that had no knowledge of Jesus or Yahweh. So, when Paul is writing to some churches, he finds that he needs to be more specific, like in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "This is the will of God, your sanctification (the process of being made holy)…"
Chambers takes this verse and writes of Sanctification on what he calls the "Death Side", as opposed to the "Life Side" which I suppose is for tomorrow, so stay tuned. On the death side of sanctification, I am to die in order to submit to the process of my Master. This process "sets me aside" for His use, making me distinctively His and available strictly for His purposes, which is the understood definition of holy in that day. Paul continues with the church in Thessalonica and says it deals with abstaining from "porniea" or various forms (inclusive) of sexual immorality.
In that day, the Thessalonians understood, as so many, that this activity was actually a part of religious practice in their former lives, so they brought it with them into their practice before their new Master. Paul needed to correct that. For me in this day, I already know that it's wrong. It's not "culturally acceptable", and some forms of practice are even illegal (even in Nevada). But this issue is still a big deal today, for me and for others. Media and marketing tap into a base desire to be "bad" using sex to sell just about anything. In that way, it has become a commonly accepted practice, often carried into the practice before the Master.
And I have struggled with this problem, a lot. I have to watch myself, my eyes, and my thoughts; constantly on the alert for those patterns that are so destructive for me. But for me, it's not just sexual immorality, it's computer games, it's reading, astronomy, coffee, it's anything substituting my dependence on, focus on, and time with my Master. Fears distract me from Him. Pride distracts me from Him. Even my desire for friends or love for my family (currently I miss my daughter) can be a distraction from my Master. And unless I die to all these affections, I am not yet fit for the process my Master uses to set me apart solely for His use.
Chambers calls it the death side because in this side of the process, I must die to myself, my rights, my desires and will, my pretensions, and my fears. At least those, there will probably be more as the process goes on. That is a lot of dying. The struggle I'm having this week is submitting to this process at work. It is an old problem where I don't want to do what I'm supposed to do, partly because I don't agree with it (pride), and partly because I feel I'm not meeting an expectation of someone else (misplaced fear and shame). In avoiding this task, I wander out of the process of being made holy, and into the briars and brambles of my foolishness. But it is in this part of the work I'm employed to do that I will find the process of my Master to further set me apart most effective. The part of the work I dislike the most will be the rough chisel of my Master to chip away more of the foolishness which makes me less distinctively His. Does it sound painful yet? How about when He brings out the sandpaper, how about then? And I don't mean the fine grit stuff either!
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