Awake, Sleeper!

Awake, Sleeper!
By: Pastor Shane Beauvais

To sanctify anything is to declare it as belonging to God. 
By now, you probably have heard of a little town called Wilmore over the past several days. God is moving. The firsthand accounts of His hand at work in so many lives have been pouring into our news feeds daily. God is moving. His presence is real!
Something significant is taking place at Asbury and is reaching my heart from Kentucky. You may ask what this has to do with sanctification.

My response? Everything.
Although the term “sanctification” is used to describe a wide range of spiritual experiences, it will be used in this devotion, referring specifically to the process by which a redeemed person advances toward the objective of being like God and Christ, the pursuit of Christlikeness—the pursuit of holiness. 
God has declared us as being set apart. We recognize this to some extent. However, where I have fallen short in this collective effort toward holy living has been my lack of desire to prepare my heart in such a way as to seek God more. 
How can this be? I am a pastor. I read the Bible all the time. I pray—all of what you would expect of me. However, the Lord reminds me, "I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy." Leviticus 11:44. At this moment, I realized that I have grown comfortable with the ordinary.
Earlier in the week, I was convinced that my family would travel to Wilmore. On this day, the Lord spoke through another colleague. When discussing what is taking place at Asbury, He asked, “Curious… why do you think the people are content to be standing in line when they could be worshiping and praising God outside?” I could come up with many reasons. However, what the Lord showed me in these moments rocked me to the core in a good way. 
Ephesians 5:13-15 reads:
“But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 1 For this reason, it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you. So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise.’”
My desire to visit Asbury in these moments has been met with a more profound desire to meet God right where I stand. There is a real collective effort toward holy living in my life. Sanctification! God has called us to be set apart, and we must be willing to long for it with a response that defines this desire. This posture is far from living in the ordinary. It is an extraordinary pursuit that leads to a supernatural awakening! How are you advancing toward the objective, pursuing Christlikeness, pursuing a life of holiness? 
To this end, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” Walk as wise sanctified people!