Everyone who has been saved by God is being sanctified. God begins the work at the moment of salvation and continues the work until it is fully completed when he raptures the church.

The fundamental truth to understanding 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 is that God is the one who saves and the one who has, and is, and will completely sanctify every believer when he raptures the church. The church is a congregation of people who have been saved and are being sanctified. How are you, as those who have been saved and are being sanctified, to live in the present?

Paul concluded his letter with a prayer for sanctification, instructions for living faithfully, and a blessing of grace. All three of which teach how the redeemed are to live in the present.

The arrogance of youth can be destructive and costly. In Genesis 19, we have the account of Jacob learning humility, the cost of sin, and the fruit of his deceitfulness. He was learning valuable truths the hard way and experiencing the grace of God to mature him in righteousness.