"It is God's will that you should be sanctified", 1 Thessalonians 4:3. Exegesis, meaning, understanding and commentary of the bible verse.

The concept of sanctity or holiness appears only in the Bible, there is no equivalent concept in philosophy. Holiness could be understood as the perfection of wisdom by perseverance: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect", "But the one who endures to the end will be saved", Matthew 24:13
Holiness is linked to perseverance and eternal life. The perseverance is the daily determination of doing good, avoiding evil, it's main characteristic is the resistance. An example of perseverance is the crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 23:26-56, John 19:17-30, Mark 15:21-41, Matthew 27:32-56). Jesus' perseverance shows us his resistance to weariness and pain to carry out the task of carrying the cross. This is typical of this spiritual gift.
The eternal life is fundamentally contemplative activity, the contemplation is the meditation focused in the divine attributes of God, we contemplate the wisdom for example. Contemplation is meditation through the spiritual gift of knowledge. Contemplation has as its own products, happiness of heart and longevity. This is why eternal life is a mix of spiritual gifts: contemplation, longevity and happiness.
The continuous practice of contemplative meditation together with perseverance lead to the formation of the character, the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control".
The fruits of the spirit describes the sanctity, the ultimate goal of spiritual life. Paul speaking of holiness in his first epistle to the Thessalonians, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified", 1 Thessalonians 4:3, is teaching us about the importance of a life free from sins, and the need of the greater gifts: the perseverance, the eternal life (John 17:3) and the fruits of the spirit(Galatians 5:22-23): "But earnestly desire the greater gifts", 1 Corinthians 12:31.

Holiness is commonly understood, by the simple people, as a godly devotion or a merciful devotion, like Mary Magdalene who is going to visit the tomb of Jesus in Mark 16:1-8, but sanctity is more than this:
"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
"Don't be alarmed", he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here!"
Holiness or sancity ultimately has to do with belonging to the divine.
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