Last weekend, I had the opportunity to teach on John, Chapter 17; it is known as the High Priestly Prayer. I was able to take a closer look at not only who Jesus prayed to, but who and what He prayed for, and why He prayed. This chapter is full of rich truths and you can learn a good deal from them.
In John 17:17, as Jesus is praying for His disciples, He says, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Jesus is praying to His Father, God, and is asking that the disciples would not be taken out of the world, but that they would be sanctified while in it.
The word sanctify means “to set apart”. This is what the effect the Word has on the believer. When we become a Christian, we read the Word, accept the Word and they obey the Word. If we are going to grow in our faith, we have to know the Truth! The Word will expose sin in our lives. Sin will dress up nicely for us, lead us astray and destroy us. God’s Word will shed light into our lives and He will sanctify us by it.
The process of sanctification is life long and it involves two parts. The first part is having new life in the relationships you have. There needs to be a separation from you being involved in or being influenced by bad character in those around you. You need good, solid relationships in your life. The second part involves us truly learning a new understanding of what is right and wrong (sin), both in our actions, thoughts and words. A new way of thinking.
Sanctification happens “in the truth”, as we as Christians start to believe, think, and act according to the Word in relation to God, the world and ourselves. This Truth comes from the entire Bible. God’s Word doesn’t conform to some external standard, but it is Truth itself. His Truth is the standard by which everything else should be tested! It is our standard for what is true and right. Jesus didn’t just say, the Word contains truth, He said it IS Truth.
Are you spending time in the Word daily? Are you letting His truth sink into your soul?
In Christ —
Tony
Posted in A Word from the Pastor