Sanctification

“Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is Truth.” (John 17:17)

This Scripture is taken from the High Priestly prayer Jesus prayed before leaving for the Garden of Gethsemane where He would be betrayed by Judas. He was praying to the Father for His disciples. “Sanctify them,” He prayed.

It is the Holy Spirit Who works sanctification in the followers of Jesus. It’s the subduing of the old man, the flesh which rises up against God’s Truth, His Word. It’s a daily thing. And it doesn’t happen all at once. That would be overwhelming. Even the most pious person, not one who thinks he’s pious, but one who sincerely acts on the Word of God, is obedient in good works, who fellowships with the Lord throughout his day and depends on the Lord needs sanctification.

This world is full of things that pull our flesh even if we’re not purposely sinning. For example: We can innocently watch a TV show and very subtly an affair between a couple occurs and we find ourselves approving. Suddenly the Holy Spirit rises up and you realize, you are watching sin. Nothing gross has happened. But in the attraction and affection of the characters you are watching, you are approving of adultery because one or both are married to other people. We even have to review children’s literature that we choose for our children. For example, the classic story, “Puss and Boots,” is about how a liar and a cheat is rewarded, according to Truth, God’s Word. We are so worldly; we don’t realize these subtle things unless the Holy Spirit points them out.

Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through Thy Truth.” God’s Word is His Truth. God’s Truth exposes sin in our lives and sin in our world. The Holy Spirit works in us to expose those worldly ideas, desires and things of the world that are not from Him. And as they are exposed for what they are, our response should be repentance and confession. Repentance before the Lord is not only deciding you do not WANT to do that again but asking the Lord for the Holy Spirit to help you. We need the Holy Spirit’s help because there are flesh and worldly things that are so ingrained in us, it’s difficult to leave them. The Holy Spirit is the One Who will purge them out. Paul wrote: “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth:” (2Thessalonians 2:13)

I want to mention anger because in a cross reference of our Scripture there is a Scripture that relates to anger. We all get angry at times. Some of us have a bigger issue with anger than others. Why do we get angry? It’s really a “me” issue. It’s a selfish reaction to someone who or something that is stepping on our toes. It’s a flesh reaction because we didn’t get our way. James wrote: “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:20-22) Let’s obey the Truth of the Word. Let’s repent of anger and confess it for what it is, a sin of the flesh. Then allow the Holy Spirit to purge it out.

We are called to be holy. “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1Peter 1:16) We may still have lots of the flesh and the world to get rid of, but as long as we are receiving the Word of Truth and repenting and confessing those things the Holy Spirit is exposing, we can say we are holy because we are not even aware of these flesh and worldly things in us until the Holy Spirit through the Word of God exposes them.

“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:” (1Peter 1:22) This is the product of sanctification. Genuine love for the brethren, in spite of their differences, levels of understanding and levels of obedience. Peter was writing to those in Asia Minor, Christians to whom he had probably preached who were Jews and Gentiles coming from such foreign cultures to the Word and each other.

As we allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, Jesus Who we have pledged to reign in our lives, will be able to ascend to the throne in our lives. “Me” will disappear. And the image of Jesus will appear in us.