Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17
Father sanctify them, that is, “Confirm the work of sanctification in them, strengthen their faith, inflame their good affection, rivet their good resolutions. Carry on that good in them. Complete it, crown it with the perfection of holiness.” It is the prayer of Christ for all that are His that they may be sanctified. It is God that sanctifies as well as God that justifies.
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing IS God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:5
SELFSAME THING IS GOD… SPIRIT: He that has wrought us for the self-same thing is God. All who designed for heaven hereafter are wrought or prepared for heaven while they are here; the stones of that spiritual building and temple above are squared and fashioned here below. He that has wrought us for this is God, because nothing less than a divine power can make a soul partaker of a divine nature; no hand less than the hand of God can work us for this thing. A great deal is to. be done to prepare our souls for heaven, and that preparation of that heart is from the Lord. The earnest of the Spirit gave them this assurance: for an earnest is part of payment and secures the full payment. The present graces and comforts of the spirit are earnest of everlasting grace and comfort.
Those who through grace are sanctified have need to be sanctified more and more.
THY WORD IS TRUTH: His word of truth should be the outward and ordinary means of our sanctification; not of itself, for then it would always sanctify, but as the instrument which the Spirit commonly uses in beginning and carrying on that good work.
A follower of Jesus becomes sanctified (set apart for sacred use, cleansed and made holy) by believing and obeying the Word of God.
For the word of God IS quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and IS a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God gives us more than simply a collection of words from God, a vehicle for communicating his ideas; it has living, life-changing, and dynamic power that works in us. With the incisiveness of a surgeon’s knife, God’s Word reveals who we are and what we are not. It penetrates to the core of our moral and spiritual lives. It discerns both the good and the evil within us. God’s powerful Word will change us. We must not only listen to it; we must also let it transform our lives.
He or she has already received forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrificial death.
26 For such an high priest became us, WHO IS holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. Hebrews 7:26-27
When the Jewish people were still sacrificing animals, the animals were cut into pieces, the parts were washed, the fat was burned, the blood was sprinkled, and the meat was boiled. Blood was required to atone for sin, and God accepted animal blood to cover the people’s sin.
For the life of the flesh IS in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it IS the blood THAT maketh an atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:11
Because of the sacrificial system, the Israelites were generally aware that sin costs someone something and that they themselves were sinful. Today, however, many people take Christ’s work on the cross for granted. They don’t realize what it cost for Jesus to secure our forgiveness– it cost him his life and painful temporary separation from his Father.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:46
Jesus was not questioning God; he was quoting the first line of Psalm 22– a deep expression of the anguish he was feeling as he took on the sins of the world, which caused him to experience temporary separation in his humanity from his Father. This was what Jesus had dreaded as he has prayed to God in the garden to take the cup from him.
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou WILT. Matthew 26:39
Jesus was not rebelling against his Father’s will when he asked that the cup of suffering be taken away from him. In fact, he reaffirmed his desire to do God’s will by saying, “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou WILT.” His prayer reveals his humanness and his terrible suffering. The sinless Son of God took our sins upon himself to save us from eternal suffering and separation from God.
The physical agony was horrible, but this was even worse. Jesus endured this terrible suffering and death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from God.
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, AS silver and gold, from your vain conversation RECEIVED by tradition from your fathers;
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1:18-19
A slave was redeemed when someone paid money to buy his or her freedom. God redeemed us from the tyranny of sin– not with money, but with the precious blood of his own Son.
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with HIM, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. Romans 6:6-7
The power of sin over us, as well as the penalty for sin, died with Christ on the cross. Our “old man,” our sinful nature, died once and for all, so we are freed from its power. The “body of sin” refers to our rebellious, sin-loving nature inherited from Adam. Though we often willingly cooperate with our sinful nature, the desire to do some comes from our old nature. And it is this power of sin at work in our lives that is defeated. Paul has already stated that through faith in Christ we stand acquitted. having been declared not guilty before God. Here Paul emphasizes that we need no longer live under sin’s power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots– we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved we were salves to our sinful nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
And yet, the focus of Christianity is. not on dying but on living. Because we have been crucified with Christ, we have also been raised with him, receiving new resurrection life as he did; we have a new inner power, a new vision, and a new community.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also IN THE LIKENESS of HIS resurrection: Romans 6:5
Legally, we have been reconciled with God.
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19
Because we have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same, and thus we are those who have the “ministry of reconciliation.”
And RELATIONALLY he sets us free to become more and more like Jesus as we draw closer to Him.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate TO BE conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29
Some believe these verses mean that before the beginning of the world, God chose certain people to receive his gift of salvation. They point to verses like,
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpse of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Ephesians 1:11
God has a purpose and a plan. He planned to bring salvation to the entire world long ago. God rules the world; he is in charge. When your life seems chaotic, rest in this truth: Jesus is Lord, and God is in control. God’s purpose to save you cannot be thwarted, no matter what evil Satan may bring.
(See Romans 8:28-39)
Which says we are “predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
IN DAILY LIFE, we have Christ’s resurrection power as we continue to fight sin.
19 And what IS the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set HIM at his own right hand in the heavenly PLACES, Ephesians 1:19-20
The world still. marvels at the power of the atom, yet we belong to the God who created atoms and the entire universe. With his unlimited power, he also raised Jesus Christ from the dead. God incomparbly great power helps us grow, change, and love others. Because God’s resurrection power continues to work in us, it helps us overcome our difficulties each day. Nothing is too difficult for him.
We are no longer alone, for Christ lives in us– he is our power for living and our hope for he future.
To whom God would make known what IS the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Colossians 1:27
Paul said that he was proclaiming the entire message of God, not just a part of the plan. He also called God’s plan a “mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations,” not in the sense that only a few would understand it, but because it had been hidden until Christ came. Through Christ it was made open to all. God’s secret plan is “Christ in you, the hope of glory;” God planned to have his Son, Jesus Christ, live in the hearts of all who believe in him– even Gentiles like the Colossians. Do you know Christ? He is not hidden if you will come to him. Have you experienced his liberating love? Don’t keep it a secret– share it with others.
Because Jesus died ONCE FOR ALL, he brought the sacrificial system to an end. He paid the price for the forgiveness of all sin– past, present, and future. The Jews did not need to go back to the old system because Christ, the perfect sacrifice, completed the work of redemption. You don’t have to look for another way to have your sins forgiven– Christ was the final sacrifice for you.
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:20
When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us; therefore, we no longer own our bodies. That we have been “bought with a price” brings to mind the picture of slaves purchased at an auction. Christ’s death freed us from sin but also obligates us to his service. If you live in a building owned by someone else, you try not to violate the building’s rules. Because your body belongs to God, you must not violate his standards for living.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Colossians 2:13-14
Before we believed in Christ, we disobeyed, rebelled, and ignored God (even at our best, we did not love him with all our hearts, souls, and minds). Every Christian, however, has a new nature. God has crucified the old, rebellious nature. And replaced it with a new, loving nature.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with. his deeds;
10 and have put on the new MAN, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of. him that created him: Colossians 3:9-10
Lying to each other disrupts unity by destroying trust. It tears down relationships and may lead to serious conflict in a church. So don’t exaggerate statistics, pass on rumors and gossip, or say things to build up your own image. be committed to telling the truth.
What does it mean to “put on the new MAN?” It means that our conduct should match our faith. If you are a Christian, you should act like it. Being a Christian means more than just making good resolutions and having good intentions; it means being filled with godly love, which produces godly actions. This straightforward step is like putting on new clothes that demonstrate the new kind of person you have become. You must take off the old clothes of sinful habits and choices and throw them away. Then you will wear only your clothes of righteousness and love for others that Christ has given to you. Have you rid your life of the “old clothes” of your past?
In our lifelong growing process, Christians have a continuing education program. The more we know of Christ and his work, the. more he changes us to be like him. We cannot just drift along; instead, we must seek the rich treasures of growing in him. We need patience, practice, concentration, and ongoing review to keep in line with his will.
The mortal penalty for sin was removed when Christ died on the cross. God has declared us not guilty if we believe in Christ’s work on the cross, and we need no longer live under sin’s power and give in to sin’s compulsions. God does not take us out of the world or make us like robots– we will still feel like sinning, and often we will sin.
The handwriting of ordinances that was blotted out was the legal requirements of the Old Testament law. The law demanded payment for our sin. Although no one can be saved by merely keeping that old law, the moral truths and principles in the Old Testament still teach and guide us today. (For more on the difference between our new life in Christ and our old sinful nature, see Ephesians 4:23-24 and Colossians 3:3-15).
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption FOR US. Hebrews 9:12
Even though you know Christ, you may believe that you have to work hard to be good enough for God to love and accept you. But rules and rituals have never cleansed people’s hearts. By Jesus’ blood alone,
- We have our consciences cleansed
- We are freed from death’s sting and can live to serve God, and
- We are freed from sin’s power.
If you are carrying a load of guilt or shame because you don’t feel good enough for God, take another look at Jesus’ death and what it means for you.
This imagery comes from the Day of Atonement rituals described in Leviticus 16. REDEMPTION refers to the process of paying the price (ransom) to free a slave. Through his own death, Christ freed us forever from the slavery of sin.
4 (for the weapons of our warfare ARE not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds);
5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
We can use God’s mighty weapons as we fight against Satan’s “strong holds.” Christians must choose whose methods to use– God’s or the world’s.
Paul uses military terminology to describe this warfare against sin and Satan. God must be the commander in chief– even our thoughts must be submitted to his control if we want to survive the spiritual warfare all around us. Spirit-empowered believers must capture every thought and yield it to Christ. When exposed to ideas or opportunities that might lead to wrong desires or harmful beliefs, we have a choice: We can recognize the danger and turn away, or we can allow unhealthy thoughts to take us captive. We capture our fantasies and desires when we honestly admit them to the Lord and ask him to redirect our thinking. Ask God to give you the discernment to keep your thoughts focused on His truth.