John 17:17

Here our Lord tells us the means of sanctification in a believer’s life is through the precious Word of God. The word translated “Sanctify” in our verse for today is from the Greek word “Hagiazo” meaning “holy, sacred, devoted to God; to cause to be holy, make holy; the fundamental idea is separation from ordinary or common usage and a devotion to divine service.” Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible – New Testament Lexical Aids. It is our Lord’s desire for us to be holy – just as He is holy. Our lifestyle is not to reflect our former ignorance rather God’s righteous nature. Peter writes:

15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)

“It is a prayer that the Father would make His people more holy, more spiritual, more pure, more saintly in thought and word and deed, in life and character. Grace had done something for the disciples already, called, converted, renewed, and changed them. The great Head of the Church prays that the work of grace may be carried; higher and further, and that His people may be more thoroughly sanctified and made holy in body, soul, and spirit, in fact more like Himself.” John Charles Ryle

God’s Word is the “Bread in our mouths that becomes the grace in our veins” as Ann Voskamp so eloquently puts it. The Word is both personal and propositional. As we ingest the message of the Truth it changes our hearts and minds resulting in changing our lives. Faithfully appropriating God’s Word, we are set apart or sanctified for God’s work – living to honor Him through our lives. Believers are to be set apart from this world to do the will of God and not the will of Satan. It is not merely sufficient to simply receive the Word rather we are to respond in active obedience. We are to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. James clearly tells us:

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25 (NIV)

"Beware of reasoning about God's Word - obey It." Oswald Chambers

We cheat ourselves when we are deceived by our false reasoning’s – indeed, we are the ultimate losers. We flit around as “sermon sippers” never heeding what we hear. A little Truth here, a little Truth there, like hummingbirds we take in small amounts to keep us furiously flitting yet by our lack of appropriation we remain stagnant and a member of the sit, soak and sour club - not high on God’s lists by the way to say the least. More holiness should be the very thing desired by all servants of Jesus. The world cannot evade the evidence of a Godly life. There is also certain freedom in following the Lord. Jesus tells us:

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 (NIV)

The road of sanctification is the road to freedom whether we choose to believe this or not – all else is bondage – bondage to sin, bondage to self, bondage to the world’s system. Paul tells us in Galatians:

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1 (NIV)

Psalm 119 – a glorious psalm regarding God’s Word – tells us:

30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. 31 I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD; do not let me be put to shame. 32 I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. Psalms 119:30-32 (NIV)

"Freedom is not fun. It is not the same as individual happiness, nor is it security or peace or progress ... It is responsible choice. Freedom is not so much right as a duty. Real freedom is not freedom from something; that would be license. It is freedom to choose between doing or not doing something, to act one way or another, to hold one belief or the opposite. It is never a release and always, a responsibility. It is not “fun” but the heaviest burden laid on man; to decide his own individual conduct as well as the conduct of society and to be responsible for both decisions. The only basis of freedom is the Christian concept of man’s nature; imperfect, weak, a sinner, and dust destined into dust; yet made in God’s image and responsible for his actions." Peter Drucker 1942