May 8, 2022
Scripture: John 17:14-19
In praying for His own, Jesus asks the Father to do several things for them. He prays that the Father will keep them (Jn 17:11,15). He prays that they would experience Jesus' own joy (Jn 17:13). Next, Jesus prays that the Father would 'sanctify' believers (Jn 17:17,19).
The root of the word 'sanctify' is the word for holiness. All holiness derives from God's holiness. The primary idea of 'holy' is to be unique, distinct, separate. God is utterly unique and separate from His creation. Since God is separate from His creation, He is, in turn, separate from the corruption of the creation.
For a person to be sanctified or holy is to be separated unto God or aligned with God. Jesus' prayer is for believers to be separated unto God, to live in accordance with His purposes, just as Jesus kept Himself separated unto God to accomplish His purposes (Jn 17:19).
The mission of this sanctification is that the world may believe in Christ (Jn 17:21,23). In one sense, Jesus' mission and the disciples' mission are the same undertaking, namely to proclaim the salvation of God in Jesus Christ.
The primary means of the process of sanctification is the word of God. "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (Jn 17:17). There is no aligning ourselves with God and His purposes without knowing who God is and what He has said. And there is no understanding of these things without the revelation of God in the Bible.