Meditation
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17
This prayer Jesus prayed the night he was betrayed, prayer for His disciples' sanctification.
This prayer Jesus prayed as part of what is called “Jesus’ high priestly prayer.”
So we must know that our Lord continues to pray this prayer as He presents Himself before the throne of His Father in heaven in our behalf.
“Sanctify them!”
Make them holy, He prays.
Break the ruling power and dominion of Satan. Break it from their hearts, their minds, their lives and their ways. Break them from gladness and delight in the pursuit of the way of sin, and work in them so that they are ashamed and sorrow over their sin in true repentance of heart. Cause them to be dead to sin with my death, so that they loath and abhor themselves before thee. Work in them further to hate sin, to flee from it, to fight against it and resist valiantly all its temptations.
“Sanctify them!”
Work in them further consecration to thee. Give them in their hearts a delight for thee and for thy kingdom. Give them a delight in thy holy law and thy good commandments. Give them joy to be their strength to keep thy law and commandments. Give them not only hearts, but minds and thoughts, eyes and lips, hands and feet that are obedient, conforming to thy holy will. Grant their lives to be joyfully and abundantly fruitful in every good work, to the praise and glory of thy grace.
Turn them in their whole nature and ways, so that they turn. Make them willing so that they will. Work in them obedience so that they obey. Work in them love to love. Work in them service to serve. Make them like me.
“Sanctify them.”
“Sanctify them through thy truth.”
Guard them from vain outward hypocrisy. Keep them from the formal religion of the Pharisees. Protect them from external moralism and mere behavioural improvement. Keep them from the false holiness that is approved by men, but is far from thee. Make them truly holy.
“Sanctify them through thy truth.”
Give them thy truth for their true sanctification. Give them the truth of their election to every gift and blessing of their salvation, including their holiness. Bless them with the truth that they did not choose me, but I chose them. Give them the truth that I am the Saviour of my sheep, and the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption of my people. Teach them that I am the vine and they the branches, that without me they can do nothing. Show to them that I am the God that makes them willing in the day of my power. Show to them the glory of thy new and everlasting covenant, that thou dost take thy law and write it on their hearts, to be their God forever.
Through thy truth fill their hearts with abounding gratitude and joy to sanctify them to all their new obedience. Cause them in the power of the Spirit of truth to love thee out of the truth that thou art the God of their salvation. Out of that love for thee may they live to the honour and glory of thy name, according to all thy holy precepts.
“Sanctify them through thy truth!”
“Thy Word is truth.”
As thy Word is the faithful, true, and living Word, and as thy Word is true in every way and at all times, so demonstrate the truth of that Word. Demonstrate its truth in all the holy lives and deeds of those that confess thy Word to be truth. So sanctify them that they show the power of thy Word to save from sin, its guilt and power. So sanctify them that they manifest the might of thy Word to renew into my own image, making them truly righteous and holy.
As our Lord Jesus Christ prays for us, so let us pray for ourselves and for one another.
As we pray for our sanctification, may we rest assured that our Father hears and answers us, for the sake of Jesus, and His constant prayers in our behalf.
In our love and delight in our God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in our love and delight to serve our God in all godliness and holiness, may we rejoice to know our God’s blessed answer to this prayer of His Son:
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.”
This prayer Jesus prayed the night he was betrayed, prayer for His disciples' sanctification.
This prayer Jesus prayed as part of what is called “Jesus’ high priestly prayer.”
So we must know that our Lord continues to pray this prayer as He presents Himself before the throne of His Father in heaven in our behalf.
“Sanctify them!”
Make them holy, He prays.
Break the ruling power and dominion of Satan. Break it from their hearts, their minds, their lives and their ways. Break them from gladness and delight in the pursuit of the way of sin, and work in them so that they are ashamed and sorrow over their sin in true repentance of heart. Cause them to be dead to sin with my death, so that they loath and abhor themselves before thee. Work in them further to hate sin, to flee from it, to fight against it and resist valiantly all its temptations.
“Sanctify them!”
Work in them further consecration to thee. Give them in their hearts a delight for thee and for thy kingdom. Give them a delight in thy holy law and thy good commandments. Give them joy to be their strength to keep thy law and commandments. Give them not only hearts, but minds and thoughts, eyes and lips, hands and feet that are obedient, conforming to thy holy will. Grant their lives to be joyfully and abundantly fruitful in every good work, to the praise and glory of thy grace.
Turn them in their whole nature and ways, so that they turn. Make them willing so that they will. Work in them obedience so that they obey. Work in them love to love. Work in them service to serve. Make them like me.
“Sanctify them.”
“Sanctify them through thy truth.”
Guard them from vain outward hypocrisy. Keep them from the formal religion of the Pharisees. Protect them from external moralism and mere behavioural improvement. Keep them from the false holiness that is approved by men, but is far from thee. Make them truly holy.
“Sanctify them through thy truth.”
Give them thy truth for their true sanctification. Give them the truth of their election to every gift and blessing of their salvation, including their holiness. Bless them with the truth that they did not choose me, but I chose them. Give them the truth that I am the Saviour of my sheep, and the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption of my people. Teach them that I am the vine and they the branches, that without me they can do nothing. Show to them that I am the God that makes them willing in the day of my power. Show to them the glory of thy new and everlasting covenant, that thou dost take thy law and write it on their hearts, to be their God forever.
Through thy truth fill their hearts with abounding gratitude and joy to sanctify them to all their new obedience. Cause them in the power of the Spirit of truth to love thee out of the truth that thou art the God of their salvation. Out of that love for thee may they live to the honour and glory of thy name, according to all thy holy precepts.
“Sanctify them through thy truth!”
“Thy Word is truth.”
As thy Word is the faithful, true, and living Word, and as thy Word is true in every way and at all times, so demonstrate the truth of that Word. Demonstrate its truth in all the holy lives and deeds of those that confess thy Word to be truth. So sanctify them that they show the power of thy Word to save from sin, its guilt and power. So sanctify them that they manifest the might of thy Word to renew into my own image, making them truly righteous and holy.
As our Lord Jesus Christ prays for us, so let us pray for ourselves and for one another.
As we pray for our sanctification, may we rest assured that our Father hears and answers us, for the sake of Jesus, and His constant prayers in our behalf.
In our love and delight in our God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in our love and delight to serve our God in all godliness and holiness, may we rejoice to know our God’s blessed answer to this prayer of His Son:
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.”