Sanctify Them

We all know the Lord's Prayer. The disciples asked Jesus, "Teach us to pray" and that's what He gave them (Matt 6:5-13; Luke 11:1-4). But the term "the Lord's Prayer" might better be used to refer to Jesus's "High Priestly Prayer," the prayer He made at the end of His life (John 17). Any follower of Christ (read "Christian") would want to know and follow His prayer there. In the middle of it, He says this:

"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

"Sanctify them." To sanctify means to make holy, to consecrate, to purify. In the Jewish mentality it means to make "other." We think of that "other" as "distinct from sin", but it is much, much more. Jesus's prayer to the Father on behalf of His disciples was that He would make His disciples "other" -- distinct, separate, different. How?

"Sanctify them in the truth." His prayer was that His disciples would be distinguished -- from sin, from the flesh, from the world -- in this sense: "in the truth." Truth is that which corresponds to reality. In simple matters, humans get that; there is air, there is gravity, one and one make two ... that kind of thing. But we know that Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelievers (2 Cor 4:4), that the primary problem with natural human beings is the suppression of truth (Rom 1:18), and that natural man lacks the ability to understand the things of the Spirit (1 Cor 2:14). Jesus, then, asked the Father that His followers would be set apart in the truth because the rest of the world didn't have that. Not the important truth. Not God's truth. Not the truth that saves. And where can that truth be found?

"Your word is truth." All that God says is truth. All that God breathes (2 Tim 3:16-17) is truth. It is the water that Christ uses to sanctify His Bride to present to Himself a spotless, unwrinkled, holy, and blameless wife (Eph 5:26-27). It is sufficient. It can keep us from sin (Psa 119:9,11). It overcomes the devil (1 John 2:14). It cleanses (John 15:3).

Jesus wanted His disciples to be set apart -- sanctified -- in the truth. Not just any truth; the truth in God's word. God's truth. So why do you suppose it is that God's word has been under attack since the beginning of time? And what do you suppose the real issue is with those who claim to be followers of Christ but have no love for the word of God? We are not "bibliolaters" -- we don't worship a book. Others do; Moslems, for instance. Not us. We worship God and, as such, want to hang on His every word. Because our Savior's prayer is that we would be sanctified by it.