AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Monday – October 12, 2020, Tishrei 24, 5781
MORE ON BEING SANCTIFIED
Greetings dear and precious saints of God and welcome back to this powerful Bible Study of the Book of John. Please take a moment to share this teaching as widely as possible to expand the reach of the Truth. God is so good to give us His Truth, the only Truth, there is no other Truth. I am writing this in mid-September and Donna is in the process of decorating our home for the fall. The featured picture today is of Donna with freshly planted decorative kale and mums. We will see more of her handiwork over the next two day. We had hoped to have visited wonderful friends in Tennessee by now and even be headed to Texas later this year but the Holy Spirit has not given us the go ahead for any of that travel. It is not that we are afraid of COVID-19 but we are listening to the Holy Spirit. We will obey the authorities, we will be good stewards of our health, we will honor (value) others, avoid being an offense, and love our fellow man. Now, let’s turn our attention to our Bible Study and read the primary Bible text aloud, yes, out loud.
John 17:17-21 (KJV)
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
As we pick up our powerful study of the Book of John, Jesus is just a few hours before surrendering to the Cross and ransoming us back to the Father. Jesus came to restore God’s original intent for those who would choose to be His people. Think about it my dear brother and sister, we are living way under, I am talking way under, what Jesus purchased back, what the Father had in place in the beginning. Last week I spoke about verse seventeen and the idea of being sanctified. This word ‘sanctified’ or ‘sanctify’ has to do with being made pure or clean. And Jesus tells us that it is the Truth which makes us pure or clean (sanctified) in the sight of God.
One of our first thoughts might be that nobody can be absolutely pure or clean. What about Jesus? Scripture tells us that Jesus was without sin therefore by definition absolutely pure, clean before God.
1 Peter 1:14-16 (KJV)
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Verse sixteen is being quoted from Leviticus 11:44. Would our Lord give us a command which would be impossible to do? Do we believe our God is unjust? As I proceed forward please don’t be confused by the word “holy” in the preceding passage and “sanctify” in John, it is the same word in the Greek. We might ask ourselves if just hearing the “Truth”, the Word of God, makes us pure and clean? So, we might ask, how does the Truth sanctify us, make us clean, pure before God? There are several clues in the 1st Peter text. First, we see something about obedience. This is obedience to the Word of God which Jesus defined as love (agape). Without love our faith won’t work, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Can we be pure and clean and not be pleasing God?
Next, we see that our life in Christ Jesus, this holy, sanctified life, of obedience will not look at all like the former life, our former lusts. We did not know at that time but now we know and are without excuse. So, the Truth eliminates ignorance and gives us new thoughts, a new vocabulary, and a new way of behaving. In this way we are holy, sanctified, clean, and pure before Him as we walk in all the light (revealed Truth) we have. We can’t fake it with God, He knows the heart, so when we are not obedient in our heart and feigning ignorance, we are guilty before Him and not pure and clean before Him and in need of repentance.
1 John 1:6 (KJV)
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
We purposefully use the Truth, the Word of God and the teachings and leadership of the Spirit of Truth to be transformed as obedient children with a whole new way of living and talking.
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow.
2 Chronicles 20:20b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus name! Quit asking God to bless you, you are already blessed, you have the Blessing, give Him something to do by the words of your mouth. Once you know the will of God, decree the thing (Job 22:28, Isaiah 45:11, Mark 11:23). (The Blessing is the Holy Spirit) We have left God way to long with nothing to do in our lives.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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