”My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified,”
John 17:15-19, NIV.
One of Jesus’ last requests for His followers was that they would be sanctified. As Christians, we fall under the category of “His followers,” and we can claim this prayer for ourselves as well.
But what does it mean to be sanctified?
It means to be set aside or dedicated for a sacred purpose—to be holy as Jesus is holy. To be consecrated—to be mentally pure. For we are not of this world anymore.
This sounds like a vow a priest would make, not a stay-at-home mom.
But this is the position ALL believers have in Jesus. Those of us who have chosen Jesus as our LORD and Savior are now set aside, pulled out of the mix, no longer “of this world.” We have been brought under the same sanctification as Jesus' disciples.
So, what’s the process we need to go through to be sanctified? In the past some have beaten themselves to receive the purity of mind that this requires.
I don’t think many churches would even have double digits in attendance if this were the case.
Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth; Your Word is truth.”
As I get older, my pain tolerance has decreased. I don’t want to be beaten into submission for sanctification. I’m so thankful God took age into consideration when He was making disciples. Because we are sanctified not by the beating of ourselves, but by God's Word and by His Holy Spirit.
Knowing God’s Word, the Bible, and the still, small voice of God, His Spirit, will lead us into truth. Our job is to obey what we know is God's perfect truth. Knowledge alone will not sanctify us. We need to do and practice doing what we know to be right and true. As a result, we will soon begin to think the way God thinks. Our minds will eventually become pure of thought.
How does God think? We first begin with knowing His name, which is His character. This gives us a pretty good indication of who God is. God is good, so He has good thoughts. God is love, and ever since Adam and Eve sinned, He has been of a single purpose: to set the world right again. He loves His creation and wants it to be healed from the ravages of sin. God is relational, so He desires to draw near to us. Once we know who He is, we will have a better understanding of how God thinks.
His thoughts are toward us. His goal is to defeat evil and to restore peace. Therefore, He is not thinking of how He could trip us up, get back at us for our sin, or cuss us out if we irritate Him. If He doesn't think that way, we shouldn't be thinking that way either.
To train ourselves to be pure of thought is what God is offering, as He keeps us safe and faithful. When we read His word and spend time with Him, those angry thoughts in our heads or words one uses to offend others will eventually fade. Soon we won’t be thinking of a dirty joke, but instead we will be pondering how someone else might be feeling. Or how we could help another person.
When God frees up our minds, it also unleashes creativity. We actually think differently when we are pursuing holiness—to be set apart. Ideas will flourish where mimicry once dominated.
The world doesn’t think like God, so naturally as His kids, we shouldn’t think like the world. Thinking differently will set us apart. Our lifestyle will follow our thought process and soon we will not only be thinking differently, but behaving differently as well.
This is a good thing. To be holy like Jesus isn’t an unattainable goal—because it’s God’s goal for us.
J. Hudson Taylor once said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” God will help us as we pursue Him and His righteousness.
Oh, I hear it, “But holiness isn’t cool! I want to fit in, not be separated out! What will others think of me? I want to be popular and well liked!”
Then pursue it. See where it leads you. I can give you a hint—it leads you away from God and back to the pit of hell that God sent His Son to die to protect you from in the first place.
We can’t have it both ways—one foot in and one foot out—we need to choose a side and fight with all we have to remain there. You want hell? You better fight with all your might to stay there then—because the God of the Universe has called you His own, and He is fighting against you to bring you back home.
You want God and His way? Again it’s a battle. But the one who fights against you to draw you back into darkness has been defeated. The only thing he has left are lies. Those lies are powerful, but God’s truth is victorious.
So, “choose today whom you will serve…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” Joshua 24:15b, NIV.
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” Joshua 24:15, ESV.
What about you? Who do you want to serve?
Father,
It’s an honor to serve You. It’s also difficult. Your children struggle daily with the cost of the cross—to lay down our own wills and lives and choose Your way. That’s the reality of this most serious situation we, mankind, find ourselves in—to surrender ourselves.
But we want to. We have tasted Your love, Your peace, and Your grace, and we like it. No, we love it! Your gift of salvation is the only thing that brings true hope.
We need Your constant protection in order to remain faithful. We desire Your path of righteousness, even if it doesn’t make us “cool.” We understand that as we choose to follow You, it will indeed separate us from the world; help us to be okay with that. Help us to understand that pure thoughts are an investment—a worthy investment.
Today, I choose You.
Amen.
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