17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
To sanctify is to consecrate, to set aside for sacred use, and to purify. The Word has sanctifying power to sanctify from filth and everything that corrupts. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. The world is not of God, but we are of God. 1 John 5:19 tells us that we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness. The god of this world, Satan, has corrupted the world with his rebellion and darkness. We are of God and have overcome Satan and his demons and worldly systems of darkness, for greater is the Holy Spirit in us than the devil in the world. We are in this world, and we still must relate with people who have been subjugated and influenced by the devil. We still must relate with people who think in worldly terms and speak forth unrighteousness. We will have to hear them speak at our places of work, in the market, in school, in the neighborhood, etc. How then do we make sure that we are not negatively influenced by the world? How do we keep ourselves consecrated, pure and sanctified? In John 15:3, Jesus tells His disciples that they are clean by the words that He has spoken unto them. As we hear and receive the Word, we are sanctified and kept free from every pollution of the world.
John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for their sins. Here the word “world” refers to the people of the world. But in 1 John 2:15, the Bible tells us not to love the world, neither the things that are in the world. Here the word “world” is the system of the world, their way of doing things, which is contrary to the Father’s way of doing things. We are to steer clear of everything of the world as we stay constantly under the shower of the Word of God. The Word sanctifies our ears, mouth, mind, and deeds from worldliness. We will only speak the Word, only give heed to the Word, only think the Word, and only act upon the Word as we let the Word sanctify us. How? We receive the ministry of the Word daily. We learn the Word by meditating in it. We let the Word shape our mindset, we let the Word abide in us richly such that we only speak the Word. The thoughts of God then rule and govern our thinking. Hallelujah!!!
My Solid Front (Confession):
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, I thank You for the privilege to meditate in Your Word. I thank You for the sanctifying power in Your Word. I declare that I am sanctified and consecrated unto You and Your holy use by the Word in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Meditation:
Psalms 119:9-11; Romans 12:1-2.