John 17:17-Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Sanctify=hagiazó in the greek. To set apart for God' service.
The Word of the Lord is the final authority where "truth" is concerned.
God has set a standard in His Word in which He commands us to not go beyond, but heed and daily apply to our lives.
We are reminded of 2 truths in this text. (1) The Word of God is the truth that we ALL must be sanctified by for there is no other way to be set apart for God's service apart from His Word which is truth.
(2) The Word of God is truth. Believing or attempting to believe that sanctification is done any other way than through the Word of God is a lie. God's word is final authority, even if man chooses to willfully disobey it.
God and His Word is One. We cannot love God and not love His Word. The two go hand in hand.
"Sanctify" them with your truth is the powerful statement that is made by Jesus in this text.
Sanctification is not something we do ourselves, it is a work and a process that is done in us by means of God's Holy Spirit that dwells in us after our confession of faith in Christ Jesus. In other words, after salvation.
The "Word of God" is what sanctifies, washes, regenerate and transforms the mind. It is with the mind that we are taught and learned truth through God's Word.
With our hearts, we learn to love God's truth. With our will, we yield and submit to God's will and authority by yielding to the spirit of truth which is God's Word by daily application of it in every area of our lives.
The Word of God is meant to change our minds and our hearts from sinful to holy and from carnal to spiritual. The renewing of our mind through the washing of it with the Word of God, and the application of the Word of God in every area of our lives is how the sanctification process works.
When all is said and done and when life on this side is over, all that will matter is the "Authority of God's Word." NOTHING ELSE WILL MATTER!
What we do with God's Word or how we apply it to our lives us up to us, but God has given us His mandate in how we should live as people of God so there is no one to blame but self.
Today, will you become a student of the Word of God? I encourage you to read the Bible daily and apply it to your life daily. Don’t put it off another day. Ask the Lord to change your life from the inside out today.
Remember, God's Word is final authority!
God bless.
Debra