Great Themes of the Bible
Sanctification 211 they are under strict obligations to be holy, and they make profession of real sanctity. If they be not truly holy, it is their own fault and reproach. It is the design of Christianity to sanctify us in Christ: "He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."'
2. CHRIST's PRAYER FoR His DIScIPLEs
So Jesus prayed whilst still on earth, "'Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth" (fohn xvii. 17). Father, make them holy, and that will be their preservation in a world which is evil.
Observe here: (a) The grace desired: sanctification. The disciples were sanctified ; for they were not of the world; yet He prays, '' Father, sanctify them"'; that is: —Confirm the work of sanctification in them, strengthen their faith, inflame their good affections, rivet their good resolutions.
—Carry on that good work in them, and continue it. Let the light shine more and more.
—Complete it; crown it with the perfection of holiness; sanctify them throughout and to the end.
(i) It is the prayer of Christ for all that are His, that they may be sanctified; because He cannot for shame own them as His either here or hereafter, either employ them in His work, or present them to His Father, if they be not sanctified.
(ii) Those that through grace are sanctified have need to be sanctified more and more. Even disciples must pray for sanctifying grace; for if He that was the Author of the good work be not the finisher of it we are undone. Not to go forward is to go backward: he that is holy must be holy still—more holy still—pressing forwards, soaring upwards, as those that have not attained.
(iii) It is God that sanctifies as well as God that justifies (2°CorPvses) (iv) It is an encouragement to us in our prayers for sanctifying grace, that it is what Christ intercedes for us.
(6) The means of conferring this grace: 'Through thy truth, thy word is truth."" Not that the Holy One of Israel is hereby limited as to means, but in the counsels of peace, among other things, it was settled and agreed: (i) That all needful truth should be comprised and summed up in the Word of God. Divine revelation, as it now stands in