Set Apart by the Truth

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV

People often take things they own and set them apart in a special place so that they may not be damaged and will be readily available when needed. I think of many married women who have set apart their more expensive plates, spoons, knives, forks, cups, and saucers to be used on special occasions. To set something apart means to us human beings to place a higher value or worth to it. The greatest separation took place when Jesus Christ shed His blood for man’s sin and by so doing opened the way for sinful men to be reconciled to a Holy God and recreated into new creatures. For as the writer of Hebrews affirms by saying, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission (absolution, forgiveness, pardon, deliverance, or liberty) from sin.”

1Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. KJV

James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. NKJV

In our Lord’s Prayer as recorded by the Apostle John for us in John Chapter 17, there were so many glorious words He used as He spoke with His Father. Our Lord first prayed for Himself and then His disciples (present with Him then) and also for all of His disciples in the future. As I stated earlier, all of His words were glorious, but I want to zero in on His prayer for all of us that we would be sanctified by the Father’s truth. As we know, the world has its own definition of truth and in reality none of it is true at all. Our Lord prayed for us to be set apart by the Word of God. Our Lord also talked to the Father about what He gave to those that the Father had given to Him and it is not gold, silver, precious stone, houses, lands, etc. but our Lord gave us the words given to Him by the Father.

John 17:8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. NKJV

Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. NKJV

Psalm 19:7-11 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. NKJV

As I have stated before in other writings, that to know Jesus Christ is to love Him and to love His Word. It is so sad that the multiplied billions living on earth right now think the Bible was written by men and that the words in the Bible came from the mind of man. They think this way because they are alienated from the life of God and darkened in their understanding because of the blindness of their hearts and need our Lord to grant them repentance so then they will know the truth. The Bible does not contain the mind of any man but it is the mind, wisdom, and authority of God revealed to sinful finite man that reveals first the way of eternal life as our Lord prayed.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. NKJV

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. NKJV

1Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. KJV

When our Lord gave us the Word from the Father, we were not celebrated but instead the world hates us because of the Word of God that sets us apart. When once we received the Lord Jesus Christ, at that very moment we received from Him a love for His Words that turned us in a new direction away from the world’s philosophies, pleasures, and practices and in so doing made us like the salmon who swims upstream against the current having to avoid hungry bears seeking to capture and devour him.

John 17:14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. NKJV

Psalms 119:9-12 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes. NKJV

Psalms 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. NKJV

Psalms 119:151 You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth. NKJV

“Christ will be master of the heart, and sin must be mortified. If your life is unholy, then your heart is unchanged, and you are an unsaved person. The Savior will sanctify His people, renew them, give them a hatred of sin, and a love of holiness.” Charles Spurgeon

“That doctrine which is not drawn from the truth of God can never save souls. God blesses no word but his own; because none is truth, without mixture of error, but that which has proceeded from Himself.” Adam Clarke

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…