The Instrument of Holiness

Jesus did not pray for our happiness, but for our holiness. Here, in His final hours before the cross, Jesus prays for His disciples. His great desire is that the Father would set them apart from the world. The agent of this separation is not a feeling or an experience, but something definite and real: God's truth. Jesus immediately defines this truth for us. He says, “your word is truth.” Our holiness is directly tied to God’s Word. There is no other way to be set apart for Him.

Friend, God is actively working to make you holy. This is not something you have to strive for on your own. Notice Jesus’ prayer: He asks the Father to do the sanctifying. The tool He uses is His Word. Augustine of Hippo believed that when the Word is joined to the heart, it cleanses. God isn't asking you to perfect yourself. He is promising to do it in you through His truth. You can trust His process. Will you open His Word today and simply allow Him to do His work in you?

How is God's Word actively setting me apart from the world's way of thinking and living today?

Father, thank you that my holiness is not my own project, but Your work in me. Please use your Word to wash me, shape me, and set me apart for you today. Help me to love your truth. Amen.

In the Old Testament, sacred objects for temple worship were consecrated or 'sanctified' through a ritual that included the declaration of God’s Word, setting them apart for holy use.