“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” [1]
Truth is in short supply in our world. Tragically, truth has been largely sacrificed for what has come to be known as “truthiness” in our world today. Perhaps that has always been the case, but it is certainly apparent that this is the case in this present day, at least here in North America. Modern Canadians have been conditioned to be more concerned that the narrative they spin matches their expectation rather than being made uncomfortable by the necessity of altering their expectations to meet reality.
The response of government during the covid crisis—a crisis that was engineered by medical and governmental leaders for their own devious ends—served to kill any possibility that a citizen could ever again trust government leaders without verifying their claims. And now we have Mr. Science himself—admitting in testimony before the United States House of Representatives that the six-foot rule of social distancing was based on nothing. This rule was at best a concession to untrained and panicked people who decided they could manipulate the populace for their own selfish purposes. As with many of the rules and regulations put in place during the Covid pandemic, regulations adopted throughout Canada and regulations that are again being foisted on a supposedly compliant public, this rule was based on nothing! [2]
After this abject failure by the experts, the wise citizen will be reluctant to believe what government functionaries say. The Covid pandemic saw even highly educated physicians and scientists lie to the public, revealing that they were willing to sell their integrity to self-important, highly paid bureaucrats, saying whatever they are commanded to say in order to maintain the narrative. Politicians and bureaucrats lied, claiming that the lies they told were for our own good. And an unthinking public was panicked into compliance with a demand that they surrender integrity and the ability to think rationally, giving up freedom for which prior generations had sacrificed so greatly.
Every politician claims to speak truthfully, though it is likely that most politicians have been trained as lawyers and are thus well-versed in the use of weasel words. Nevertheless, you know very well that something dreadful happens to every politician that drinks from the Ottawa River. Their speech changes and we soon witness them claiming to have done what has not been done and promising to do what we know they will never do. And what is done in Ottawa is but an expression of the Oprahfication of our world. Western society has imbibed deeply of the wells that lead most within this present world to claim that “our truth” is what truly matters. And the greater tragedy of this societal transformation is that many of the professed churches of our Lord have adopted this language of the world—language built specifically to advance a lie.
When the faithful cease speaking truthfully, what hope is left for society? If I cannot believe that the elders of my church or that the deacons who serve my congregation speak truthfully, how can I trust that God is with them? And if my neighbour cannot trust me to speak the truth, how will that neighbour ever be able to believe the truth concerning the love of God revealed through the sacrifice of Christ the Son of God? Ultimately, the only thing we have that cannot be taken from us is our integrity. This is the essential reality that must not be jettisoned for a mess of potage.
CHRISTIANS ARE SANCTIFIED! “Sanctify them” [JOHN 17:17a], Jesus pleaded. Jesus requested the Father to sanctify those who believed in Him. And as we read His request of the Father, it becomes obvious that His prayer was not limited to those who believed Him at the time He made this request of the Father. Jesus was praying for all who would follow Him throughout this Church Age—and that includes us who follow Him today.
There seems to be considerable confusion among us who are called by the Name of Christ as to what is meant by the term “sanctify.” Because this is the case, it is essential for us to take time to ensure that we understand what we are talking about when we speak of being sanctified. We who are saved are now sanctified as result of Jesus’ request of the Father. However, we are being sanctified as we move toward eternity. In this present life, we are charged to do whatever is necessary to be sanctified for Christ’s sake. We will be sanctified wholly at the return of our Master.
Opening his first letter to the Christians gathered in Corinth, Paul writes, “Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” [1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-3].
As he begins this missive, the Apostle acknowledges that what he is writing is for the Christians gathered in Corinth, whom Paul identifies as “those sanctified in Christ Jesus.” It is an acknowledgement that in Christ we are now declared to be holy. This truth is emphasised again in the Ephesian Encyclical as Paul opens the letter, writing, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” [EPHESIANS 1:3-10].
I cited this elongated opening statement since it is all one sentence in that original tongue. Paul began writing, and it is as though he couldn’t stop. Every aspect of our relationship to the Lord God hinges on our position in Christ and everything is united in Him. It all began when “[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before [God].” As redeemed people, we are now holy and blameless in the sight of God. In short, we who are saved are now sanctified.
Nevertheless, we are urged to work at sanctifying ourselves now. While we who are born from above stand complete in Christ, while we are sinless and suited for divine service as we stand before the Father, we nevertheless struggle with sin in this present world. Our old nature, fallen as it is, is still very much a part of our being. Acknowledging this fact is not intended to give followers of Christ licence to live a sinful life, it is to confess the struggle that is part of life for each of us who follow the Master.
Paul would confess, “We know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” [ROMANS 7:14-24]? That is our condition; that is the struggle each of us faces. We cannot enjoy dishonouring the Father, but we are incapable of changing our trajectory.
We who follow the Risen Son of God do have this one great advantage going for us—the Spirit of Christ lives in us. God the Spirit actually lives in each of us who has been born from above! It will help you to recall that James has written, “Do you think the Scripture means nothing when it says that the Spirit that God caused to live in us jealously yearns for us” [JAMES 4:5 ISV]? God has placed His Spirit in us who are twice born, and the Spirit God has given us is jealous for us to do what glorifies the Lord God.
Though we are now holy before the Father—sanctified in Christ Jesus—we are responsible to strive to live holy lives in this present age. We are to take control of our mind, seeking to focus on that which builds us up in this Holy Faith. This is the reason behind instructions we received, urging us, “Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” [PHILIPPIANS 4:8].
Where we focus our mind determines how we live. This is precisely what Jesus taught us when He cautioned, “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” [MATTHEW 15:18-20a].
If we take responsibility for our own mind, filling our mind with that which does not dishonour the Master or the Father, we will be moving toward a life that is holy and righteous. Surely, such self-control is the foundation for what the Apostle urges upon us as followers of the Son of God when he writes, “I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect” [ROMANS 12:1-2 NET BIBLE].
We know that at the return of our Master, we shall be holy. Sin will no longer be a threat. As the Revelator writes of what he was shown concerning the New Jerusalem, he pens this words that encourage us who long for righteousness: “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” [REVELATION 21:22-27].
Nothing unclean shall ever be found where Christ reigns in eternity. Thus, we understand the blessing pronounced as the Revelation draws to a conclusion, for we read in REVELATION 22:12-16, “‘Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
“‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’” Amen. Amen, indeed.
CHRISTIANS ARE SANCTIFIED IN TRUTH! “Sanctify [those whom You have given Me] in the truth; your word is truth” [JOHN 17:17]. To be set apart to God in this life, we must be versed in the Word. Either we have spent time reading the Word, or we have been taught the precepts of the Word, but in some way if we are set apart to God we will have been versed in the Word.
I don’t mean to imply that we must read the Bible in order to be saved, nor do I wish anyone to imagine that we attend the services of our church in order to be saved. However, if one is born from above, if one is a child of the King, that individual wants to hear Him, he wants to know what his Father has to say. And the way we hear Him is through reading the Word that He has given, through hearing the message that is proclaimed by those whom He has appointed to serve the people of God, and through hearing the testimony of His people as they declare the wonderful works of God.
We who are twice born children of the True and Living God take to heart the words of the Psalmist when he exults,
“How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.”
[PSALM 119:9-11]
Throughout this Psalm we see the Psalmist repeatedly speak of his love of God’s Word.
“Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.”
[PSALM 119:97]
“I hate the double-minded,
but I love your law.”
[PSALM 119:113]
“All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
therefore I love your testimonies.”
[PSALM 119:119]
“I love your commandments
above gold, above fine gold.”
[PSALM 119:127]
“Consider how I love your precepts!
Give me life according to your steadfast love.”
[PSALM 119:159]
“I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love your law.”
[PSALM 119:163]
Clearly, there is a theme running throughout the words of the Psalmist recorded in this great Psalm. Allow me to point to one further statement that directly applies to us who are children of the Heavenly Father even to this present day. The Psalmist testifies,
“Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.”
[PSALM 119:165]
And we who are the redeemed of the Lord gladly respond, “Amen! Amen, indeed.”
We know the sentiments expressed in this Psalm, and elsewhere in the Word, are accurate, and yet we struggle to make this a reality in our lives. We are so caught up in the mundane aspects of daily life that finding time to read and to meditate on the Word seems to be easily crowded out of busy schedules. There are so many shiny new objects that capture our attention that we haven’t time to invest ourselves in the assembly where the Master placed us.
Let me take a moment to focus on this business of attending the services of the assembly wherein we are appointed by the Spirit of Christ. Why does God appoint us to the congregation where we are to serve? In part, it is because the gift(s) we received are essential for the health of that assembly. In part, it is because the unique set of gifts represented in that church are essential for our continued growth.
Listen as the Apostle instructs us who follow Christ in God’s choosing where we are to serve. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts” [1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-31].
God appoints! We do not choose. And He has chosen where we are to serve in part based on how He has equipped us to serve. We do not choose a congregation based on how we are made to feel when we are in the services of that assembly, we do not choose where we will worship based on how many young people are present, we do not choose the congregation in which we will invest our lives based on the type of music offered, we are appointed to serve. If we choose where we want to be, we will choose wrongly every single time. We need to allow the Spirit of Christ to direct us, appointing us to that place where He has equipped us to serve and to honour Him.
I have already cited Paul’s instructions given in the Letter to Roman Christians. To ensure that we are focused on those instructions, allow me to cite them one more time. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” [ROMANS 12:1-2].
Having cited these verses, focus on the verses that follow. “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” [ROMANS 12:3-8].
Our purpose in uniting as a congregation of the Lord Jesus is to strengthen one another through investing in one another the various gifts that have been entrusted to us. The gift(s) that have been entrusted to you have no value except as they are utilised to build others in this Faith. If the gift or gifts you hold are not being utilised to build the people who share this life with you, you are misappropriating what has been divinely entrusted to your oversight.
Perhaps you are thinking that I have wandered rather far afield by speaking of the gift or the gifts that the Spirit of Christ entrusted to you. However, coming together as we do week-by-week, we are each investing in one another. We are building one another. We are strengthening one another. Above all else, we are honouring the Lord Who saved us. Surely, this is what is in view when we read the Apostle’s words, “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” [1 CORINTHIANS 14:26]. In such service to one another, we are sanctifying one another.
It seems an appropriate time to point us once again to the words recorded in the Letter to Hebrew Christians. Listen as this writer instructs us in the importance of meeting together. “Brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” [HEBREWS 10:19-25].
Focus on the twenty-fourth and the twenty-fifth verses: “Let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near” [HEBREWS 10:24-25 NET BIBLE 2nd]. I need not provide commentary on what has been written in these verses, but each of us need to provide personal application of what is written. The days are drawing near when our Master shall return, and whatever we are to accomplish must be done soon.
Paul will emphasise this precept when he writes in the Ephesian Encyclical, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” [EPHESIANS 5:15-21]. Let us, then, determine that we will be filled with the Spirit, thus demonstrating the sanctifying work that He performs as we sing praises together, as we give thanks, and as we submit to one another.
CHRISTIAN TRANSFORMATION — The Christian has been transformed; and each follower of Christ is being transformed. Transformation is even now taking place in your life because you are born from above. This is demonstrated when Paul writes, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” [ROMANS 8:28-30].
The grammar used indicates a progression, but it is a progression that is already complete—predestined, called, justified, glorified. In time, none of us have yet been glorified, but in the mind of God that is an accomplished fact. When you were born, you had not been justified, but before God ever gave you life He justified you because He had called you from before the foundation of the earth. Before God ever stepped out on nothing to call all things into being, He determined to give you life in His Beloved Son! It may mess with your mind when I tell you that you could do nothing to make yourself a follower of Christ, you could do nothing to make yourself saved. In fact, your situation was worse than desperate.
Elsewhere, in another place, Paul stuns us when he reminds us as followers of Christ what our situation was, when he writes, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” [EPHESIANS 2:1-3]. We were dead! Because we were dead, we could do nothing to respond to the call of God because we could not even be aware of that call.
If the Spirit of God had not given us a new heart, we could never have responded to the call of God. So, we read as the Apostle continues instructing us, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” [EPHESIANS 2:4-10].
From start to finish, it is God Who is working to bring to fruition what He determined before time had even began. And that is humbling for us; we contribute nothing to our rescue from the sin that envelopes us. In time, to be certain, I responded to the promise of life in the Beloved Son. I can say truthfully that I believed Christ and He saved me. There was a point in time when I believed that He presented His life as a sacrifice, taking upon Himself all my sin, and that He was raised from the dead in order to declare me righteous before the Father. However, and this is the astounding thing that I can never understand, though I have experienced it, long before I believed the Good News, God determined that I should be saved. And before I could believe, the Spirit of God gave me a new heart that was able to believe and I was thus enabled to hear with understanding the call of God to receive Christ as Master over my life. God did it all. I can claim nothing of my own effort in knowing that my sin has been removed and I am accepted in the Son of God.
God is the hero of the story of salvation in my life. And He is the hero in the story of salvation for you. I don’t know who God has appointed to life; I only know that He has appointed some to life, and that encourages me. I know that each time I proclaim the message of life, there are some who are appointed to life.
We see this as Paul first began his service before the Lord. He preached to the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia. However, the account provided by Doctor Luke informs us, “But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him” [ACTS 13:45]. The result of this opposition was that Paul and Barnabus stated, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
[ACTS 13:46-47]
What I want you to see is what is written following this revelation of what was happening. Focus on the following two verses, noting what is written. “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region” [ACTS 13:48-49]. Take your pencil and underline the latter part of that forty-eighth verse: “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” The language is not superfluous; rather, it is intentional. We have no idea who is appointed to eternal life, so we declare the message to all, knowing that we are responsible before God to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” [MARK 16:15].
Our charge is clear: “proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” God has appointed whom He wills to receive the message we declare, and those whom He has appointed will believe. We can be confident that some will believe, and God will receive the glory. This is what it means to be sanctified, to be set apart for God’s purpose.
I recall conversations with a lab technician who would later resume his educational pursuit leading to him becoming a physician and medical researcher. Richard had studied philosophy in a Jesuit school before accepting a job as a technician in the department of internal medicine. No doubt as result of his background in philosophy, Richard was eager to engage in philosophical discussions. Whenever opportunity was presented by a wait for some preparation or another, Richard would often come down to my laboratory and initiate conversations concerning the character and work of God. He especially enjoyed entering into discussions centred around God’s creative activity. He was convinced that humans just happened on the scene; he considered that we humans were an accident of time and chance. As you might surmise, I held quite a different view of origins and of mankind than did Richard.
Of course, I engaged in mental repartee with him, until one day I told him that I was starting a Bible study in my home. I challenged him that if he was serious about exploring the Faith to join me in an in-depth study of the Word. I invited Richard and his wife, Maryann, to join my wife and I in such a study. To my joy, the couple accepted my invitation and we began a study of the Gospel of Mark.
At the conclusion of that first study, Maryann indicated that she wanted to know for a certainty that she was saved. Her statement that evening was, “I’ve always wanted to be able to write in the front of my Bible the date when I was saved.” Well, I don’t need a better invitation than that. We read the Romans Road together and she knelt and asked Christ to save her. As we were kneeling, I lifted my head to ask Richard if he was going to lead in his home or would he be content to be led. After only a moment of thought, he joined us on our knees, confessing his sin and asking Christ to save him.
It was a couple of days after this glorious evening that Richard made his way to my laboratory and sat on a stool as he began an attempt to engage in yet another philosophical discussion. It was a confession he made at that time that really caught my attention. He commented that he wasn’t convinced that God called all things into being, but as he read the first several chapters of Genesis he found himself wanting to believe what the Bible declared. That was a significant confession. We are not necessarily transformed by being supplied with answers to all our questions; rather, we are transformed, finding ourselves wanting to believe all that God has said. This is nothing less than evidence that the Spirit of God has taken up residence in our life.
Perhaps you will recall that Jesus promised His followers, “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” [JOHN 16:7-14].
The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit of God, is given to the people of God so that He can reveal the deep things of Christ to God’s redeemed people. It is not so much that we know all there is to know concerning the Lord, but we find that the Spirit guides us into truth so that we are not left floundering while seeking righteousness and goodness. In that context, do you recall the assertion that the Apostle made of us when he wrote, “We have the mind of Christ” [1 CORINTHIANS 2:16b]? Here is a stunning truth that must not be overlooked! We who have believed now have the mind of Christ! Because we are born from above into the Family of God, we no longer have the mind of this dying world.
Thus, we are sanctified, or set apart, to do God’s will and His work. We are already equipped because of God’s Spirit working in us. There is one truth that needs to be stated. While it is true that the Spirit of Christ lives in the twice born child of God, He works in Christ’s Body, which is the assembly of the righteous. We participate in the life of the church wherein He has placed us because it is there that we grow in Christ, and it is there that we will be most effective in the work to which He has appointed us. Let me state very clearly that you will never be as effective in growing toward sanctification if you habitually absent yourself from the gathering of the faithful. It is an axiom of the Faith that we grow in our sanctification through sharing in the life of the church. And if we flit from church to church like a butterfly sipping nectar, it is doubtful that we will ever grow in holiness as we ought.
Child of God, commit yourself not only to sharing in the services of your church, making a determined effort to invest yourself in the life of your assembly. In so doing you will move steadily toward a life that is sanctified, a life that is consecrated to God, a life that is recognised as holy. Failure to do so is lese majesté and an affront to Holy God. In doing this, you will fulfil the Master’s request of the Father: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” [JOHN 17:17]. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] See, e.g., Andres Rodriguez, “Lawmakers: Anthony Fauci Admitted Six-Foot Social Distancing Was Based on Nothing,” 11 January 2024, Lawmakers: Anthony Fauci Admitted Six-Foot Social Distancing Was Based on Nothing (msn.com), accessed 11 January 2024; Christian Britschgi, “Fauci to Congress: 6-
Foot Social Distancing Guidance likely Not Based on Data,” Reason, 1.10.2024, Fauci to Congress: 6-Foot Social Distancing Guidance Likely Not Based on Data (reason.com), accessed 11 January 2024
