Sanctification Through the Word

Lesson Content

The children of God who are sanctified by being washed from their sins by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and separate themselves from sins and sinners through that blood, must go on unto perfection, being sanctified by the Word of the Lord, separating themselves from the world and the things of the world. The need for sanctification through the Word: Man who was created in the likeness of God was given dominion over all creation that were created by the incorruptible Word of God. When man fell through disobedience, not only did he become corruptible, but the whole creation or the whole world became corruptible too (Rom.8:20,21). Man who was to be a ruler became a slave and was thereafter enslaved by the vain and corruptible things of the world, through lust. God will once again place him over the work of His hands, when the whole creation is redeemed from the bondage of vanity and corruption (Rom.8:21). For this cause, man must escape the corruption that is in the world through lust and be made partaker of the divine nature (II Pet.1:4). To obtain the promises given to this end, it was necessary for him to be sanctified by the Word. The work of sanctification by the Word begins when we obey the counsel of God in water baptism, and die to our sinful nature which made us walk after the course of this world (Eph.2:2,3). This is explained by the following facts: (i) When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, the Egyptian army, a type of the sinful nature, was judged (sin being condemned in the flesh). (ii) The Israelites were separated unto the Lord in the wilderness. For a child of God who abides in the truth of water baptism, the world, with all its vain attractions and luxuries appears a wilderness. In the wilderness, God taught them to live by manna each day. After being dead to the corruptible things of the world, man must thereafter live by every Word of God which in turn begins to sanctify him. Jesus prayed for His discipl es saying, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: Thy word is truth” (Jn.17:16,17). To be sanctified by the Word, the leaven of false doctrine must be avoided. The children of Israel were asked to observe the feast of unleavened bread. This is a shadow of a sanctified life wherein we follow the Lord in sincerity and truth, avoiding the leaven of false doctrine (Matt.16:6,12) and being without the leaven of malice and wickedness (I Cor.5:7,8). In this state, we are blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and a perverse nation, among whom we shine as lights in the world, holding forth the Word of life (Phil.2:14-16). This sanctification by the Word must be wrought in all the three — body, soul and spirit. This truth is explained by the three kinds of clean creatures which the children of Israel were permitted to eat.

(i) Sanctification of the Body — Cloven-footed animals which chew the cud (Lev.11:3): ‘Cloven-footed’ speaks of a life of separation and ‘chewing the cud’ speaks of meditating on the Word of God. When we meditate on the Word of God and offer up our bodies as a living sacrifice to do the will of God not being conformed to the world, our mind is renew ed by the Word of God to know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom.12:1,2). Again the Psalmist speaks of the blessedness of a man who meditates on the Word of God while preserving his life of separation (Psa.1:1-3). (ii) Sanctification of the soul — whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters (Lev.11:9): The fins help the fishes to swim against the water current. These fins signify the hope which directs and guides our lives and helps us press forward against the course of this world. This hope is spoken of as an anchor of the soul entering into that within the veil (Heb.6:19). Similarly, the scales help to preserve the fish in water. This depicts the faith which preserves our soul in holiness in this present evil world (I Jn.5:4). The Gospel, the word of truth, has these two aspects of faith, and hope which sanctify the soul (Col.1:23). (iii) Sanctification of the spirit — Clean birds like the dove: Jesus said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (Jn.15:3). The clean birds which the children of Israel were permitted to eat speak of a pure, sanctified life in the spirit through the Word. Like the bird which flies in the air, we, after taking water baptism, are called to live a heavenly life in the spirit being risen with Christ by faith (Col.2:12). Christ is the Word of God. As we continue to abide in Him and He in us, we are cleansed by His Word. That Word quickens us to seek the things above and not the things on this earth. We who have been thus sanctified, must be preserved blameless and be found sincere and without offence (Phil.1:10) for the coming of Christ. God is able to sanctify our spirit, soul and body and preserve us blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Moral

We should read and meditate on the Word of the Lord everyday and surrendering ourselves to the revelations received thereby, we should live having understood the will of God. When we do this, the Word of the Lord will sanctify our body, soul and spirit wholly.