A Prayer for Your Sanctification

Introduction: Saved for a Special Purpose

I was struck by these lyrics in a song

Hey, driver, I'm so tired of the ways of this old world Just drive until the tires melt We'll come back when it's healed

In this song the lyric is about escaping the pain and the hurt that comes with living in this world.

In the third petition of this prayer, Jesus doesn’t pray for our escape, he prays quite the opposite. He prays that his followers will be set apart for him and for his special use in the world.

I like what John Calvin writes about this petition - he says that Jesus, “asks the Father to sanctify the disciples or in other words to consecrate them entirely to himself and to defend them as his sacred property.”

In this petition we learn that being a follower of Jesus gives our lives immense purpose and meaning that transcends the circumstances that swirl around us the world.

We also learn something of vital importance…the Christian life is not a life of keeping and earning our justification. Sanctification is not the process of proving that we are justified…sanctification is rather the process of learning to live out the divine purposes for which we were saved for.

In vs. 16-19 we see four statements, and each of these statements show how Christ and his followers are related to one another…or we could say how following Christ changes our status and use in the world.

Jesus is not of the world, therefore his followers are not of the world. (16)

Jesus leads into the third petition with a clear statement of fact, when we become his disciples we no longer belong to kingdom of this world, we now belong to the kingdom of Christ.

1 Peter 2:9–12 “9 But you are a chosen race(people), a royal priesthood (vocation), a holy nation(locale), a people for his own possession(position), that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness (kingdom of this world) into his marvelous light (god’s Kingdom). 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable (important language, believers are all the people of God), so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

One important aspect of our sanctification is that we are no longer of the kingdom of the world, we are a set apart people who are owned by Christ and given position and vocation and ethics.

When you recieved Christ as Lord - you didn’t simply add him to your life in the world, you renounced the world and gained the kingdom.

Jesus is the full revelation of divine truth, therefore his followers are made holy by him and his word. (17)

Vs. 17 is the core of the petition - Jesus prays that his followers will be sanctified in the truth, then he declares that the Father’s Word is truth.

It is the truth of the gospel, the very gospel that is the work of Christ himself, that makes us holy and useful in the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:25–27 “25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

Jesus is praying that his obedient life and death, and the message of it in the future, that we know as the gospel, would be the cleansing instrument, to make a people for himself that would be made holy by his work alone.

You are made holy and useful by Christ alone…yet at the same time, we are not at once fully sanctified, but grow up into holiness and usefulness continually and progressively by degrees as we give ourselves to the truth of the gospel.

but notice there is a positional aspect to sanctification - all those who are in Christ are set apart by his finished work, but we grow up into him by our obedience to the truth.

Ephesians 4:15–16 “15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Jesus was sent by his Father into the world, therefore he sends his followers into the world on a divine mission. (18)

Jesus was sent into the world from the Father, proceeding from that Holy and Eternal unity within the godhead.

So when we are united to Christ, and made holy by his blood, we are so unified in him as citizens of his kingdom, we are spoken of as being sent into the world.

John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” - In a sense we become a part of John 3:16, we are so loved now by the Son, for a time, before he comes again, he sends us into the world that we are no longer members of and as his ambassadors we proclaim the gospel, and serve the world, in order that the world might know him.

We are saved for a tremendous purpose that the world might know Christ and become worshippers of Christ through our lives

We are not set apart to be liked or loved by the world, to be approved of by the world, to be applauded by the world…we are set apart to be used by Christ.

This means that the world will hate you…but the Lord will use you.

A great amount of our sanctification is learning to crave the applause of heaven and not the applause of the world.

Jesus is determined to fulfill his mission in order to set his followers apart as holy vessels for his own special use.

This is so important, because it helps us understand that we are saved for a purpose and for a use.

Salvation is more than justification…we are forgiven and reconciled to God through Christ in order to be sanctified and useful for his purposes IN THIS WORLD.

Titus 2 (ESV)

1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Conclusion: Consider Your Usefulness

Consider the meaning of this text for your life. You were saved, set apart, and sent in order to be useful to God…in any place, among any people, in any vocation you are a specialized tool in the hands of God.

Our purpose is not to escape the world and come back when its healed....it is to be a part of its healing by extending the rule and reign of Christ in the hearts of people by making disciples.