The other day I was looking for some encouragement and opened my Bible to John 17. I was reminded of a message that Nathan Rages preached on verse 19. Jesus prays: "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also might be sanctified in the truth." The point of the message was that when we think of the word sanctify, we think of being made holy or more like Christ. So how could Jesus, who was perfect, sanctify himself? The meaning of the word in this context is to be set apart for something. So what Jesus was really saying is that he set himself apart. For what purpose? "That they themselves also might be sanctified in the truth." In other words he did it that we might be saved. He did it "for our sakes." As his second point, Nathan said each thing that Christ did or went through, he did for our sakes. Because of this verse I can say that Christ was born to dwell on earth for my sake; he lived a perfectly sinless life for my sake; he spoke parables and sermons for my sake; he endured hardship for my sake; he resisted temptation for my sake; he gave himself up for my sake; he faced death on a cross for my sake; and he rose again to reign in heaven for my sake. All of this so that I might also be sanctified--set apart, but also made holy and more like Christ.
You can listen to Nathan's message by clicking here: http://www.hwymchapel.org/html/sermons.html
1 comment:
that's really good
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