The Sanctifying Sword
“Stand therefore … with truth … righteousness … the gospel of peace … the shield of faith … And take the helmet of salvation,
And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”
Ephesians 6:14-17, KJV
Sanctification—holy, separated, devoted to—are a few of the words Vine’s Expository Dictionary uses to define sanctification. Hebrews 12:14 reminds us of the importance of a sanctified/holy life devoted to the Lord.
“Follow peace with all men,
and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord …”
Our sanctification unto the Lord God begins and ends with him. He is mekoddishkem—”I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.” Exodus 31:13*
The Lord spoke those words to Moses to declare to the Israelites, when he explained the purpose of keeping the Sabbath. It would serve as a sign between God and the children of Israel for ever—a sign He had set them apart from the rest of the world for a relationship with him.
“Now therefore,
- if ye will obey my voice indeed,
- and keep my covenant,
- then ye shall be a peculiar(special) treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
- And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests,
- and an holy nation.
These are the words which
thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”
Exodus 19:5,6, KJV
The Lord, also spoke similar words to us, his church.
- “But ye are a chosen generation,
- a royal priesthood,
- an holy nation,
- a peculiar people;
- that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
- Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9,10
We, the saved, the redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ are the church of Jesus Christ. We are the called, the people of God. We are separated unto God’s glory— by grace through faith in the power and promises of God—when we receive Jesus’ sacrifice as our debt payment for sin.
“By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all …
For by one offering
he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified …”
Hebrews 10:10,14
The performance of our sanctification has already been done and will be completed. It is an immediate state of being when we receive Jesus Christ as our savior. It is a completed process when we stand before him and hear the King say,
“Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world …”
Matthew 25:34
The sword of the Spirit, the word of God is the path to sanctification found in the living Word of God. The KJV speaks of the word in Hebrews as being quick and powerful. Other translations say, living, alive.
The word of God has the power to give us life in Jesus Christ—“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17—a life that is devoted to the Lord, set apart unto him.
He has spoken it. We heard it and believed it—it is done. The sword of the Spirit has the power to effect sanctification—the holiness required of us in order to see God. He activates holiness in us as we receive the word, allowing it to cut away the innate desires of the flesh, as we continue our journey home.
“Husbands love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word,
that he might present it to himself
a glorious church,
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Ephesians 5:25-27
Practical sanctification is the process of,
- Growing in the knowledge of God’s love, thereby growing in our love for him.
- Daily giving our will, desires, our living to God
- Staying in the word, allowing it to do its work in us—making us glorious, without a spot of the flesh left in us—holy, devoted to the Lord.
Revelation 19: 11-16 shows us the living and powerful Word of God, when He comes to put all enemies under his feet. I include only verses 13 and 15.
“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:
and his name is called
The Word of God …
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations:
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:
and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath
of Almighty God.”
Until that time, the Word of God, Jesus Christ, stands before the Lord God praying on our behalf as he did for his disciples.
“Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth.”
John 17:17
Sanctification, holiness, separated from the world, sounds like an impossible goal to reach, and on our own it is. But we are not alone. We have the responsibility to pursue the goal, but God promises to complete his work of holiness in us and take us across the finish line. The apostle Paul was confident of this truth and we can be, too.
“Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6
A Prayer For Us the Church of Jesus Christ;
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more
in knowledge and in all judgment(understanding):
That ye may approve things that are excellent;
that ye may be sincere and without offence
till the day of Christ;
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness,
which are by Jesus Christ,
unto the glory and praise of God.”
Philippians 1:9-11
It’s time we the people of God,—”take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13
*The book, Lord I Want to Know You, A Devotional Study on the Names of God, by Kay Arthur, along with the bible, were my resources for this post. I recommend Kay’s book for anyone wanting to draw nearer to the Lord.