Gospels (70) - John 17:17

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Gospels

Rusty's Notes

John 17
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

• Sanctify – to be made holy – set apart.
• Who sanctifies you? The Father.
• What does the Father use to sanctify you? Truth
• Truth is the tool used by the Father to sanctify us.
• FALSE - The more truth you know the more holy you become.
• FALSE - The better you behave, the more holy you become.
• Your person cannot be improved upon the moment they believe.
  
  
• My person (soul/spirit) is sanctified.
• Acts 26:17-18 - 17 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’[1]
• 1 Corinthians 6:11 - 11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. [2]
• Hebrews 2:11 - 11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father.[3]
• Who sanctifies? The One
• Is there anything you can do to sanctify yourself (more)?
• Hebrews 10:10 - 10 By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.[4]
• How complete are you?

 

• My behavior is being sanctified.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 - 3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality, 4 that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not with lustful passions, like the Gentiles, who don’t know God.[5]
• If when I received salvation and I was made holy, blameless and righteous… sanctified, what happens to my sinful patterns that still continue?
• How do you change your behavior?
• How many of you have been completely successful in perfecting your behavior?
• What percentage of your behavior has already been perfected?

 

• Video: Francisca has had many pups… every one of them is born hungry.

 

• Hebrews 2:11 - 11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father.[6]
• “are sanctified” – NASB note says “or are being sanctified”
• 1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.[7]
• We were saved from the penalty of sin.
• We are being saved from the power of sin.
• We will be saved from the presence of sin.
• Again… who is doing the sanctifying?
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.[8]
• What’s being transformed? The person or the behavior? Behavior
• Who does the transforming? From the Lord, the Spirit
• I set myself in the environment to look at God.
• Look… I’ve been doing this a long time.
• I deal with people who have addictions and strong sinful behavior patterns.
• We’ve spent thousands of dollars trying to clean, trying to change, trying to erase believer’s behaviors.
• It works… well... some of the times… well… for a season…
• You want to know what a defining factor is in changing one’s behavior? Changing your environment.
• What are you looking at in the mirror? Your past that has gotten you in the same place over and over or are you looking at the image of God?
• Are you hanging around the same people that eventually cause you to end up with the same result time after time?
• Or are you hanging around people that are going to impact you and cause you to focus on the image of the Spirit of God?
• This sounds bad… but I have done this long enough… people ask me if I take attendance… no, I take role… I wanna see who has not been around us for a season.
• I’m not saying coming to church makes you have better behavior… I’m saying your absence is a red flag and I’m not sure what is going on in your personal life but you may be focused on “other things”. RED FLAG!
• Your absence could be a sign that things have or are derailing in your life because your focus has shifted.
• So if you want to see your behavior change from bad to good… you better start looking in a different place.
• Look for people who are going to encourage you in your walk.
• Look to the Word of God for answers.
• Focus on things above.
• You will begin to reflect on what you are focused.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 - For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor[9]
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.[10]
• Who does the sanctifying?
• Who does the changing of behavior?
• 2 Timothy 2:21 - Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.[11]
• This sounds like we are responsible for changing our behavior.
• Paul is “assuming” that Timothy is doing this by the source of another.
• Hebrews 10:14 - For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.[12]
• What can you do to make yourself more perfect?
• “Well… I’m not perfect.” – Oh yes you are!

 

• My behavior will be sanctified. (in heaven)
• 1 John 3:2-3 -  2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.[13]
• I’m as righteous as Jesus is righteous because of what He did.

In heaven, we are void of this body which houses the power of sin.
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[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 26:17–18). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Co 6:11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Heb 2:11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Heb 10:10). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Th 4:3–5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Heb 2:11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (1 Co 1:18). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (2 Co 3:18). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (1 Th 4:3–4). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (1 Th 5:23). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (2 Ti 2:21). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[12] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Heb 10:14). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Jn 3:1–3). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

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