The Power of God’s Sanctifying Word - John 17:17
The President of Nigeria, Olusengun Obasanjo, has written a book about the nature of man. IN the book he postulates several characteristics of all human beings: seekers of position, pride, power, plaudits, privilege, possessions, pleasure, promotion and peace. Many people would agree with the axioms of the book since the desires of our hearts often are the root causes of most problems. Without the application of the sanctifying power of the word of God we are bound to become slaves of our self-destructive desires.
The following are several aspects of the ministry of the sanctifying power of the word of God that need continual application:
1. God’s word empowers us to be, do and accomplish His will for our life. Without God’s word inspiring, instructing, correcting, improving and training us in righteousness, we are unable to overcome our sinful desires. Ask the Lord to help you be more empowered by His word and less by your own subjective emotions.
2. God’s word gives us perspective that comes from above instead of from this world below. It is too easy to conform to the ways of the world when we are merely looking at situations from an earthly frame of reference. Ask the Lord to help you set your mind on things above rather than on things below with the sanctifying power of God’s word.
3. God’s word helps us separate ourselves from societal conformity. In an age when it seems vogue to be in sync with the pulse of the world’s morality it is vital to remember that God’s word holds us to a higher standard than what seems popular in the public’s perception. Ask the Lord to help you remove yourself with the power of God’s word to a plane that is higher than what is socially acceptable behavior.
4. God’s word helps us praise God with the glory that is due to Him. Man’s attempts to praise God always fall short unless we learn how to praise God with the power of His sanctifying word. Ask the Lord to help you praise God more effectively with special verses from the Psalms as David did.
5. God’s word helps us gain greater patience to overcome evil with good instead of allowing evil to overtake us. God’s word endues us with a spiritual peace that passes human comprehension. Too many people try to find peace in intellectual endeavors or meditation exercises, but the word of God sanctifies our conscious brain. Ask the Lord to give you the ability to allow God’s word to restore your soul with His calm.
6. God’s word helps us focus on projects that will have eternal value. Only the word of God instructs in the ways to go in a way that is 100% in the will of God. Human traditions and the principles of men cannot turn our hearts toward the kinds of activities that will make the most impact for eternity like God’s word. Ask the Lord to help you find ways to let the word of God dwell richly in you so that you can invest in the projects that will yield the greater fruit for all eternity.
7. God’s word helps us focus on the higher purposes that God has for our life. Only the Lord knows the plans for each person’s life. God’s word separates us from the natural desires that tend to make us stray from the path that the Lord has designed for each one. Ask the Lord to direct you in the best plan, relationship and ministry according to His word.
8. God’s word helps us focus on kingdom priorities instead of mere human needs. The best way to make a difference in peoples’ lives is to stress Christ and kingdom priorities. Jesus said it in Matt 6:33 - Do not be like the Gentiles who are always worried about what they will eat, wear or human concerns. But seek first His kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well. Ask the Lord to help you pour more of your focus on Christ and kingdom priority thinking.
9. God’s word helps us gain a problem-solving ability that comes from heavenly wisdom. Ask the Lord to give you the insights that the scriptures provide in solving problems with the wisdom that is from above rather than the kind that is from below.
10. God’s word helps us please the Lord in all respects and bear fruit in every good work as we increase more in the knowledge of God. ONly the Bible gives us the ability to please God because it aligns our thoughts with the mind of Christ. Ask the Lord to help you use the Bible in ways that please the Lord so you can be more fruitful in both qualitative and quantitative measures.
