Notes. John xvii. 17—26.
17. — [Sanctify them, etc.] In this verse our Lord proceeds to name the second thin<^ He asks for His disciples in prayer. Preservation was the first thing, and sanctification the secoad. Ho asks His Father to make the disciples more holy, to lead them on to higher degrees of holiness and purity. He asks Him to do it " through the truth," — by bringing truth to bear more effectually and powerfully on their hearts and consciences and inner man. And to prevent mistake as to what He meant by truth, lie adds, " Thy Word, Thy revealed Word, is the truth that I mean."
Some, as Maldonatus, maintain that the sentence only means " sanctify them truly," — in opposition to that legal sanctifica- tion of priests, of which we read in Exodus and Leviticus. This, however, seems a very cold, thin, shallow sense to put on the words.
Some, again, as Mede, Pearce, and Burgon, maintain that our Lord is only praying that His Apostles may be consecrated, fit- ted, and set apart for the great work of the ministry, and that this is all the meaning of " sanctify." This appears to me an imperfect and defective view of the sentence.
No doubt the word " sanctify " originally and primarily means " set apart, separate for religious uses ; " and it might be used of a vessel, a house, or an animal. But inasmuch as in human beings this separation is principally evidenced by holi ness and godliness of life and character, the secondary sense of *' sanctify " is " to make holy," and holy and godly people are " sanctified." This I hold to be the meaning here most decid- edly. It is a prayer for the increased holiness and practical godliness of Christ's people. In short, the petition comes to this : " Separate them more and more from sin and sinners, by making them more pure, more spiritual-minded, and more like Thyself." This is the view of Chrysostom and all the leading commentators.
Four great principles may be gathered from this text.
a) The importance of sanctification and practical godliness. Our Lord specially asks it for His people. Those that despise Christian life and character, and think it of no importance so long as they are sound in doctrine, know very little of the mind of Christ. Our Christianity is worth nothing, if it does not make us value and seek practical sanctification.
(6) The wide difference between justification and sanctifica- tion. Justification is a perfect and complete work obtained for us by Christ, imputed to us, and external to us, as perfect and complete the moment we believe, as it can ever be, and admitting of no degrees. — Sanctification is an inward work