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Sanctifying Power of Truth, July 25
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:17
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What is sanctification? It is to give one’s self wholly and without
reserve—soul, body, and spirit—to God; to deal justly; to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with God; to know and to do the will of God without
regard to self or self-interest; to be heavenly-minded, pure, unselfish, holy,
and without spot or stain.
It is through the truth, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are
to be sanctified—transformed into the likeness of Christ. And in order
for this change to be wrought in us, there must be an unconditional,
wholehearted acceptance of the truth, an unreserved surrender of the soul
to its transforming power.
Our characters are by nature warped and perverted. Through the lack
of proper development they are wanting in symmetry. With some excel-
lent qualities are united objectionable traits, and through long indulgence
wrong tendencies become second nature, and many persons cling tena-
ciously to their peculiarities. Even after they profess to accept the truth,
to yield themselves to Christ, the same old habits are indulged, the same
self-esteem is manifested, the same false notions entertained. Although
such ones claim to be converted, it is evident that they have not yielded
themselves to the transforming power of the truth....
If the one who is thus misrepresenting Christ could know what harm
has been wrought by the faults of character which he has excused and
cherished, he would be filled with horror....
Let none feel that their way needs no changing.... None can walk
safely unless they are distrustful of self, and are constantly looking to the
Word of God, studying it with willing heart to see their own errors, and
to learn the will of Christ, and praying that it may be done in and by and
through them. They show that their confidence is not in themselves, but
in Christ. They hold the truth as a sacred treasure, able to sanctify and
refine, and they are constantly seeking to bring their words and ways into
harmony with its principles.
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