Abide part 3: The Cleansing Work

“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3).

In His object lesson of the vine, Jesus brought another point to the attention of His closest twelve followers.  They had already accepted Him, had traveled to various villages and towns to do outreach for Him, and had walked with Him for three and a half years.  As they had been spending time with Him, they were growing like Him more and more until there would be no difference between them. 

Christ said, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.  They had listened to Him preach to the people and absorbed the lessons He taught them while they were alone.  All that He spoke was for their edifying.  As they pondered His words and beheld His manner, they were transformed into His image.  “But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).  Glory in this sense means character.  As the disciples listened to His words and let them become a part of themselves, their characters slowly changed and became like Christ’s. 

“In the life of the disciple John true sanctification is exemplified. During the years of his close association with Christ, he was often warned and cautioned by the Saviour; and these reproofs he accepted. As the character of the Divine One was manifested to him, John saw his own deficiencies, and was humbled by the revelation. Day by day, in contrast with his own violent spirit, he beheld the tenderness and forbearance of Jesus, and heard His lessons of humility and patience. Day by day his heart was drawn out to Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. The power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, the strength and patience, that he saw in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration. He yielded his resentful, ambitious temper to the molding power of Christ, and divine love wrought in him a transformation of character.” ~Acts of the Apostles, page 557.1

Jesus took the example of the vine, and gave a powerful lesson of sanctification inside.  As pruning is to vine, so the word of Christ is to Christian.  The whole vine is not cut down when it is pruned--only the shooting stems and dead branches are cut off.  It is the same way with the renewed Christian.  They have already accepted Christ and have been justified by their faith, but as they read the word of God, they, like John, realize their deficiencies and turn again to Christ for forgiveness, healing, and strength to overcome.  Their rough edges are made smooth, the dross is purged from the gold, and the heart is made pure. 

Ephesians 5:26-27 give the aim that Christ has for His church.  “That He [Christ] 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.” 

Do you want true sanctification? 

~Lilienne Stafford