Sanctification

[19] Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" - John 7:19

Confronting the religious leaders, Jesus goes straight to the heart of the matter and asks, "Why do you seek to kill me?" The religious leaders have been plotting to kill Jesus because he threatened their power and existence. Jesus' accusation is a severe indictment since everyone knew that committing murder was breaking the Law of Moses. How could the law keepers violate the law?

There are a few lessons we can learn from today's text. First, Jesus is omniscient and knows everything, including our deepest and darkest secrets. There is no need to hide from Jesus.

Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. - Psalm 139:4

Second, Jesus deals with the heart of the matter, and God sanctifies his people. The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines sanctification as "the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness" (Q35).

Dear Church, Scripture promises that God not only calls his people but also sanctifies them. How is the Holy Spirit working in you today? What areas of your life do you need to surrender to him? I encourage you not to ignore God's prompting and continue to walk with him.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. - Ephesians 5:25