We are approaching the time in which we celebrate Passover and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It was in this setting of the final hours before our Lord death on the cross that He prayed these words to His Father in Heaven: “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy Word is truth.”  Jesus was praying for His disciples as he was preparing them, for His departure.  As Jesus continued He included us: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” (Joh 17:20 AV)

Within hours of these words being spoken the disciples began experiencing the turmoil of seemingly their world being turned upside down.  All that was left was the Word of God that they had heard and seen in the life of Jesus.  Everything else had failed them, their strength, their courage, their understanding, but the Word had not failed them and it held them together during those critical hours of their uncertainty.

We are to be sanctified through truth.  God’s Word is truth.  Let us not lose sight of this pivotal point.  Though all else may seem to fail, God’s Word will not.  We live in the time of the approaching return of our Lord, false teachers and false teaching abound.  Jesus prayer was that we be sanctified by truth (God’s Word).  It is the Word in its purity that will unify us in Christ.  It is the Word in its purity that will fulfill Jesus prayer for us and establish the Word in us.  May the final words of Jesus prayer be fulfilled in us.

: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (Joh 17:26 AV)

“… ; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” (Re 2:23 AV)

Many people will not understand what is being said here because we do not usually use that old English word “reins” any more.  It is actually referring to the kidneys.  Of course this is a figure of speech just as the reference to the heart is.  Newer translations actually interpret the Greek work “nephros” as mind.  Although it in deed is speaking of the mind, much can be lost if we ignore the figurative language of the original.  When it says that God searches the reins and the heart it is not simply referring to those physical organs in our body, but figuratively speaking of those parts of our spiritual being that are most important.  Everything that we hold dear in our heart has first passed through our mind.  By using the word kidney to refer to our mind we become mindful of the function of our mind that is like unto the kidney.  Just as the kidney filters out those things that would poison the body, so a health mind will filter out those things that would poison our spiritual being.  God is letting us know that he examines both our spiritual heart and our mind.  The great physician would have our mind filtering out those thoughts and ideas that could potentially poison us, leading to a unhealthy heart.  Heart disease is even more deadly in the spiritual.

“I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jer 17:10 AV)