EXTRACT
The Lord says, “I sanctify myself for them, that they also may be sanctified by truth”, John 17: 19. He meant to say that He was not only about to die and rise; He
was going up into heaven. He was going to be sanctified there in heavenly glory, that is set apart as the representative of God’s eternal counsel for us. Wonderful thought in relation to Christ as He is now; so we would be in correspondence with Christ as He is now, and would be sanctified by truth, not by a part of it, but by the whole truth; so the apostle says here—
having girt about your loins with truth. It is the full thought I believe of truth, that the affections are all kept under control, not only in a legal way, not only because it is right, but by the power of the truth, the greatness of the heavenly calling, the attractiveness of Christ up there, so that we are here invulnerable. What can the devil do in these circumstances? He may attack us at the loins but we are invulnerable; they are protected, they are under control by truth. How important therefore are our Bible readings, how important the careful and prayerful reading of the Scriptures and all spiritual ministry, as is said in Timothy “the good teaching which thou hast fully followed up”. We should be so entirely controlled in our affections by truth that we can say, as one of old did, “Even in the nights my reins instruct me”, Psalm 16: 7. You will say the Lord instructs and the Spirit instructs but David says there, “My reins instruct me”, that is, the affections are thoroughly kept and pure so that you can commune with yourself and your reins instruct you; as your mind is free the truth comes into it and you are instructed. It is a very remarkable thing. Elsewhere it says that one calls upon all that is within him to praise God. The point is that the lower affections are kept and controlled and purified and held in the power of the Spirit.
J. Taylor (Vol. 42, pp.95, 96)
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