Word Equals Truth: Jesus explicitly equates God’s Word with absolute, eternal truth. God is the ultimate source of truth, and His Word (both written in Scripture and embodied in Jesus) is the absolute standard for that truth.
Sanctification (Setting Apart): The truth of God’s Word sanctifies, or sets apart, believers for holy service and purpose. Jesus is praying that believers be separated from the corrupt values of the world and transformed to reflect God’s character.
Transformation: The truth acts to purify and sanctify believers, aligning them with God.
Context: This verse is part of Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” in John 17:6-19, in which he prays for his followers to be protected and dedicated to God’s purpose through truth. This prayer teaches that engaging with God’s Word is the primary way believers grow spiritually, gain clarity in a confusing world, and live out their faith.
John 17:17 (ESV) Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Some Americans don’t think about God. I lived most of my life like this. I’m only 3 years into following Jesus. So many Americans will tell you, “of course, I’m Christian,” when they don’t know what that means beyond a checkbox on a form or what’s acceptable among their friends and neighbors.
Most Americans don’t think about how God sees them. We were created in His image as unblemished lambs washed white by the blood of Jesus of Nazareth. However, many have a self proclaimed, proud image of themselves. They think of themselves as a “good person” and “gentle and kind” to those they love and hold dear. I subscribed to this self-idolatry for 50 years of my life. They give love generously to those that deserve and earn such special places in their hearts.
The love that God gives, the Love of the Father, doesn’t discriminate. No one is qualified or earns it. God just pours out his love to all of his children equally without judgement or cost. He freely gives love that can’t be matched or fully understood by humans.
God gives us free will. All we need to do is receive His love. Have faith and believe it. The ultimate goal is intimate relationship with God. Knowing the Lord intimately through relationship with the Holy Spirit. Love of the Father, life and heaven on earth, more abundantly, so many promises to those that believe and choose to walk with Him. We receive this abundant life the moment we accept Him as our Savior.
God’s love goes far beyond our imaginations and dreams. Even during the times God pours out wrath and vengeance upon the wicked and disobedient (ie: Jeremiah 1-23), I believe the love He has for them never tarnishes and is unfading forever. He waits and hopes for us to return, like the The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32) or The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10).
99 sheep
The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:4-7) (Matthew 18:10-14) “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way…” (Isaiah 53:6). The ninety-nine sheep are ones that go back and forth upon the earth honoring themselves as righteous and perfect. They might not know Jesus or maybe they stand confused about their identity in Christ. This group is made up of friends and family, coworkers and neighbors. I had gone astray as a goat for fifty years before I was found as a lost sheep in 2023. To me, the ninety-nine are like the goats and the found is like the sheep. Goats can become sheep, (Matthew 25:31-46). At the end of the age is when this judgement comes, on the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:14; John 12:48).
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). They don’t understand sin, and think sin is something seen and known externally, like murder and adultery that involve other people. They don’t know that God knows what is in your heart, and every thought you keep secret. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” (1 John 1:8).
They exist in a deception of pride, or the cover of isolation. Often hindered by addictions and distractions that keep their eyes on an earthly standard of success. Seeking a prize to achieve and an honor to feel. Seeking the acceptance of people is normal, and the desire to please people drives them to work hard at it.
The one sheep that finally opens their eyes and sees, the one with ears to hear, that sheep repents. Now the one, that one that wandered astray and then shows up with repentance in their heart, reconciliation and making the redeeming pivot…
“Go in peace and sin no more,” Jesus said (John 8:11). A man is transformed by the rebirth. “A man is born again” (John 3:3) “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). This is one the greatest rejoice possible, “rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep,” Jesus said (John 10:11).
Four great reasons to rejoice, according to the Bible:
Love. “Love rejoices with the truth,” (1 Corinthians 13:6). “Above all, clothe yourselves with love,” (Colossians 3:14).
Sharing the good news. “Only that in every way, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice,” (Philippians 1:18, Romans 10:15 (Isaiah 52:7)).
“Saved by grace through faith,” (Ephesians 2:8).
The lost sheep is found. (Matthew 18:14), angels in heaven rejoice (Luke 15:10).
Nothing is impossible for God.
(I began writing this January 25, 2026 with additions in March and April, and now it’s May.)
Undivided and Undiluted || BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART (The Beatitudes PT. 6 Feat. Hayley Braun)
In the words of Hayley Braun, as transcribed by YouTube and corrected by me:
And I was thinking of when Jesus was pierced on the cross, blood and water flowed. Blood for the inward cleansing. Blood was to take care of sin. Water was to wash from the contamination of being part of the world. It’s like I’m coming to one undefiled source for everything. Blessed are the pure. When I’m feeling ashamed. I’m not trying to go to binge watching Netflix. I’m not trying to go on a scroll like a scroll binge or whatever. I’m not running away.
It was this feeling of like in this ministry context, we’re telling them about the love of God. We’re doing all this and yet still the ways of the world is saying, “Go drink from another fountain. go drink from the fountain of you’re never good enough no matter how hard you try. Go and the Lord is saying there are going to be moments where you fail. Just make sure that where you drink from is the same stream. It’s one stream and it’s a pure stream. We can drink from the fountain that never runs dry. And we can align our hearts in single focus in purity and say I am not my source. You are my source.
And those who believe out of their mouths will flow gushing fountains. Those who drink from this well rivers of living water. Like that that thought of like blessed are the pure heart. They will see God.
They’re going to have an experience of what it is to ascend the hill. They’re going to live in the glory and the beauty and the availability of God because they’ve been single focused. Standing under the fountain that flows from the side of Jesus that washes me inside, washes me outside, and it like the word of the Lord determines my identity. The word of the Lord determines my response. The word of the Lord over my life determines how I’m going to think about myself.
And then I felt the Lord say basically you can drink from my well. You have no more rope. I have plenty of rope.
In Revelation 3 verse 15, this writing to the church of Laodicea and he says, “Your works are neither cold nor hot.” I was thinking about purity. Purity is one or the other. Your works are neither cold nor hot. With that, you were either cold or hot. God saying, “I wish you were either cold or hot because you are lukewarm. You’re neither hot nor cold.” This is pretty tough. I will spit you out of my mouth for I say to you, for you say, “I am rich and I have prospered and I have no I need nothing.”
And I was thinking in our culture, wealth isn’t just money. Wealth is availability of resource. And for us in our emotional need, us in our turmoil, we have an availability of resource to distract us. The availability of resource to try and comfort ourselves. Like we are the most instant generation. Like I can go listen to a podcast. I can listen to a teaching. I can I don’t know go binge watch Netflix. Like I said, there’s I can go order Door Dash. I don’t have to get in my car to comfort myself with food anymore. Like I can use a credit card and I have no money. Like I can access false comfort or some form of comfort. But he says this, “You need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. And I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself from the shame of your nakedness that it may not be seen, and salve for your eyes to anoint them so that you may see. Those whom I love, I approve.” And then he says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” It ends there.
And then Revelation 4 starts with the door of heaven is open. Like it’s this invitation where the Lord is like those that are divided in their focus, they cannot see. He’s like, “You’re poor. You’re naked and you’re blind. You can’t even see. You can’t see. You cannot see your own state.” And his response is every other god would reject those people. Go find a level of consciousness to make you worthy of this kind of, but God says no come to me. Come to me and I will give you gold refined by fire. I will give you white garments. I will purify you.
And that statement that Jesus makes, repent for the kingdom is at hand. Repent. Turn around. Which that word is to turn around. The world is work walking one way. But he’s not saying turn around and walk another way because it’s a good idea. He’s saying because the way has come. I am the way. The way to the father has been manifest here. Repent because the kingdom is here. I am here. And because I am here, the weak can say that they are strong. Because I am here, the poor can say I am rich. Because I am here, the blind can say I can see because there’s a way of the kingdom that takes brokenness and it makes it, you know, your weakness is the perfect place for my power. It says my power is made perfect in your weakness. I’m like, how is God’s power not perfect just as it is? But he is saying my power is made perfect in your weakness.
And in that place, we just receive. And I feel like Jesus is saying there, blessed are you who are poor in spirit because I am here now. And because I am here, there’s going to be something available to you that was never available before. And it is the kingdom.
How many times in my life am I standing in front of a challenging circumstance? And I’m trying to look at every option that can solve my problem. And Jesus is looking at me and saying, “Turn around. Yes, I am here. Turn around. I am here. And I will supply every brokenness, every weakness, every lack with my sufficiency if you would just come to me and buy from me gold refined by fire.
Matthew 5:8 ESV Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Isaiah 55:1 ESV
Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Revelation 3:15-18 ESV 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
A theological concept found in the Bible says God works in believers to bring about His good pleasure. The Bible also says in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. This idea suggests that God’s nature motivates Him to act in ways that lead to good outcomes for His followers, even through challenging circumstances, and also inspires a heart of gratitude and repentance.
Biblical Basis
Philippians 2:13 (KJV)
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
This verse indicates that God is actively at work within believers, influencing their desires and empowering them to fulfill His will.
Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Brings Good from Difficulties: Even in suffering, God’s goodness can transform circumstances, leading to eventual good for those who love Him.
Motivates Repentance: God’s kindness and loving-kindness can attract people to Him, prompting them to turn from sin and find the gift of forgiveness.
Cultivates Gratitude and Trust: Recognizing God’s goodness, evident in blessings big and small, shifts the heart toward thankfulness, joy, and complete trust in His perfect plan.
He crowns me with love and tender mercies.
(Psalms 103:4)
His mercies never come to an end;
His mercies are new every morning.
(Lamentations 3:22-23)
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
(Matthew 5:7)
A mustard seed, (Matthew 17:20)
Mulberry tree in the sea. (Luke 17:6)
Every knee. (Isaiah 45:23)
Live and not die. (Psalm 118:17)
Come to life and, (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The frequency is changing. (Hebrews 11:6)
Life more abundantly. (John 10:10)
Humble elevation. (James 4:10)
(ScottM wrote these words down at evening church 3/8/2026, and added scripture references later.)