Sanctified by His Truth

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

─ John 17:17

“You’re not going to win him over by arguing with him,” Ethan told his cousin Martin.

“It’s just so frustrating,” Martin said. “I know the truth and I want him to see it; to experience it. His life could be so different.”

Martin had received Christ at a Christian concert, and his best friend Zach hadn’t been happy about it.

“Dude,” Ethan continued, “your relationship with God shines the light on Zach’s sin. You don’t party with him anymore because you’re walking with God. You aren’t on the same path anymore.”

Being friends with an unbeliever can be difficult, especially when that friendship pre-dated our relationship with Christ. Because knowing Christ changes us. By definition we are new creations, and that means we don’t do what we used to do.

This is good for us, but it can put a strain on other relationships. Often friends feel judged when we decline to participate in an activity we might have before we knew God. But our goal is not to please others but to walk in the truth of God’s Word.

Our job here on earth is to point others to Christ and glorify God. We won’t win them over by harping endlessly on their shortcomings or treating them unkindly. We show them a reflection of who God is and the love He offers by caring for them and standing strong in the truth. This is a tough road to walk—showing grace and speaking truth. But we’ll only know the Truth when we know the Word of God.

Today’s One Thing

Do you spend time reading the scripture daily? Make a commitment to spend at least five minutes a day reading the Bible. Ask God to reveal His truth as you do.

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