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Sanctified?


They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (John 17:16-19) 

Because I love words and their definitions, let’s begin with a definition. Sanctify: set apart as or declare holy; consecrate; make legitimate or binding by religious sanction; free from sin; purify; cause to be or seem morally right or acceptable (from late Middle English: from Old French saintifier (influenced later by sanctifier), from ecclesiastical Latin sanctificare, from Latin sanctus‘holy’.)
This is one facet of Christianity. To be Christian means to be “not of the world.” It means being set apart, made holy, made different. The result of not being of the world, of being set apart and made different is that the world will hate you. It also means that you will hate much of what is in the world around you.
So, another definition: Hate: feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone). One of the synonyms for hate is loathe. The world hates, or loathes, Christ and Christians. So, what can be said of the person who claims to be Christian, but
Hates Christians?
Hates the Church? (It’s full of hypocrites! Insert your reason here.)
Doesn’t need the Church to be spiritual, or a Christian, or whatever?
Agrees with all of what the world teaches?
What can be said but that this person is of the world, not of Christ?
What the world does is up to it. But those who live according to its dictates are not sanctified. Jesus seems to think this a significant thing.

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