Application:
Just as Jesus did not belong to the satanic world system, so believers do
not. They belong to the heavenly kingdom (Colossians 1:13) because of their new
births (John 3:3). Jesus had prayed for protection for His disciples (John
17:11). Now His second petition for them was for their sanctification (Sanctify
means “set apart for special use). A believer is to be distinct from the
world's sin, its values, and its goals.
The means of this sanctifying work is God's truth. The truth is communicated
in the Word, which is both personal and propositional. As the message about
Jesus was heard, believed, and understood, the disciples' hearts and minds were
captured. This change in their thinking resulted in changes in their living.
The same is true of believers today. As they appropriate God's Word to their
lives, they are sanctified - set apart for God and changed in their living in
order to honor God. God's message set the apostles apart from the world so that
they would do His will, not Satan's.