He prays for their _sanctification_--"Sanctify you wholly." As already
noted, the root idea of sanctification, and of its cognate expressions,
"holiness," "holy," and the like, is _separation_. We see this very
clearly in connection with buildings or things which are said to be "holy"
or "sanctified." It is obvious that no thought of purification is
applicable to buildings and inanimate objects. We must, therefore,
understand sanctification in this case as equivalent to consecration. This
is also the root-meaning of the word "sanctify" in relation to persons,
and it may be questioned whether the word, as used in the original, ever
really includes in it the idea of purification; the latter thought has
another set of words altogether. The Apostle therefore prays that they may
be consecrated, set apart from all else, for the possession and service
of God. This meaning may be aptly illustrated from our Lord's words about
Himself: "For their sakes I _consecrate_ Myself, that they also may be
_consecrated_ through the truth" (John xvii. 19).

The _extent_ of this consecration is very noteworthy--"Sanctify you
wholly." The word rendered "wholly" is used in connection with the Old
Testament sacrifices in the Septuagint, and implies the entire and
complete separation of the offering for the purpose intended. The
Christian life must be wholly, entirely, and unreservedly consecrated to
God, no part being reserved or held back, but everything handed over and
regarded as permanently and completely belonging to Him.

He prays for their _preservation_--"Preserved blameless." The consecration
is to be maintained in continual preservation, in and for God. The
consecration as an act is to be deepened into an attitude, so that, day by
day, and hour by hour, the separated life may be maintained, and preserved
in readiness for every call that God may make.

The _extent_ of this preservation is also observable--"Your whole spirit
and soul and body." The spirit is that inmost part of our life which is
related to God. The soul is the inner life regarded in itself, as the seat
and sphere of intellect, heart, and will. The body is the outward vehicle
and expression of the soul and spirit through which we are enabled to
serve God. The order of these three should be observed. It is not, as we
often say, and sing in certain hymns, "body, soul, and spirit," but the
very reverse--"spirit, soul, and body." The Apostle starts from within and
works out