Here is much needed teaching for how God's children face the
deteriorating condition of our world. On the night before Jesus' crucifixion,
he prayed for his disciples:
"I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17:15-18).
Jesus does not want us living "out of the world". He himself has sent his church "into the world".
However, the church going "into the world" is after the pattern and example of the
way Jesus went "into the
world". In other words, there is no room for worldly, godless, carnal
living on one side, and we must be busy in our Father's business in this world
just as Jesus was always doing whatever he saw his Father doing (John 5:19).
While living in this world, we must trust in our Father to "keep them (us) from the evil
one". He has given his church the "whole
armor of God" to "put
on" (Ephesians 6:10-20), and so he answers his own prayer by acting in
our lives by his grace. It is ours to receive by faith.
When Jesus prayed, "Sanctify
them in the truth; your word is truth", he was asking his Father to
set his disciples apart from the world. While the world fills up its sin to the
full,[1]
the Father will set his children aside, or apart, as holy and blameless in his
sight.
However, this sanctifying work of God is accomplished "in the truth". And so, Jesus
clarifies that, "your word is
truth".
Guess why the evil one works so hard to keep God's children
from spending time in the word of truth?
Doesn't it make clear why the church is to "take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"?
© 2016 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
No comments:
Post a Comment