One on the powerful portions of scripture dealing with the believer's intimacy with our creator through Jesus Christ is found in John 17:13-26. This whole chapter is deep in revelation in our intimacy with Christ, but for the sake of time, I am focusing on only the second half of this chapter.
JOHN 17
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.  |
Man was created in total harmony with his creator. At the time of the fall in the garden, man fell out of sync with his maker. The scriptures clearly stated that two can not walk together unless they be in agreement. In order for two to be in agreement they must be thinking and acting in unison. They must be of the same nature, in character, and purpose.
Adam was created in the image of God, or in other words he was just like his creator, in character and nature. When Adam rebelled the character of man went through a severe transformation. At this point man no longer lived in agreement with his God, but insisted in going his own way apart from God. The intimacy between man and God was broken, but Jesus came to restore it.
JOHN 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
In Adam we lost to the indwelling of his joy, which was part of Adam's original intimacy with God.
In Christ we have received the kingdom of God with in ourselves though the person of the Holy Spirit
Jesus describes this in Romans 14
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. |
The Spirit of God in us is righteousness , peace and joy, of Jesus Christ.
JOHN 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Jesus walked out his Earthly life as a stranger in a strange land. Jesus is from a heavenly kingdom, that does not conform the to pattern of this present world.
As we seek him out, and he reveals himself to us, we become like he is in this world, even without sin.
The work of the Cross is to restore us to the state of living according to the image of the invisible God, in word, action, and deed.
God made it clear through our dear brother Paul
2 COR 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. |
Before Jesus came into your life you were a creature that belonged to this world, but after Jesus comes into your life you are a new creature that does not belong to this world. The new creature is created to live in the new creation that is to come, an eternal kingdom, from which Jesus came, and has come to live within all who believes. We are like him aliens. If you are living in this world as Christian and feel like you really do not fit into this culture, do not feel to bad about it. We are not supposed to fit in. because we are not f this world we have deliverance that is not of this world as we see in the next verse in John 17
JOHN17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Because we are in Christ and Christ is in us, the Spirit of the Father keeps us from the Evil of the present world. This does not mean that you will not have troubles and trials in this world. Jesus told us plainly that in this world you will have trouble, but be of good courage because Jesus has overcome the world, and he lives with in you,and you live with in him. In this verse Jesus is asking the Father to protect our way that we may appear before him in the end spotless without wrinkle or blemish.
According to Jesus's prayer we can count on the Father to protect us from the evil of our times, so that we may not experience the judgments that currently falling our rebel nation. God will keep us from evil just like he kept his Son Jesus Christ, providing that we allow him to do so.
The only one that can get in the way of this is ourselves. It is the heart of God they we have his strength to overcome all the evil of this age,but before he can do that we must allow him to have his way with us. Our place in this world is to be just as he is, even with out sin.
ROMAN 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. |
The Greek word here means this
1) having the same form as another |
We are destined to have his form in word deed and action.
ROMANS 12:1&2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. |
In verse 2 the Greek word means-
1) to conform one's self (i.e. one's mind and character) to another's pattern, (fashion one's self according to) |
If we seek Christ with all our heart minds and souls, he will reveal himself to us in his glory, and we will be formed into his likeness. If we are lazy and do not seek him, we will be conformed to this world, by the media.
Here is a simple truth we take on characteristics of those we spend most of our time with. In the US we call this rubbing off on. If we spend the time with Jesus as we should, he rubs off on us, and the world will be able to see him through our word actions and deeds. Please forgive me if I seem a little flat footed in this statement, but most Christians lack the Character of Jesus, because they do not spend time with him, and spend too much time entertaining themselves,through secular means.
Now let me get this post back on track by returning to John 17
JOHN 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
This verse amazes me Jesus is asking the Father to sanctify us through the word of truth.
Jesus defined himself as the truth in John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. |
In John 1 Jesus is also defined as the word of God.
The Father sanctifies us through Jesus who is the word of truth.
In the Greek sanctify has a deep meaning-
1) to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow 2) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God a) consecrate things to God b) dedicate people to God 3) to purify a) to cleanse externally b) to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin c) to purify internally by renewing of the soul |
As we spend time with Jesus we are set apart to be used by God as avenues of change in this world.
So as we spend time with him God changes us so that we may be used to change the world around us.
I have to go now. If the Lord allows me to I will go through the rest of John 17
Tags:
intimacy, regeneration, sanctification, transformation
Posted at: 12:17 PM | Add Comment
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