John 17:13-21, “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that you sent Me.”
It is Friday, and I think it appropriate to review where we have been this week in our study of the New Covenant. Our Lord Jesus last words in His un-resurrected body were “It is Finished.” Our study has taken us into understanding the relationship of the Father God with the Son, our Lord Jesus. It was the covenant that the two made with each other, at the beginning of creation, that we have become part of. It is in this covenant that we find the new heart and new mind. It is in this covenant that we find true freedom and peace and a clear conscience. But it is also these promises that challenge us because we find ourselves not walking in them. If you are like me, you don’t want to be like the children of Israel that wondered in the wilderness for 40 years, never entering into their covenant promises because of their unbelief.
On the night of the Last Supper, our Lord Jesus prayed a prayer that included us. He ask His Father to fulfill His end of the covenant. In this we find great insight into what we have in Him and how we lose ourselves to find ourselves in Him. It is such a true statement that our Lord Jesus taught us, that unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone, but if it does, it will bear much fruit. That becomes our journey: dead to sin, alive to God. Lets break the scripture down and see the implications of this covenant prayer that Jesus our Lord made to His Father.
“That they may have My joy made full in themselves.” Jesus joy was not based on His circumstances but on His relationship with His Father. It did not matter the storms that raged around Him or the people that stood against Him. What mattered was what His Father thought of Him. That was the source of His joy and part of our covenant through Him.
“I have given them Your word.” One of the greatest things that Jesus brought us was the understanding of the Law and the promises of God. He taught us righteous judgment and not the letter of the Law. He taught us to trust the promises of God and that all things are possible with God. This is part of the covenant in Him.
“Keep them from the evil one.” We are not of this world and we do not belong to the ruler of this world, Satan. We belong to the Creator God. We are no longer part of the kingdom of darkness but we have been translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. Just as the Father kept the Son from the evil one and walked with Him, God will do the same for us as part of the covenant.
“Sanctify them in the truth: Your word is truth.” We have been set apart and promised that the laws of God would be written on our hearts and minds. Our heart of rebellion and stubbornness would be taken out us and a heart that is tender toward God would replace it. This is part of the new birth or being born again. As we yield to the word of God, the promises become alive. Our challenge is that when we hear the truth, we try to make it work in the flesh instead of the spirit. I know this is hard for us to wrap our minds around. We will dig into it more later.
“That they may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may continually believe that You sent Me.” He did not ask that they would be perfect in knowledge about Him but that they would be one with God in purpose, will, and love and unity for one another. Too many times I see those who seek to be “right” about God and miss “Knowing” God. They will study and study to make sure that their theology is perfect, but they never bow their knees or prayer or seek to love others. They should use the book of Acts to set their theology, it will drive you crazy trying to put the wind in a box.
I have entered this study for two reasons. First is personal, I greatly desire to enter God’s rest. The second is what I see being shown to the world. I see two ends of a spectrum: I see those who scream at the world to stop sinning, when all the time the world is acting like their father the devil. It is obvious they need a new heart. They can stop sinning and still be unconverted. And I see those who speak of freedom, yet they are bound by sin and sin still has dominion over them. They believe and so desire to please God but can’t find the way. It is for all of these and myself that I have entered this study. This is not a short journey and we will need the Holy Spirit to lead us on the way through the Word of God but if we continue, I truly believe that He will open our minds and hearts to the covenant that we have in God in our Lord Jesus.
Let’s worship and pray. Father, It was our Lord Jesus that taught us to call You Father. He spoke of our relationship with You. Your word takes us to the point of it becoming even more intimate by calling you ‘Abba’ or ‘Daddy’ God. As a young child trust the parent to love and care for them, we trust You, Father. We know that there is much work to be done in us. We know that You desire all men to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth. You have chosen to use us, the Christians, the show the world who You are. Father, we seem so far away from what we are suppose to be. We trust You, Father, to change us into the image of Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus. In His name we pray. Amen.
Dr. Alan Wiggins
Associate Pastor
www.nbcornerstone.com
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