Category: Today’s Truth

God is holy. He is perfect and blameless which is why sin cannot exist in His presence. In John 17:17, Jesus prays to God and asks Him to make His people holy by His truth. We cannot make ourselves holy; only God can do that.

Take a glass of water, for instance. If you wish to drink pure, clean water, you must do something to purify it like buying a filter. Then the filter will make the water pure for you to drink. We have to allow God to purify us so we will be holy. This process is called sanctification. After we receive Christ’s salvation, God begins this process of making us holy by teaching us how to think, treat others, and live as though we are redeemed.

This process is a process that is ongoing. That is the beautiful thing. God will never stop making us holy if we continually ask Him to and allow Him to be Lord of our lives. Spend some time in prayer today asking for God to be in charge of your life so you can see the amazing things He wants to do in your life.

This world can be a dark place. Christians are finding it harder and harder to live in a world of hatred and persecution. God could have taken us out of this world instead of leaving us here to endure conflict and pain. But He didn’t. Instead, He chose to leave us here out of His love and desire to see all come to know Him. We are a light in the darkness. We are His ambassadors. We are aliens in this world; we do not belong. However, since we are in this world, we must live as though it is not our home and we are just passing through.

Jesus says in John 17: 15-16, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do.” Just as Jesus did not belong in the world, neither do we. We were created in the image of God and are to live like Christ. The way we live will be starkly different than the way the world lives. Jesus asks God to keep us safe, knowing we would need His love and protection as long as we are living in the world. Romans 12:2 says to not conform ourselves to the world, but to be transformed in the renewing of our minds. So one way to live differently is to be transformed. Renew our minds and allow God to transform us.

Have you allowed God to do a work in your life and transform you to be more like Him? Have you allowed Him to renew your mind so you can live like Christ? Only then can you live as a stranger in this world.

The best thing that Jesus left us when He died on the cross was His Word. Look at the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the testimonies they gave recounting the miracles, the lessons, and the love that Jesus shared with the people. He knew that we would need the truths and promises of the Word to give us strength and wisdom against the enemy’s attacks.

Jesus knew that we would need help fighting the attacks of the devil. He knew that we would be persecuted in this life. His words in John 17:14 were, ” I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.” We see that throughout the ages: Christians persecuted and even slaughtered in other countries, society going after people because of their beliefs, businesses having to close because they hold the Bible to be true and won’t do something the world tells them to do. It is becoming more difficult and even dangerous to live the Christian life.

Christ knew all of this which is why He left us His Word. In His Word we can find hope and truth. We can find love, joy, peace, patience, and so much more.

Ezra declared in Nehemiah 8:10 that “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” His joy is our strength; it is what keeps us going when we do not know if we can carry on. It lifts us up, surrounds us, and empowers us. Jesus tells God in John 17:13 that he had told the people many things so that they would have joy after He was gone.

The things that Jesus said would stay with the people long after His death. We are the evidence that those things impacted the people. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit comes on the people and they begin to speak in tongues. They were able to understand each other because of the interceding of the Holy Spirit. They were filled with awe. Peter began to preach and the hearts of thousands were added to their number that day. What happened afterward was more evidence of the joy that lived in the hearts of the people. They began meeting in homes and sharing all things; God continued adding to their number.

That is what joy does. It saves. It grows. It witnesses. Jesus shared His joy with the people so that they would spread His joy and continue adding to the redeemed.

While Jesus was on the earth, he protected his people from any harm. While there were people out to get him because of his “radical beliefs” he continued to protect his people so they would not come to any physical harm. Even in the garden after this prayer when they came to arrest him and Peter cut off the ear of one of the soldiers, Jesus healed the man and did not seek violence. As Isaiah foretold, he was like a lamb led to the slaughter. He willingly went to the cross and did not resist.

So here in John 17:10, he prays for us, that we would be protected against the enemy. The devil even tried to tempt him while he was on earth, so he knew the schemes the devil would pull. He knew how powerful the words of the enemy could be, how enticing he could be. He wanted to protect his children from the arrows of the enemy. This prayer shows how selfless he really was. He thought of us and our spiritual well-being in his final hours. He demonstrated how to pray against the enemy. We can also pray against the enemy for those around us. The Bible says the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is always roaming the earth looking for people that he can destroy. His lies only bring about destruction in this world.

We must be on guard against the enemy. Ephesians 6 Paul talks about the armor of God and urges believers to take up this armor when defending themselves against the devil. Each piece of the armor will protect us in a different way. The sword of truth is God’s word, and it is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword. The helmet of salvation guards our minds as the world fills us with its lies. You can read about the other pieces of the armor in Ephesians 6. Spend some time in prayer today for those you know who need to come to know Jesus and be rescued from the enemy. Also, pray for believers you know who need strength to defend themselves against the enemy. Prayer is powerful.

In John 17:9, Jesus prayed for his beloved, the church. He does not pray for the world here, not that he doesn’t love the world and want them to come to know him, but this part of the prayer is specifically for the church. He knew what the church would endure after he was gone. He knew how important it would be for the church to come together in unity so they could better serve his name. His beloved disciples would mourn his death, and that would not be easy. He knew that after his death and resurrection, his disciples would endure hardship, and persecution. They would need the strength of the Lord to be able to endure.

So at the Last Supper, before he is led to his death, he poured his heart out to his Father on behalf of his children. On behalf of his bride. He loved her deeply and wanted one and nothing more than for the church to glorify God in his death. There is always good that can come from trauma, if we look for it and allow God to do his work. The good that would come from the death of Jesus would be his followers, their beliefs, and the way they glorified God in their lives.

We are the bride of Christ. We should live as though we belong to him. We should live as though nothing is more important in this world than the one we love. If we are the body of Christ, then it is our job to come together and serve the one who gave up his life for us.

To know Christ is to believe that He is the one true way to God. To know Him is to believe that God sent Him to earth. He was God on earth. He was not the king that many expected. They looked for an earthly king to rule over them and bring justice to the nations. Many are still searching for that earthly king. Jesus was a king with a great message from His heavenly Father. To believe is to know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is king and God.

Yet there are so many on this earth that still do not believe. Why? Maybe they need more evidence. They refuse to see the evidence that was given to man through the Bible. The one book that has stood the test of time. Or the evidence that exists in God’s creation through the painted pictures He gives us everyday in the sunrise and sunset, the clouds, the plants, trees, waters, or even the wind that cannot be seen, but felt with its chilling breezes. Maybe it is out of emotion and opinions that they won’t believe. They rely on their own strength and intellect of man instead of the wisdom of God. Maybe they have a hardened heart that will not allow anyone to come in.

As Christians, we must show the world why we believe what we believe. Our lives must be living testimonies. They must show the work that God has done in us. They must be the evidence that the world needs to believe.

The message of who God is, who Jesus is, and salvation is a great gift from God to man. The plan that God had devised from the beginning of time was revealed to man through Jesus Christ. Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to share that great gift with man. He taught about salvation, He prayed about salvation, and lived His life in such a way that drew others to Him. Salvation was at the heart of the gospel and the purpose of His life. In John 17:7, Jesus says, “Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you.” Not only was salvation the great gift of God, but everything He had while on this earth was a gift. Jesus understood this.

Look at your life. Look at the things you have been given, the people in your life, and the blessings. Every single thing is a gift of God. The people that are in our lives are there for a reason. The things that we have been given- our shelter, our food, even the very breath we breathe is a gift from Him. If we have learned anything in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, may it be that life is precious. It is a gift from God; it is given to us from Him alone. Most of all, our salvation comes from Him. He gave us Jesus Christ, to live and die for us. He gave us the gift of His Holy Spirit who intercedes on our behalf.

Take time each day to thank God for all He has done for you, the blessings in your life, the people in your life, and most of all for your salvation. If you are a believer, He rescued you from the pits of hell to live with Him in eternity! That is a great gift!

Jesus’ prayer and words in John 17:6 are incredibly encouraging for the believer: “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” What a beautiful truth! Christ’s life and death revealed the ones who would be His followers and believers. Through choosing Christ as your life, you have made God known as the source of your life. Jesus recognizes here who the believers came from- they were given to Him from God.

He goes on to say that they were always yours. We were His before we were born. Psalm 139 tells us that we were knit together in our mothers’ wombs in verse 13. Verses 15-16 say that our frames were not hidden from Him; He saw the unformed substance before it began and numbered our days. He knows our thoughts and every emotion we have. He knows us better than anyone else and even better than we know ourselves. How? Because we were always His! Before the world began we were His!

Have you acknowledged that you are His? Have you delighted yourself in His love and mercy? Have you thanked Him for the blessings He has given you and the people He has surrounded you with? Do you live like you are His? We belong to God the Father. We were made in His image, knit together, every cell, every limb, and every hair. So let’s begin to live like it!

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word glory in John 17:5 is defined as, “the splendor and beatific happiness of heaven.” It is a place, synonymous with eternity or heaven. Jesus looked forward to returning to the glory of God in 17:5, “Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.” While He experienced joy on earth as He walked with His beloved disciples, played with the children, taught the people, He was longing for the joy of the Father. He longed to bask in His glory and share in His glory. He had heaven on His mind.

Do you live as though you have heaven on your mind as Jesus did? Do you long for God’s glory and eternity? We can live on earth as though we are destined for God’s glory. The word glory does not just mean eternity, but it also means “praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent,” or “worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving,” according to Merriam-Webster. Every time you go before the Lord in prayer you experience His glory. When you are with other believers in fellowship, you can experience His glory. When you raise your hands in worship, you can experience His glory. When you bask in the beauty of His creation, you can feel His presence and experience His glory.

Jesus lived a life on earth worshipping and loving the Father. He glorified God on Earth, through His death and resurrection, and when He returned to sit at the right-hand of the Father. His life, death, and eternity was fulfilled. As believers, we can live the same way. May our lives glorify the Lord; may we glorify Him in death and eternity.