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 ESV
This little snippet comes from the middle of a prayer Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion. Even though He was facing imminent torture and death, His prayer was first for His followers, both present and future. His sense of mission never wavered, and He wanted us to have the same commitment to the purpose of our salvation. Several thoughts come to mind:
- He didn’t save us to go to heaven some sweet day. He saved us to be His representatives on earth.
- There is an evil one who will try to stop us, and we need God’s help to complete our mission.
- We are as free from the control of the world as Jesus was. I am sent into the world, but I don’t belong to it. It has no right to rule me.
- God’s glorious message of redemption through faith in Christ is what sets us apart. It’s not words on parchment that sanctify us, it’s The Word in us. The Word became flesh, and now dwells in us. Jesus is alive, and I am living proof.
- We are here on the same redemptive mission for which Jesus came. He did the heavy lifting in His death, burial, and resurrection. That’s the Message, but without a messenger, it’s as if it never happened.
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10:14
Let’s go to the gathering of the saints today with a sense of our mission, both corporate and individual. Let’s help each other to become and remain free from the snares of the world and the evil one. Hunger for the truth to have its way in your life and set you free and equip you for service. The purpose of our salvation is not to go to heaven, but to bring heaven to earth.
pastorvirgil.com 