“And now come I to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled 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 pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (vs13-16)
Don’t marvel at the hatred of the world, rather COURT it: it is BETTER to be hated for honoring God than to be laughed at and chastened for DISOBEDIENCE. It is better to obey than anything else I can do. I must court God’s favor and love, rather than man’s praise who hates God, hates me because of it, and must be my adversary until the end.
Don’t marvel that you’re tempted: what you were they are, and what they are, you have inside of you still: Christ ALONE can keep it down: (1) He is conquering and conquered (2) I get the salvation BECAUSE of Christ. This is the conviction of SIN, righteousness and judgment; it is the knowledge that Christ is why I win! This knowledge produces LOVE and obedience as miraculous power is given to DO His will. God enables us to obey, when we could not and would not, so that we can have joy, so that we can show ourselves saved, so that faith is not dead, and so that His work can be manifestly declared. He made us holy down here to give us the joy of obedience, the reward to come, and like the Master who SUFFERED before He could enter His reward, even so we SUFFER before we get ours.
But, embrace your commission as Christ EMBRACED His. Do not be ashamed. Weep and mourn, but do not draw back or hide the gospel to please people. Set forth Christ in love. Learn that you are SAVED by grace, so you can serve from love, rather than merit and deserving. God’s gospel destroys all boasting in man. This is why He CHOOSES whom He saves and damns the others on purpose and according to plan. He says, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which you have given me” (John 17:9-10). This is why He prays for us and not the world, died for US and not everyone, and so loved US that He saves us INCONQUERABLY while the world is damned - “and none of them is lost, but the son of destruction; that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).
God’s GOODNESS to sinners, the pardon and power, is our message to mankind, that they MUST get this or die. And, children of Christ must ABOUND in clean conscience obedience for the joy of Christ to be in them (1 John 3:18-23). We cannot walk like the world and be happy, because we are new. If we were of the world, then we’d forget God and serve Satan. But, we are DELIVERED, therefore we WAR against darkness, saving people. We are not hiding Christ and enjoying self, but rather honoring Christ and receiving joy from God, rather than sin. This is the gospel in all that believe, and we pray you more and more to increase. Paul says, “To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (1 Thess 3:13). We preach, Paul says, so that you and I may enjoy Christ the ONLY way we can, which is following, honoring, and obeying Him. We must DO the will of God by the power of Christ who saves us. We must BELIEVE unto deeds and works, not just talk, speculation, and theory. We must DO well, if we will live well in Christ. We have to suffer like Christ did, but I’d rather suffer for righteousness sake than for sin. We have a great reward that’s worth fighting for, worth being hated about, and worth enduring unto the end.
Older
Top
USER COMMENTS | 
10/15/09 3:51 PM
