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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
was according to Old Testament predic tion (Ps. 109:8). ,
Friday, August 16 . John 17 : 16 - 19 .
But while in the world true disciples of Jesus are not o f it. They áre strangers and pilgrims here. Their citizenship is in another country (Phil. 3:20, R. V .). Our position here is the same as the position o f Jésus was. -Jesus prayed thé Fàther to “sanctify” the disciples, i.e.,- to set them apart fpr Himself. The truth was to be the instrument o f this sanctification. God’s word is the only truth. I f we are sancti fied it will be by God’s word (Ps. 119:9, 11, 104; 2 Thess. 2:13). Just as our posi tion in the world is ’the same as that of Christ, so our sending forth is the same as His (v. 18; cf. 2 Cor. 5:20). Jesus sanctified Himself, i.e,, set Himself apart for this work, in order that we and all His disciples might be sanctified in truth. Saturday, August 17 . John 17 : 20 - 22 . Jésus prayer was only for those who,, believe in H im ; but not for those only who then believed in Him at the time the prayer was made, but for all who should in any age be brought to believe in Him. Believ ers in the days to come would become believers through the word o f the Apos tles : true faith comes by hearing the apos tolic testimony (Rom. 10:17). I f then, we would bring men to faith in Jesus, we should bring them the word o f the Apos tles. Jesus’ prayer for all believers was that they might be one. Here again we see how Jesus longed and prayed for the unity o f believers in all ages, and in spite o f the apparent differences among believers this prayer o f Jesus has been largely answered. Beneath all the seeming differences in exter nals and incidentals, all true believers are one internally and in essentials. But there is to be a môre complete and glorious answer to this prayer o f our Lord in the days which are to come, and for this day we should all labor and pray. The unity for which Jesus prayed was -to be realized m the Father and in the Son ( “in us” )r No real unity is possible except by our being in the Father and in the Son, there-
Tuesday, August 15 . John 17 : 13 - 1 - 5 .
Jesus was-profoundly conscious that He was going to the Father. “ Now come I to thee,” He. exclaimed. But He did not forget the loved ones whom He was to leave behind. Before He left them He spoke to them the words that would bring them the same fullness o f joy that He Him self enjoyed. It was His own joy that He wished them to have, and He wished them to have this joy in its fullness, to have His “joy fulfilled (or made full) in themselves.” This fullness o f joy was to come through the words that He spoke. From this we learn that it is through the words that Jesus speaks that the fullness o f His own joy comes to us (cf. Jer. 15:16). Neglect to- read or refuse to accept His words and we cannot have this fullness of joy. Jesus had given to His disciples God’s word, and the reception o f this word on their part had separated them from the w rld , so that they were no longer “of the world.” God’s word received always separates us from the world. Because' they were not o f the world therefore the world hated them. The one who is not o f the world will always be hated by the world (2 Tim. 3:12; John 15:19). It is not by any means a good sign, but altogether a bad sign, to have the favor o f the world (Jas. 4:4; Luke 6 :26). W e have, however, this com fa tin g thought in not being o f the world and being hated by it, viz., that Jesus was not o f it and was hated by it. How ever, Jesus did not desire that those who were His own should be taken out o f the world, evil though it was. He would have them remain in the world that they might testify to it and save others out o f it. But He did pray that they might be kept from the power o f the prince o f the world, i.e., “the evil one” (R. V .). Only by the power o f God can we be kept from the power of the evil one (cf. Eph. 6:10-18).
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