Monday, July 25, 2016

Kept in Christ

Toward a New Creation
Life on God's Terms


Death Becomes Life

John 17:1-19  The Message

Jesus’ Prayer for His Followers

17 1-2 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said:
Father, it’s time.
Display the bright splendor of your Son
So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor.
You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
6 I spelled out your character in detail
To the men and women you gave me.

11 For I’m no longer going to be visible in the world;
They’ll continue in the world
While I return to you.
Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life
That you conferred as a gift through me,
So they can be one heart and mind
13-19 Now I’m returning to you.
I’m saying these things in the world’s hearing
So my people can experience
My joy completed in them.
I gave them your word;
The godless world hated them because of it,
Because they didn’t join the world’s ways,
Just as I didn’t join the world’s ways.
I’m not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;
Your word is consecrating truth.
In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world,
I give them a mission in the world.
I’m consecrating myself for their sakes
So they’ll be truth-consecrated in their mission.

For Reflection
Who is Christ?  Who are we, the disciples of Christ? 

In this prayer, Jesus answers these two very important questions.  Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, is God showing us who God is and how we should live transformed lives so that we may live in this world but not be subject to its vulgarities.  Because of Christ, we, the disciples of Christ, are no longer defined by this world, no longer subject to this world's ways.  We are free to choose to live as God intends us to live by example of Jesus.  We are consecrated with the truth and through our own example, missionaries to the world.

Pray
that you will strive to live free from the bonds and seductions of this world.  Pray that you will have the courage and strength to be not only a hearer of God's will, but also a follower of God's Way.

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