Gospel of John [17:15-16]. The Lord's priestly prayer; part 21. 1Pe 5:8-10; Rom 5:1-5; 8:18; Act 13:13.

Title: Gospel of John [17:15-16]. The Lord's priestly prayer; part 21. 1PE 5:8-10; ROM 5:1-5; 8:18; ACT 13:13.

 

 

JOH 17:15 "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world [not the solution], but to keep them from the evil one.

 

JOH 17:16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 

The same protection from the Father that keeps us in His name is the same that keeps us from the evil (one) in this world.

 

There is an obvious but wonderful truth that comes from these two sentences.

 

There are many forms of evil. Friday we looked at the secular humanism that has invaded the west. There is evil in lifestyles of many types of sin which comprise lusts. There is evil in religion and legalism and other organizations that perpetuate falsehood in areas of science, psychology, philosophy, and culture.

 

1JO 2:16

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

 

At the root of all these forms of evil is independence from God.

 

The root of evil in the cosmos is that in it there is an all comprehensive order or system which is methodized on a basis of complete independence of God.

 

The Lord's prayer to the Father set in motion the gifts that would be given to the Church that would protect her from the evil corruption of Satan and his cosmos.

 

It is Satan's desire for us to continue in these ways after salvation, or if we have been delivered from these ways through spiritual growth, to return to these ways of evil. Yet the Father has provided a protection so that we will be delivered from these ways by means of the word of God and the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.

 

We see in the Lord's prayer that the solution to the tribulation that any believer experiences for the sake of Christ is not to get out of the tribulation. The Rapture will solve a lot of our problems, but that has not been a solution up to this minute. Hupomone is perseverance and patience. When the hour comes we must rely on God to deliver us from all evil.

 

Just because we are surrounded by evil doesn't mean that it has to make us think in terms of evil. We make the Lord our refuge.

 

There are approximately 40 occasions in the Psalms where taking refuge in the Lord is mentioned.

 

PSA 11:1

In the Lord I take refuge;

How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain;

 

PSA 18:1-2

"I love Thee, O Lord ,my strength."

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

 

As far as we know, our Lord did not know how long He would be on the cross and He was surrounded by evil in the minds of people and the KOD.

 

COL 2:15

When He had disarmed [apekduomai = to lay aside or to strip off] the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

 

Nor did He hate the people who hated Him. He prayed for their forgiveness. It is easy for us to get bitter and angry towards those who persecute us. If we do, we have failed and have not represented Christ. We must love with divine virtue love as God does and see the value in even the worst and most evil person. What value is that? I didn't say good in them, but value. They have a soul and are created in the image of God and so they can, through faith in the gospel, become righteous, eternal, justified.  

 

MAT 5:44-45

"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

LUK 6:27-28

"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

 

And for the crowd that thinks the Sermon on the Mount has no application to the Church:

 

ROM 12:17

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.

 

ROM 12:20

 "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink

 

Look again at:

COL 2:15

When He had disarmed [apekduomai = to lay aside or to strip off] the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

 

The picture here is of the rulers and authorities of the KOD applying enormous pressure on our Lord when He hung at Cavalry, as practically pressing down upon Him, and Him stripping them off of Himself.

 

The rulers and authorities of the KOD have not stopped applying pressure to the Lord's followers. Through what the Father provided Him He was able to triumph over them. The Father has provided us with the same assets, as our Lord prayed for Him to do, and so we should not fear. He has overcome the world.

 

1PE 5:8 Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

 

1PE 5:9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

 

1PE 5:10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

 

1PE 5:11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

The suffering at the hands of the KOD actually matures, strengthens, and establishes us. So then we conclude that the Father has not only kept or guarded us from the evil one, but has also given us complete victory over him.

 

ROM 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

ROM 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

 

ROM 5:3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

 

ROM 5:4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

 

ROM 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

 

ROM 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

 

ROM 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

 

ROM 8:17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

 

ROM 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

 

1JO 4:4

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

 

2CO 4:17

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison

 

How would the Church have begun if the disciples fell prey to evil? (selfishness, arrogance, various lusts, seeking one's own good and comfort over others, etc.)

 

Evil can be found in selfishness, arrogance, various lusts, seeking one's own good over all others; there are many categories. What if the disciples chose personal comfort over God's work?

 

ACT 13:5 And when they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

 

ACT 13:13 Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

 

Due to Paul's reaction when Barnabas suggested that they take John-Mark with them again we would conclude that Mark abandoned them for the wrong reasons. His home was in Jerusalem and it is likely that he chose the comforts of home over the missionary work of God.

 

ACT 15:38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

 

ACT 15:39 And there arose such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

 

Barnabas and Mark were cousins.

 

ACT 15:40 But Paul chose Silas and departed, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

 

ACT 15:41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

 

This was their calling. John-Mark attended Paul and Barnabas on Paul's first missionary journey as their helper and when they left Cyprus Paul wanted to continue on into Asia Minor, but Mark decided to go home, leaving them without a helper.