Gospel of John [17:17-18]. The Lord's priestly prayer; part 24. 2Ti 2; Eph 6:10-18.

Title: Gospel of John [17:17-18]. The Lord's priestly prayer; part 24. 2Ti 2; EPH 6:10-18.

 

The help I receive to live sanctified or separated from the cosmos, the sin nature, the walking death, as I have been delivered in position, is the truth.

 

JOH 17:17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.

 

JOH 17:18 "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

 

Since they are being sent into hostile territory, to reclaim it for its rightful Owner, they must be given spiritual protection - practical sanctification in the truth.

 

They are not claiming nations or lands for the Lord, but people; fallen people who are called to be sons to glory.

 

Practical sanctification is the work of the Spirit and His instrument is the truth. The words that the Father gave to Christ to give to us, vv. 8, 14.

 

He will not send them defenseless; hence, His prayer for them and for us. Through Christ, the Father is going to give them something greater than the god of this world. But they must see this something and understand it and its application just as all believers must. This is the work of God the Holy Spirit and the entire realm of doctrine. Through knowing the Son and the Father and His plan for our lives we walk in the eternal life given and that life is far greater than the god of this world.

 

The very message which they are to proclaim in His name will exercise its sanctifying effect on them.

 

It is a weak witness who attempts to testify to what he does not know, and know very well.

 

Practical sanctification - to set apart from the world system and the OSN unto God for His work in this world.

 

We are not to remain in the world because there are no other options available. We are positively sent into it as our Master's agents and messengers.

 

In other words, in a world where we will consistently experience some form of suffering and constantly be under temptation, we are to be sanctified or set apart as useful to the Master.

 

2TI 3:12 And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

 

2TI 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

 

2TI 2:2 And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

 

As Paul passes the baton to Timothy, Timothy is to pass it on to other men who prove faithful.

 

2TI 2:3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

 

Paul suffered as did other workmen for the gospel and so should Timothy and certainly all who desire to live godly. Here we see Paul give Timothy a command to endure hardship or affliction. He is not to choose a route that is more in harmony with the cosmos so that he may be less afflicted and more comfortable and accepted.

 

2TI 2:4 No soldier [literally  - "no one"] in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

 

No one is the literal translation, though the end of the sentence shows us that this one is an enlisted soldier by the Lord of Hosts. His army of angels has been superseded by His army of royal priests. But they are not militant as the example of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane revealed, but they do war in the spiritual realm, EPH 6:10-18. The verb for active service sounds somewhat weak in the English.

 

"active service" - strateu,w[strateuo; present middle participle] = from stratos (an encamped army) means to make war or to war.

 

The warrior is to remain sanctified in the truth and to not let the thinking of the cosmos or the trends and habits of the sin nature fill his heart. It is to continue to serve in God's will despite the opposition from the enemy. It is not to make the world better or to eradicate evil from the world.

 

EPH 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.

 

EPH 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

 

1PE 5:8-9

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist [stand against] him, firm in your faith

 

EPH 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

 

EPH 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

 

EPH 6:14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

 

EPH 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

 

EPH 6:16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith [standing in grace] with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.

 

ROM 5:1-2

Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand;

 

EPH 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

EPH 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

 

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2TI 3:10 But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,

 

2TI 3:11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me!

 

2TI 3:12 And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

 

2TI 3:13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

 

Again, the spiritual warrior is not to make the world better or to eradicate evil from the world. Evil men and false teachers just get worse and they will be in every generation.

 

2TI 2:4 No soldier [literally  - "no one"] in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.