John 17:16, ‘16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ Before Jesus went to cross, Jesus prayed for His own disciples. One of the prayers we see here. Jesus prayed to the Father, in verse 14, ‘14 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.’ We see here, one of the main characteristics of a disciple. Jesus prayed to the Father, ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ Jesus is repeating this again and again. Dear brothers and sisters, God is saying, ‘we are God’s children, yes we are His disciples and we are not of this world. This world is not a permanent residence for us. We have an everlasting home and we have an eternal hope and we have to live a life accordingly. This is what God is speaking to us.
Hebrews 13:14, ‘14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.’ When we say, we are not of this world, how much it is really, a reality in our Christian life? When we are going through different situations, life problems, how much are we gripped by this truth?
Philippians 3:20, ‘20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;’ Our citizenship is in heaven, not in this world. We are eagerly waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ. We have an eternal and everlasting home and we should be always gripped by this truth in our hearts. But in reality, many times, we are forgetting this truth and we are living, as if we have no hope, as if, there is no eternal hope and we are living like the other worldly people live. We are forgetting the wonderful truth, that we are not of this world. 1 Corinthians 15:16-19, ‘16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.’
When we are saying that we are having an eternal hope, we are not of this world, there are two aspects to this. It is like two sides of a coin. One, we see in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, 18, ‘17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.’ All things in this world are momentary and temporary. We are not of this world. This wonderful truth should grip our hearts, in our day to day lives. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ‘16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.’ Dear brothers and sisters, the things we are seeing are temporary or momentary. All trials, problems everything is momentary but things which are not seen are eternal.
Hebrews 11:13, ‘13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.’ We see Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, they all lived in this earth as if they were strangers and exiles on the earth. This says, they are not of this world. In every situation of our Christian life, we need to confess like them, that we are strangers and exiles on this earth. ‘14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.’ We have to see this reality. When we are living in this world, we have to see that this world is not for us. It does not belong to us. When we say this, it is one side of the coin.
The other side we see, 1 John 3:2,3 ‘2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.’ When we have this eternal hope, the important role God is speaking to us, through the Bible in 1 John 3:2,3. Yes, dear brothers and sisters, this should come from our life. Bible says, everyone who has this eternal hope, ‘MUST PURIFY HIMSELF’. Our Christian life need to undergo the purification process, every day.
James 1:27, ‘27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.’ This is also our responsibility. Keep oneself, unstained by the world. In other translations we see, ‘keep oneself, unpolluted by the world’ or ‘keep oneself, unspotted by anything of the world’. Dear brothers and sisters, Bible clearly says that we should have a clear separation from the worldly systems and things of the world, when we are living in this world. God has chosen us, redeemed us from this world and God has placed us in this world again. John 17:18, 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.’ When we are living in this world, we have to purify ourselves and we have to be unstained. Bible says, we have to keep oneself unstained from the world. We have to protect ourselves from this world. 1 John 5:18,’ 18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.’ We need to keep ourselves pure and protect ourselves from this worldly influence, worldly systems and worldly things. Because we are living in these last days, there is a great influence and it will pollute our Christian life, if there is a chance.
Proverbs 4:23, ‘23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.’ Protect your heart with all diligence, otherwise all these worldly systems and pollution will come inside. It will spoil our heart. It is like a fish, which lives in salty sea water but it does not get affected by the salt in the water. We should be like that. When we live in this evil worldly system, the things of this world, should not have influence in our Christian life. We should not be conformed, to the likeness of this world.
2 Peter 2:7,8,9, ‘7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,’ We see Lot’s life here. In the midst of the wicked people in Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was unaffected by the sensual conduct, lawless deeds of the lawless people but he stood for the righteousness. God protected this righteous Lot. God will also protect us, when we are living in this perverse and crooked generation, this lawlessness should not have any influence in our Christian life. When we are longing for this, God will protect us. Consider, a ship in water. If there is a small hole, it is enough to destroy that big ship completely. We should be very careful, when we are living in this world.
Genesis 6:14, ‘14 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch’. God has designed this ark, saying that the ark should be sealed inside and outside with ‘pitch’. Pitch is a sealant. Ark is bigger, but if they did not put pitch as a sealant, definitely the water would come inside. Pitch is very important thing. Our Christian life also must be sealed inside and outside. Should not have any influence with this world. Our external life and inner life also, should be protected with the sealant, the power of the Holy Spirit. The requirement of the Holy Spirit. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask God, dear brothers and sisters. Let us examine ourselves. How much are we getting influenced by this worldly things and worldly systems and by the worldly love, in our Christian lives.
John 17:16, ‘16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ Yes, dear brothers and sisters, let us be gripped by this wonderful truth. Yes, we are not of this world. We have to live a life, having eternal hope and having this eternal hope, let us purify ourselves as He is pure. We have to protect ourselves from this worldliness. It should not have any influence in our Christian lives. We should be protected with sealant, inside and outside.
May God bless us.
