John 17 (Four) His Glory in Us

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them,” (John 17:9, 10).

This was a very significant hour in the life of humankind. Jesus has completed the work He came to do on earth, apart from being the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He has set the scene and has trained the workers to take over from Him. Now the King of Glory, who has received all authority, prayed for those who would follow in His footsteps and what a powerful prayer it was, since it was prayed from a one hundred percent pure and sincere heart that was completely within the will of Father God (James 5:16B, 1 John 5:14, 15). It certainly would have been answered and are still answered if those, who Jesus prayed for, could believe with Him. In this passage Jesus also called those things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17) by simply declaring that He is glorified in those that the Father gave Him.

This was a declaration by faith about the disciples, since if He had to look at them as they were at that stage; there was not much of a chance that He would have been glorified in them. They were about to run away from Him, deny Him, doubt Him and huddle in fear in the upper room after His crucifixion, so where was the glory? Jesus said this with the same confidence with which He told them during the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven,” (Matthew 5:14-16). He told them that they are the light, not that they could possibly be the light if they perform appropriately. How could Jesus have known this so confidently, especially in the light of the weaknesses in the disciples that He knew about?

Whoever the Lord gives eternal life through rebirth belongs to Him, and it is said of Him that “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ,” (Philippians 1:6). The Lord has confidence in His ability and knows that, once a person has committed to His power and love, glory will be the end result. In an earlier message we have seen that God’s glory actually is in that fact that people get saved. He does not need for us to be perfect. We do not need to appear to be someone we are not. All we need to be is the light we are – separated for God’s use, humble in heart and repentant of our sinful nature through our walking in the Holy Spirit.

We often hear the people of the world sneering: ‘She says she is a Christian, but look what she does...’ and so they keep on trying to find fault. At rebirth the Lord started a good work in us and He will complete it at the coming of Christ for us, whether it is at Jesus’ second coming or our departure to be with Him at our death. The good work has nothing to do with the impression man has of us. If the opinion of man is important we will live to please man. Our service will be man oriented and we will be concerned what man thinks of us, which leads to compromise. The good work has everything to do with glorifying God in the spiritual realm, though. “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him,” (John 4:23).What does God think of us, do we gain for ourselves a treasure in heaven, what do God’s enemies (the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms) think of us? We read in Job 1:8 that God asked Satan:  “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” and when David sinned the Lord sent Nathan who told him in 2 Samuel 12:14: “However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”

Because Jesus was confident of the disciples’ potential for obedience through the help of the counsellor the Holy Spirit, He was certain that He would be glorified in them. How certain is Jesus of your commitment? Are you submitted enough to allow Him to use you to His glory?

Lord, help me to live a life separated for you so I would not disgrace you in the spiritual realm.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.